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How to Make a Plain Exterior Fabulous? Design a Garden

06/28/2020
14 Comments

Give your plain home exterior fabulous curb appeal by designing a garden. A garden does to your exterior what artwork, lamps, pillows and accessories do to the interior – give your home a look and a feel. Here’s an excellent example of how this thoughtfully designed garden made a plain exterior fabulous. Tricia Firmaniuk, my…

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How to De-Tuscanize Your Home; Before and After

04/22/2018
84 Comments

This is the view from their home. My lovely clients Crystal and Rob built their home almost 10 years ago when the Tuscan brown trend was going strong. Five years ago, they bought the property next door and built a summer house which I decorated for them. Suddenly, they loved being in that space more…

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5 Ways to Update a Tuscan Brown Bathroom

10/12/2017
30 Comments

Are you tired of looking at a bathroom filled with tuscan brown elements? Here are 5 ways to update your bathroom for a fresher look. Hint: it has a lot to do with adding more white or cream. My lovely client Deborah hired me to help her choose fresher colours and finishes for her bathroom…

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Ask Maria: Is My Living Room Too Beachy?

01/23/2016
33 Comments

Jeffrey Bilhuber  When I saw this Ask Maria question, I immediately thought of Jeffrey Bilhuber’s recent spread in House Beautiful Magazine. The answer to your question today lovely reader, is inspired by my favourite decorator. Here’s the question: I recently moved with my husband into our first house!  I have been so excited to make…

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How to Coordinate Unusual Colour Combinations

10/12/2014
50 Comments

{More funny texts from moms} It’s 5:00 AM and my phone pings with a text from my Mom: “Come for coffee now! I’m up but I’ll nap later”. (Except she writes it in Finnish, I can read it but do not ask me to have a conversation in Finnish, that’s where my dual language ability ends)….

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13 Ways to Create Flow with a White Kitchen

02/05/2014
28 Comments

View from the Master Bedroom In early 2014 I went down to Portland to work with a design coach.  I called my friend Barbara Miller who lives there to find out if we could have a visit. Barbara said “Yes that sounds great, and why don’t you stay in my Mom’s 6 million dollar house while…

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Colour Interview with Eileen Kathryn Boyd

07/29/2012
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I am a huge fan of Eileen Kathryn Boyd and her work. I had the pleasure of meeting her in New York at Blogfest last year! And she was in this June’s House Beautiful! here’s a bedroom she designed using her fabrics from Duralee. I recently interviewed her for my blog and here are her…

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7 Ideas for Happy Colour

04/24/2012
10 Comments

Last night IKEA had a media party to launch their brand new store in Richmond. They built one 3 times bigger right beside the old one which will apparently be torn down. EIVOR   It’s always fun when colour trends arrive at big box stores and become totally affordable. This black and white throw will…

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Are China Cabinets Dated? Yay or Nay

08/17/2011
62 Comments

Image via Pinterest I recently bought a sideboard for my dining room (I still need to find lamps, etc which is why I haven’t posted it yet). I certainly had room for a china cabinet but I didn’t buy one because it would have made the space look smaller. Plus what I love about a…

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What is the Colour of Fun?

11/15/2010
40 Comments

flickr At the CMG conference in 2010 we had a presentation called C20 where 20 colour professionals had one minute to present ‘What’s Next’.  My favourite was Mark Woodman’s question: A day at the beach (flickr) He said he noticed from just observing the world around him that the colour of fun is NEVER beige. And he…

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