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One bad decision pays for the designer

One Old Pool; Two Ways to Make it Beautiful Again

05/23/2021
24 Comments

Here’s some expert advice for making an old pool beautiful again. Plus, my best tips for all the right colour choices for pool materials and landscaping to create the most classic and timeless pool whether you are improving your existing pool or adding a new one. The Spruce (love how the plant material matches the…

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Ever Made a Colour Mistake with an Online Purchase?

03/28/2021
95 Comments

Online shopping Shopping online has come a LOOOONG way from where it was in the past. In the beginning, we bought books online and that was pretty much it. And since the pandemic, we’ve had to become experts at ordering everything from groceries to Q-tips to comfortable lounge wear. It only took me until the…

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Two Magic Questions Every Decorator Should Know

02/07/2021
48 Comments

Trying to combine old finishes with new flooring? I’m sharing two magic questions that will make every decorating or design decision better.  House Beautiful | Read more: Encaustic Tile Trend Post I received so many questions about flooring from my last post; Are Hardwood Floors a Pattern,  it’s clear that this topic needs a follow…

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Parisian vs. Tuscan Staircase; Yay or Nay

06/17/2019
61 Comments

In the 20 years I’ve been in this business as well as the more than 10 years I’ve spent blogging, I have seen a lot of staircases. In person, and in photos. Some good, many that are just plain bad. This trip to Paris is Terreeia’s first trip (my third). This time I was struck…

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6 Common Mistakes New Decorators Make

09/24/2018
14 Comments

Here are 6 common mistakes new decorators make. Are you guilty of making one of these mistakes in your home? Don’t worry, I’m also sharing how to fix it.  6 Common Mistakes New Decorators Make We’ll start with some of the common mistakes I see and end with the biggest and most common mistake at…

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Don’t Hire a Designer The Same Way You Buy Oranges

01/19/2016
31 Comments

Source The other day, my design assistant, Tricia, received an email from one of my readers: “We found a designer who charges $100 per hour. If Maria can match that rate, we will go with her.” My rates are a lot higher than that, with different price points for consulting work and decorating work. I don’t post them…

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The Real Cost of DIY Advice

06/09/2015
56 Comments

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?

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What Women Want vs. Men (In a House)

10/14/2014
25 Comments

Overheard at a birthday party with some of my designer friends last weekend: “When I work with builders I always tell them that WOMEN buy houses, not men.” Men want a large TV room {via pinterest} A Garage {via pinterest} Isn’t this amazing! Now this is an organized person! {source} And, No Nagging! {via pinterest} Women want above…

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