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Advice for Homeowners

How Long can You Escape Technology?

06/06/2013
40 Comments

Okay so this post is just for fun. Don’t get upset because I’m mostly teasing. Plus if you’re reading my blog this most likely doesn’t apply to you, so just be entertained. So here’s the thing, if you are thinking you can still get away with having your assistant print out your emails (I met…

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10 Styling Lessons from Jeffrey Bilhuber

05/26/2013
33 Comments

When I first started blogging in October 2008, I had no idea what a tablescape was even though I considered myself to be a pretty good stylist back then. Since then, I’ve come a looooong way that’s for sure! When I opened up June’s Elle Decor and arrived at this living room, I immediately recognized…

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Gifts my Mom would Love

05/03/2013
11 Comments

  When I thought about writing a post on gift ideas for Mother’s Day, I thought it would be easier to write about everything my mom would love to receive.   My mom has a huge garden so this kind of gift (above) in any shape or size would be a big hit! My mom…

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When to Choose Low over High while Decorating

04/14/2013
31 Comments

  We are going with Turquoise + Red My sister Elizabeth is turning 40 in July and for her birthday she wants the family room painted and re-decorated. Her kids are almost four and six, they have not bought any new furniture since they got married and had kids. The living room furniture currently has…

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The Right Colour to Paint your Deck

04/07/2013
11 Comments

The ONLY surface that I did not paint in the house we bought and renovated last Spring was the deck. Now that we’ve worn a couple spots running back and forth between the house and the office (below) I can see that it was formerly forest green. Had it still been that colour, it would…

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How to Find More Money for Home Decor

04/02/2013
113 Comments

I follow this great blog called Social Triggers. Recently, Derek was interviewing an author named Dan Heath who wrote a book called Decisions: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work. It’s a very interesting podcast that I think EVERYONE could learn from. Check it out here. Unless you’re someone that never makes a bad…

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Ask Maria: How to Coordinate Finishes with Oak Cabinets

02/18/2013
71 Comments

Dear Maria, We have those dreaded honey oak cabinets in our kitchen.  We are not interested at this point in changing or painting them.  I just want to choose a laminate countertop and a backsplash and a wall colour that will look reasonably good together.  I prefer lighter colours for the counter and backsplash.  Could…

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What it Takes to Have a Classic House

01/29/2013
27 Comments

Whether you are shopping for a new house or planning to build your dream home, here are some great examples of what not to do. Sure, you want this next house to create the look and feel you love and but some just don’t have what it takes to be classic house. Keep reading to…

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How to be Smart in a World of Dumb Designers

01/15/2013
135 Comments

Recently, I received this very generous email from one of my lovely readers (no names will be used here), who said I was welcome to share her story: I have made literally every mistake in the remodeling book! I really do not like to complain, I dislike myself for being negative this way…but my mind cannot…

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How to Correctly Mix Furniture Arm Styles

01/13/2013
16 Comments

The second apartment that I decorated from top to bottom with a mix of garage sale/flea market finds and furniture that I took with me after my divorce when I was 29 was in downtown Vancouver. OMG is that a run-on sentence or what! Anyway, my ex-husband and I had decorated in the 80’s forest…

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