When budgeting for a home improvement project, hiring an experienced designer or trade will simply help you do it right the first time and save you so much money in the end. Here’s how we are trying to avoid being penny wise and pound foolish with my Mom’s sunroom project…. Continue Reading →
Should you install recessed lighting in your next renovation or new build? I’m suggesting you skip recessed lighting altogether. Lighting at eye level is always way more flattering than harsh lighting coming from the ceiling in can or pot lights. Read on to find out more. Last week on my… Continue Reading →
I’m a big fan of lamps and I often find that most people don’t have enough lamps. This is an easy fix and I promise, will make a big impact in any room. Here are 5 lamps everyone should have in their home. I know on this subject, I am… Continue Reading →
It’s no secret that dark colours are quickly becoming the new neutral, and this may be tempting you to buy a black sofa. But, here are a few decorating tips you should consider before you introduce the darkest colour in the largest piece of furniture in your room. If black… Continue Reading →
This week I thought I’d do a round-up of the most common mistakes new decorators make. The best and most common mistake is at the end of this post because it’s number one and I’m starting at number six: Installing your curtain rod too close to the window or not… Continue Reading →
Fashion Translated Most people shop for ANYTHING house related the way I shop for fashion. I was thinking about this the other day because I have been desperate to find a local stylist to help me with my clothes. Especially, when I have to come up with 12 different outfits… Continue Reading →
Tricia Firmaniuk, my senior colour designer was in Los Angeles with me last weekend along with Irene Hill my senior copywriter. I was presenting my system to a large corporation and they were so great to have as resources in the room. I am so lucky to work with both… Continue Reading →
Maria, I love your blog, it’s the first thing I open when I get my email. My question is I have white and grey tile on the bathroom floor and the cabinets are white but look like a cream white against the floor and the tops are new build cultured… Continue Reading →
How to Make Your Husband Cry Have you listened to my Ballard podcast yet? I was so honoured to be a part of the amazing group of creatives that appear on their podcast! We taped the podcast in Atlanta last Fall after Caroline, Taryn and Karen spent Day 1 in… Continue Reading →
My neighbour Shari and her husband Josh renovated their kitchen this past Spring. They chose someone who came highly referred by their friends. He had installed two kitchens for them and they were beautiful. This is the note I received from Shari: “We went to Home Depot and a few… Continue Reading →
image source I had two client visits yesterday. The first client had a great room with a fireplace. In her interior, the best place to install the TV will be above the fireplace, so we talked about installing wing chairs to flank the fireplace. She mentioned that no one would sit there because… Continue Reading →
This reader is getting ready to install a fresh white kitchen with an earthy stone fireplace in the adjacent room. Should she paint her stone fireplace? Keep reading to find out. Okay, so a while ago when I changed the “Ask Maria” questions to “Send me what’s bothering you” questions,… Continue Reading →
When Terreeia and I were in Toronto for my Specify Colour with Confidence™ Event in May, we had dinner with a good friend. We were talking about the extremely hot real estate market in Toronto (and Vancouver). In the last two weeks for example, homes in Toronto are selling for up to… Continue Reading →
Home Bunch Sometimes I think people get fixated on the wrong things when they’re renovating. They spend wildly here, then get stingy there. Even worse, if you’re doing a renovation on your own without the input of a design professional, you’ll swing back and forth even more. For example, you’ll think the more expensive fireplace… Continue Reading →
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately: why is it that so many of us don’t seek out professional advice until there’s an emergency on our doorsteps? Why do we so unquestioningly pay for certain services, like dentistry or health care, but then think we can do it ourselves when it comes to others, like home renovations?
When is the best time to hire a professional to save ourselves the most money?
I’m am a big fan and follower of your “Ask Maria” series. I’ve never done anything like this before so I thought I’d give it a go. We’re looking to update our kitchen and our dilemma is what color to paint our cabinets and island. Our cabinets are in good… Continue Reading →
