When home is your school, you need a proper homeschooling room. So, I helped my sister makeover a neglected room inspired by a splash of colour to create a kid-approved room design. Keep reading to find out what I used as inspiration for the amazing wall colour. All photos by… Continue Reading →
Since the grey trend has been replaced with black/dark and moody kitchens (the pendulum has to swing back and forth between light and dark after all), here’s where incorporating a trend works really well: You can make your 90s granite disappear! So first, notice I didn’t say 80s granite even… Continue Reading →
Getting ready to tackle a new build home? You may be asking yourself: which undertone should I choose first if I’m starting from scratch? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The beginning of beautiful I love the sense of elated anticipation at the beginning of creating a new home. Whether it’s… Continue Reading →
Here’s a colourful Christmas living room tour from Kristy’s home (my social media manager) in Indiana. See how she added cheerful colour to flatter her orange wood trim in her living room. Hey there. . . it’s Kristy here. Maria asked me to share a little tour of my living… Continue Reading →
Now that the black trend is here, we will be seeing a lot more black sofas! Here’s an Ask Maria post about decorating around one. What colours go best with black furniture? Really the question should be “What colours DON’T go with black leather furniture?” If you have black furniture,… Continue Reading →
If you are building a new house, you may be wondering which stone is right for your exterior. Choosing exterior stone for a new house is all about the undertones. Which stone colour is right for your new build exterior? My client was building a retirement home in a warmer… Continue Reading →
This weekend my sister Elizabeth was home alone without the kids. Her husband took them camping with a friend. No one and I mean no one can get me to pick up a paintbrush except my sister Elizabeth. It literally hurts me to paint. My neck and shoulders are instantly… Continue Reading →
Years ago I walked into an Ethan Allen Showroom where the sales clerk said to me “THEY ( clients) say couch, but WE (designers) say sofa” haha. I don’t remember what I called it back then, (I must have said couch because she gently corrected me), but it always stuck… Continue Reading →
Maria’s White Garden Transformation; Before & After I wrote the first rule of design (according to Maria Killam 🙂 ) in 2013 when I was working on my garden renovation. I have had this rule quoted back to me many times by my readers and by students who attend my… Continue Reading →
We have arrived in Atlanta for my second Specify Colour with Confidence workshop this Spring (it starts tomorrow). After we left Toronto, we flew to Little Rock for a meeting and yesterday before our flight back, we drove around and I snapped a photo of this blue grey house with… Continue Reading →
Here’s my expert advice for choosing the perfect wall to wall carpet colour. I have 4 easy steps that any homeowner can apply to make sure the carpet in your home is the perfect colour. Many of you have asked for this post. How do I choose the right wall… Continue Reading →
My lovely readers reached out for decorating help just in the nick of time. They were in the beginning stages of furnishing their new-to-them large modernist house. They had just moved in, leaving a smaller traditional home behind. It was such a big change in style. Coming from small, well… Continue Reading →
This post is about an eDesign consultation! I was so thrilled to receive ‘after ‘ photos of this project because this house is so pretty! Here’s what my client shared in her questionnaire: We just moved in and are planning to be here for 20+ years. We love that the… Continue Reading →
Hi Everyone, just a quick heads up, my Spring dates for my Specify Colour with Confidence events are up, we are going to Palm Springs, Toronto, Atlanta, Houston and New Jersey, register here. ___________________________________ Back when I was a brand new designer, I always remember being in a home where… Continue Reading →
Source Of the thousands of colours out there, how do you know what the best choice is for your front door? Why do some front doors look fab and others drab or just plain wrong? My lovely client Patti consulted with me via eDesign to get her front door colour… Continue Reading →
Image via Zillow (Love this image, no fence, just beauty) Whenever I research a post I’m writing to see what other people are saying, I always cringe when I see declarations like this, from articles giving colour advice to the consumer: “When it comes to picking out the right paint… Continue Reading →
