Why Crowdsourcing Your Reno Decisions Will Leave You Disappointed

Thinking of crowdsourcing your renovation decisions online? Here’s why relying on internet advice can lead to costly design mistakes—and what to do instead to create a timeless, trend-proof home.

🛑 If you’re building or renovating and turning to the internet for advice, stop right there.

We’ve all seen the posts:

“Which greige should I choose?”
“What does Maria Killam think of Accessible Beige?”
“Can someone help me fix this disaster the installer left?”

And then… 276 comments later, the homeowner is more confused than ever.

3 Reasons Why Crowdsourcing Renovations Decisions Doesn’t Work

Crowdsourcing feels helpful—but it’s the #1 reason so many renovations end up looking messy, mismatched, and not quite right. As someone who’s guided thousands of renovations to beautiful, timeless results, I want to tell you what I’ve seen every. single. time.

1. Most people don’t know what works for your house

You’re asking strangers who can’t see your finishes, your lighting, or your architectural style. They’re just sharing what they like—not what fits your home. Do you know how many times I’ve seen someone choose a white backsplash that clashed with their countertop? Or install trendy black hardware that looked harsh and out of place?

I’ve lost count.

No one is asking about your fixed elements and whether they work 

Neutral undertones that don’t match, whites reflecting, or positioning that makes you second guess everything.

This renovator is:

• Asking the wrong question (because none of them are right to begin with)
• Clueless about whether the whites will actually work with this countertop
• Being misled by how the tile is displayed

2. Mistakes happen and snowball

Ever see someone buy a beautiful countertop only to realize after install that it doesn’t match a single other element in the house? That’s what happens when you skip expert guidance. One wrong finish leads to five more bad decisions. And no, “It’ll look better when it’s finished” is not a plan.

Again, most commenters are just sharing what they like—not what fits your space, your style, or your architecture.

What now? Based on this question above? I am very afraid for this kitchen.

3. Taste isn’t just instinct. It’s a trained skill.

The internet loves to say, “just trust your gut.” But if you’ve never been taught where to look or what to look for, how can you trust it? Understanding undertones, sightlines, and nuance in colour takes experience. Taste isn’t magic—it’s a system. That’s why I created one.

If you’ve already made one or two mistakes and you’re hoping the rest will “bring it all together,” please stop hoping. Ask for help from someone who truly knows how all the pieces need to align.

If you haven’t trained your eye for colour, undertone, and harmony—you’ll just repeat what you know.
(Which might be why this renovator’s tile didn’t end up the right colour, below)

I’ve helped thousands of homeowners (and professionals) fix chaos they didn’t even know they were creating. Let’s not wait until it’s too late to make it right. Find my eDesign services here.

The “trust your intuition” advice is false comfort

This is a conversation I saw on a renovation facebook thread recently:

“It’s too bad that people can’t just do what they like and worry so much about trends. Is it better to have a so so design that is just like everyone else, or something you love? If you love something enough, it will be timeless to you and that is what matters most.”

“A so-so design that is like what everybody has is not great, but a design that you love that is like what everybody had 25 years ago is not better.”

“It all depends if you are designing for resale or for a home to live in. Tastes don’t necessarily change at the same rate as design trends. If you design to a trend you are always chasing a moving target.”

People have been saying this for decades because they haven’t been taught that there’s a timeless way to design a home—one that doesn’t demand a renovation every 10 years.

And the biggest misconception?

“It’ll look better once it’s all done.”

No it won’t. If it’s wrong when the paint goes up, it’ll still be wrong when the backsplash is in.

Coherence doesn’t magically appear—it’s designed from the start.

A beautifully designed kitchen by Jenny Martin Designs

Here’s a Better Way to Manage Your Renovation Project

• Start with your finishes (not paint!): Your countertops, tile and floors are your anchors.
• Understand undertones: This is not a guess. It’s the key to timeless coordination. And it changes everything.
•  Don’t just crowdsource your questions. Seek expert-led community guidance: Get advice in spaces where experience truly matters and every recommendation is rooted in real design know-how—like our True Colour Insider community, where you’ll share the journey with people committed to timeless design—learning together, supporting each other, and getting answers grounded in experience and my trusted system.

Want to renovate like a pro? Start here:

Before you pick up another sample or make another call to your contractor, sign up for my FREE Trend-Proof Your Dream Home webinar. You’ll learn the critical mistakes to avoid and how to make smart, lasting design choices no matter the trend.

And if you want feedback you can trust—not 100 conflicting social media opinions—join my True Colour Insider community. It’s a safe space full of smart homeowners and pros doing it right, with access to my expert guidance and training.

Don’t let your dream home become a design disaster. I’ve seen this go sideways too many times.

I’m here to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

P.S. Here’s a lovely comment I received on my latest YouTube video from last week. The video has 3 ways to make your home look more expensive:

“Maria you are the absolute best. You and your team did a fantastic job helping me almost a decade ago to update a frankenstein kitchen that I inherited. The walls were blood red the ceiling was dark brown flimsy rough-hewn cedar paneling coated with with 40 years of kitchen grease. It was transformed into a timeless showplace with the only changes being changing out the backsplash, painting the walls, millwork and (new drywall) ceilings a beautiful cream, installing timeless faucets and lighting.

When we sold the house last year I took my chandelier shades with me (hee hee) to use at my next house.

Can’t wait to get my kitchen refresh eDesign recommendations back from you on this next home.

We close on the purchase in two weeks and I have our painter lined up and ready to start implementing your recommendations the day we take possession.️️”

~ @deedeedavis5425