Next weekend where I’ll be speaking on the main stage at the Calgary Home + Design Show and my talk will be 10 Ways to Love the Home You’re in Using Colour! If you live in Calgary I’d love to meet you, please come by and say hi! source Then… Continue Reading →
I was having a conversation with a friend who said she was resisting buying jeans in a bright colour because ‘Really Maria, won’t they be out next year’? Pink Peonies I wrote about this last year when Vogue talked about it in their September issue, so read that post if… Continue Reading →
The stacked stone trend for fireplaces and the exterior of homes is a big one. I have even been in a home where the builder used stacked stone like an accent wall in the entry which was connected to the bi-level stairs. Can you imagine how much that would hurt… Continue Reading →
Recently I was asked to donate four hours of my time to be auctioned off at a Holiday dinner for charity. Next Monday afternoon I will be decorating the lucky winner’s home for Christmas (I’ll take photos if I’m allowed). There are so many wonderful and creative ways to decorate your… Continue Reading →
In my True Colour Expert Training last month a participant asked a really good question. “Okay, so now I can see the undertones and I get it, now what?” source I recently met with a homeowner who was building two duplexes. She hired me specifically because she wanted to make sure… Continue Reading →
It happens all the time. You install new flooring in the kitchen and suddenly your cabinets look old. You buy a new sofa and it makes the rest of your furniture look tired. The bathroom countertop you just replaced makes the floor tile look like it was installed in 1974…. Continue Reading →
source It’s time for my September newsletter. I was hoping my new website would be up by now but it’s going to be another week hopefully at the most! Pinterest If you’d like to read my special article about hallway colour, subscribe here to my free monthly newsletter. You’ll also… Continue Reading →
I get this question a lot along with “Should they all Match?”. There are many ways to do it but only a few that look good. There’s white, black, stainless and of course the high end look of paneled appliances. I’m not even going to mention actual colour options (like bronze)… Continue Reading →
You know what I find fascinating? At the same time as we all want to know the latest trends in colour and design, we also search high and low–as well as conduct polls with our family and friends, dogs and cats–in order to discover which look is the most timeless…. Continue Reading →
What NOT to eat; green eggs and ham (source) Copyblogger recently wrote a post about the show ‘What not to Wear’ and explained how this approach works well to illustrate ‘what not to do’ rather than always focusing on ‘what to do’. It’s easy to show beautiful rooms with the… Continue Reading →
My sister is right in the middle of her kitchen renovation so I obviously have kitchens on my brain because this month I ended up with 4 posts about kitchens and finishes. Spring is almost here and that’s when most renovations and decorating projects begin so I thought I would… Continue Reading →
It’s January and either raining (here in Vancouver) or cold and frosty in most parts of the country. The Christmas lights have been put away for another year and it’s time to refresh and update. I just received a timely press release and decided my special article for this months… Continue Reading →
For this months newsletter, I have researched the back issues of my favourite magazines to find you some creative and fun ways to perk up your space—and just in time for Christmas! You can save them for January too as the living room will be looking lonely after the lights… Continue Reading →
Everyone that has read my ‘The best Trim Colours—NOT Cloud White’ post is convinced that I think it’s a bad white, but that is simply not true. To recap that post, trim colours should be chosen based on the ‘fixed’ white in your home. So if your kitchen cabinets (for… Continue Reading →
Grey is suddenly everywhere. It is quickly replacing and/or accompanying brown in wall colour, furniture and hard surfaces. I was recently in a brand new, luxury home where all the finishes had been done in varying combinations of browns and greys. It was beautiful and contemporary, yet warm and cozy…. Continue Reading →
Source The most exciting thing about my new place is that I have space–which equals endless opportunities for vignettes and tablescapes–which play a huge part in creating atmosphere in your home. In the years that I have been decorating, there is a common theme on accessories that are usually missing… Continue Reading →
