Have you ever wondered: OK, so I’ve narrowed my focus to this one particular element of my room. I am just stuck and need to know which is the right _____________. That’s it. Hmmm, but Maria doesn’t offer an eDesign package for this one detail. Darn… it’s just a teeny-tiny… Continue Reading →
It was one coat too many, and my closet rack finally gave way under the weight. I needed to find a better way to organize my coat closet. Here’s what we did and another recommendation for lighting up this (likely) dark space in your home. Yes, this light-obsessed decorator has… Continue Reading →
Many of my eDesign packages are now available again. But first, here’s what we learned about eDesign when we had to make our packages unavailable, and how it makes working with me even better! Good news! We have opened up almost all the smaller eDesign packages for sale again! Buy… Continue Reading →
The images are flying in with questions and I’m so excited about this Saturday’s FREE Webinar happening at 4:00 PM PDT. Please continue sending in your questions because even if they don’t make the webinar, I’ll have lots of photos I can use for ongoing Ask Maria blog posts! UPDATE:… Continue Reading →
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 →
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 work 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 →
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 →
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 →
I found Alison McGivern through my sister Elizabeth Jacobs. Over the years, I have become accustomed to the facials I receive in her home spa. It’s at the point where I rarely book facials anywhere else because I just end up laying there getting more annoyed by the second, because… Continue Reading →
I’ve never been a fan of anything too pointy. Not in fashion or design. Years ago, someone gifted me a pendant in the shape of a triangle. I never wore it. It’s probably why my design aesthetic is more traditional vs. ultra modern. Traditional design has way more curves, while… Continue Reading →
This guest post is written by Tricia Firmaniuk, my talented virtual design assistant. I’m always saying (and teaching) that the days of different colours in every room are over. Now, the current trend is one main neutral throughout with colour in rooms like the powder room, dining room and bedrooms,… Continue Reading →
Today we have another guest post from Tricia Firmaniuk. How lucky I was to find a virtual assistant with the same aesthetic as me! And she’s an artist so she sees undertones from miles away. And in my experience, it is indeed rare for an artist to be able to… Continue Reading →
All summer (okay maybe more than just the summer) Tricia (my Virtual Design Assistant) has been obsessing about her living room and how the green from outside turns her lovely shade of cream, green. She’s sampled a bunch of colours but really she just wants the room to be cream and not… Continue Reading →
{via pinterest} I get the best questions about paint colour and how much it can or cannot do to “rescue” a mistake someone has made in their house or a mistake they inherited from a previous owner. Sometimes, colour can swoop in and magically save the day, so there’s nothing… Continue Reading →
via Pinterest (click on image) Recently while consulting with clients around their fixed finishes like tiles and countertops or exterior stone I have have been hearing phrases like: ‘It’s matchy, matchy but I think it’s okay’. or ‘It’s matchy, matchy is that okay?’ or ‘I don’t want it to look… Continue Reading →
I get a lot of questions about which colours work with honey oak trim, so I thought it would be easier to just show which colours are not so fabulous. Since honey oak trim has an orange/yellow undertone, I would generally advise against using any shade of pink beige… Continue Reading →
