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Advice for Designers

Earth Tones that Feel like 2014 NOT 2002

02/21/2014
40 Comments

{Oak Bay Beach Hotel} Recently I received a comment from a reader saying it would be great if I would write an occasional post about earth tones because she preferred them over the current white/black/grey colours that are popular and trendy right now. Well, dear reader, the opportunity presented itself this weekend. It’s my Terreeia’s…

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13 Ways to Create Flow with a White Kitchen

02/05/2014
28 Comments

View from the Master Bedroom In early 2014 I went down to Portland to work with a design coach.  I called my friend Barbara Miller who lives there to find out if we could have a visit. Barbara said “Yes that sounds great, and why don’t you stay in my Mom’s 6 million dollar house while…

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Eclectic Art in the Hallway

01/28/2014
22 Comments

{Front Door Colour: Cloverdale 7669} The art wall in my hallway has looked like this almost since we moved in over a year ago. I couldn’t stand the wall sitting empty so I filled it with mostly empty frames in the hopes that it would inspire me to fill them faster. It didn’t. Every time…

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What every Lighting Obsessed Decorator Should Know

12/12/2013
54 Comments

 Starry Lights I know, I’m completely obsessed with lighting. It’s hard to escape from a consult with me, without getting suggestions for at least 4 lamps. The other day, I had spent 1 hour and 45 minutes with a client in an on-line consultation. We had chosen colours, furniture, area rugs, lighting, coffee tables and…

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Being a Designer Takes Guts & Vision

10/27/2013
49 Comments

One of my readers sent me these photos from their new place in cottage country, which is located 2 1/2 hours from downtown Toronto.   source See this spiral chandelier (above)? I couldn’t find the big one on-line but this one is 6 feet long and 4 ft wide. To get it inside their cottage,…

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5 Best Ways to Choose your Roof Colour

10/08/2013

If the first thing you notice is the colour of the roof when you drive up to your house, that’s a good indication that it may not be the right choice. Here are the 5 best ways to choose your roof colour.  If the first thing you notice is the colour of the roof when…

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The Shocking Truth about TOO much Black

09/17/2013
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When is too much black just bad? In 2011 when we were living in our townhouse in North Vancouver, I chose the wrong fabric for my new chair and ottoman. I was so embarrassed. The truth is, I was procrastinating I had my yellow sofa (above) and that was an easy choice for me to make….

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The Quest for the High End Client

09/01/2013
38 Comments

It’s pretty much agreed among most designers that the measure for success seems to be to design for the upscale, high-end client with lots of money. It’s kind of like this, once you get this client, you have hit the pinnacle to some degree. We all know that’s never enough and once you get there,…

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How Often does Lighting Change the Undertone?

02/25/2013
26 Comments

One question I get a lot during my Specify Colour with Confidence Workshops is about lighting, what it does to colour, how to manage that effectively, etc. Basically the answer to that question is this: If you notice that the colour you chose went pink beige (or the wrong beige/grey) in the lighting, the possibility…

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