Create Your Dream Home
with Maria Killam
Know what to do next
Learn the timeless framework for knowing what to choose, what comes next, what’s worth changing and when to hire help, all built on the foundation of colour that makes every finish work together.
"It’s like my eyes have been opened to the secrets of how to make things look and work together. Instead of fighting the existing floor in my bathroom, I finally understood how to work with it—and I was able to create the room myself."
— IRENE
Your house is too expensive to guess your way through it.
They happen because decisions are made in the wrong order, and because the people advising you often don’t understand how colour and undertones connect every finish in the house.
you do need to understand the foundations of colour well enough to make good decisions about your own home
Create Your Dream Home teaches you the framework I use to make these decisions: the foundations of colour, what stays, what changes, what gets chosen first, what needs to relate, and when you really do need professional help.
So whether you’re doing it yourself or working with a designer, builder or contractor, you can ask better questions, evaluate recommendations and catch expensive mistakes before they get installed.
Once the rest of the room gets sorted out, that finish quiets down. It stops being the first thing you see when you walk in.
Plenty of the time you stop seeing it at all.
When a room isn't working, your eye goes straight to the biggest, most permanent thing in it. The floors, the countertops, or that fireplace taking up an entire wall. That's a completely reasonable place to land.
Either way, you'll know what you're looking at.
Oh, my friend, it's about to get so much better!
A room is a whole group of decisions, and when most of them haven't been made yet, the biggest thing in the room ends up carrying all the weight. It's the loudest voice because it's the only one talking.
"I hadn't even realized I had a colour dilemma. I simply thought something had to go, that I had to choose between ripping out a huge blue-green-gray stone fireplace, a houseful of travertine flooring or a blue pearl granite countertop and hearth. I was looking hard at that fireplace. Maria showed me how to BRIDGE the colour dilemma that I'd lived with for nine years"
— SUSAN .B
01 / 04
"I was already a designer. But I couldn't explain WHY some colours didn't work."
"Before taking Maria's course, I could inherently see when colours didn't work together–but I didn't understand why. Once I learned Maria's system, they lightblub went off. The training was invaluable." - RUTH
02 / 04
"I finally had the courage to go ALL IN on colour."
"After Maria's workshop, I finally had the gumption to paint my living room. I painted ALL the walls and the ceiling–and even carried the same blue into the adjoining dining room. At first I thought, 'Oh my God, it's SO BLUE in here!' But once the furniture, rugs and art went in, it was fantastic. Everyone loves it. And so do I." - KATHY B.
03 / 04
"One house.
Hundreds of decisions. One chance to get it right."
"After 30 years in the military, we were finally able to build our dream home. I knew we had to get it right. The house is complete now and, because of Maria's course, I think we did it. We are forever grateful." - LORI
04 / 04
"I needed help with my new build. I was frozen with fear and had no idea what to do on my own. Maria's training ended up saving me thousands by helping me choose the right finishes in the first place. I stopped crying and felt empowered to tell my contractors, 'No, I want it done this way.'" - PAMELA J.
"Pamela learned how to make the decisions throughout her new build."
by Maria Killam
So here's what we're going to do together
Introducing the Complete...
Private Community
Live Office Hours with Maria
Dream Home Workbook
Walk into any room in your house and know what’s actually causing the problem. Know which decision comes first. Choose finishes that won’t look dated in ten years because you understand what makes them date in the first place.
Read what’s already there, make every colour and finish decision in the right order—and still love those choices ten years from now.
Post the photo, ask the question, get an answer from a room full of people working on their own houses at the same time you are.
Bring the room you're stuck on, the quote you're not sure about, the two samples you can't choose between. That's what the Q&As are for, and by then you'll know enough to ask me the right question about it.
Every guideline, every palette and every colour pick in one place, so you're not scrubbing back through videos hunting for the thing you half remember.
Plus...
You've got mail!
Your physical toolkit ships to you. The Understanding Undertones® Neutral Colour Wheel, curated paint chips, a fabric sample and exercise sheets. You cannot learn to compare colour on a screen, so you won't be asked to.
Create Your Dream Home Program
What You'll
Walk Away With...
COORDINATE COLOURS, FINISHES, AND MATERIALS so they relate to each other, and recognize a trend before it dates your home.
SEE WHY ONE ROOM FEELS CONNECTED TO THE NEXT and another doesn't, and know what's causing it in your own house.
CHOOSE FLOORING, COUNTERTOPS, BACKSPLASH AND TILE that work with what's staying, not against it.
KNOW WHY THINGS DATE, so the choices you make now hold up longer than the ones you made before.
Protect your money, your sanity, and your confidence.
You’ll have everything you need to:
Let's Make Sure This Is Right For YOU!
- YOU NEED THE HOUSE SORTED BY NEXT WEEKEND. It won't be, and I'd rather say that now than take your money.
- THERE'S NOTHING YOU WANT TO CHANGE ABOUT YOUR HOME RIGHT NOW. You'll get so much more out of it with a real room to try it on.
This is for you if...
- YOU'RE RENOVATING. Selections are due and every one of them is permanent. You'll learn which ones actually decide how the room feels, which order they need to be made in, and how to spot the ones that don't need to change at all.
- YOU'RE LIVING IN A PATCHWORK HOUSE.
One room got done four years ago, another last spring, and none of them talk to each other. You'll see exactly why they're fighting, and what it would take to bring them together, working with what's already installed.
- YOU'RE BUILDING. You're choosing an entire house at once and somebody needs your answers by Friday. You'll go in with a plan instead of a folder of screenshots, so each choice sets up the next one rather than boxing you in.
This isn't for you if...
- YOU'D RATHER SOMEONE JUST HANDED YOU THE ANSWER. That's a perfectly reasonable thing to want, and it's exactly what eDesign is for. Start there instead.
YES. True Colour Expert Training isn't running in its current form while I rebuild the professional path, and this is where the system is taught in the meantime. It's the same system, taught the same way. Day one is the colour training itself, clean and dirty, undertones, colour balancing. Day two is applying it to permanent finishes.
The difference is the examples. The rooms are homes rather than client projects, so you'll be translating to your own work as you go. Most designers find that straightforward.
What you complete here counts toward the professional path when it opens, so you won't be paying twice for the same material. Bring client questions to the Q&As. Homeowners in the room benefit from hearing them.
Get the same Insider Method
I use with my high-end clients
New training drops every week. Three LIVE feedback sessions with Maria.
It's time that you have your dream home
Here's Exactly Where We Start Together
1. Timeless VS Trendy
Tell the difference before it costs you, so the finishes you choose still look right in ten years.
Every trend moves through the same four stages, and most finishes are further along than they look. You'll see where yours sit, and where the ones in the showroom sit too.
After this week, you'll look at any finish and know whether it's timeless or already on the clock, before you pay for it.
2. An introduction to the killam Colour System®
Learn to identify undertones, which is how you tell what's actually wrong in a room instead of guessing.
Every colour in the world sorts into three groups. Once you know which one you're standing in, the rules change, and choices get clearer.
After this week, you'll be able to say why one colour is right and the other is wrong.
3. Neutrals and whites
Choose the white that works with what you already own, instead of repainting three times to find it.
Beige isn't one colour, it's five. Grey is three, taupe is one. And a hundred and forty whites sort into four gradations.
After this week, you'll put samples up against your own granite, your carpet, your floors, and see which one belongs. Pink beige next to green beige is obvious. Alone on a wall, it isn't.
4. The order colour gets decided in
Know what to choose first, so every decision after it gets easier instead of harder.
Two thousand paint colours on the wall at the store. Most of them will never be useful to anyone. My system curates fifty of the best neutrals and whites out of that, and colour gets chosen separately, against what's already in the room.
What gets decided first, what waits its turn, and why paint belongs at the end and not the beginning.
After this week, you'll know why paint comes last, and when your neutrals and your colour each get decided.
5. Choosing and coordinating Finishes
Put flooring, counters, tile and cabinets together so they relate rather than compete.
Flooring, tile, countertops, cabinets, trim, fireplaces. Which of them need to stay quiet, and which ones gets to be interesting.
After this week, you'll know which of your finishes are fighting each other, and what order to settle them in.
The palette usually starts with something already in the house. Sometimes it's a rug or a painting you love. More often it's the flooring or the countertop you're keeping whether you love it or not.
After this week, you'll know what's setting the palette in your house, and how it carries from room to room and sight line to sight line.
"The training I received was invaluable. Before taking the class I could inherently see some colours don't play well together, but I didn't understand why. Once I learned about undertones and mixing clean and dirty colorus, the lightbulb went off!" - RUTH
"(Create Your Dream Home) confirmed that my instincts were good and gave me confidence to move forward and stop second guessing everything. Thank you!"
— CICELY
"Thank you for your Dream Home course. I have followed your advice with some very high-end beautiful results. I wanted to share with you something that my husband and I did inspired by the course." - GINNY
CREATE the Home You've Been Trying to GET RIGHT For Years
How to read what’s already in your room so you know which colours and finishes actually belong there.
Instead of “I hope this works,” you’ll understand why one choice works better than another. Before you spend the money.
YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SEE WHAT YOUR HOUSE ACTUALLY NEEDS
Because when you can read what’s already in a room, you can stop choosing by hope, trends, Pinterest boards and everyone else’s opinions — and start putting your money into decisions that make your whole home come together.
Create Your Dream Home gives you the framework I use to know what stays, what goes, what belongs together — and what to choose next.
You'LL learn the skill Good decorators rely on but nobody teaches:
If you’re tired of repainting, redoing and regretting expensive decisions, you don’t need more inspiration.
Exclusive Bonus
The Complete Program
Six weeks of lessons, live time with maria and the team, and a set of materials that shows up at your door.
"On our most recent renovation project, the original plan was to replace all 2000 sq ft of carpet, lvp and tile. Now choosing to decorate around the existing flooring, and having a blast while we're at it, I'm sure we are saving between 10-15k! Also, as the flooring is much warmer in tone than we've worked with before, we are getting the chance to pick colours we would have never considered. "
— JANICE V.
"Since getting what seemed like a crazy amount of lamps but which have successfully made our space so much more livable and cozy, I'm saving money by not having to file for divorce as we no longer fight over how much dim to use in our overhead dimmable living room pot lights. The never ending arguments have stopped all because of lamps. Savings achieved = priceless! Thanks, Maria! ;D"
— NATALIE
"I just want to say, this course and this community has already saved me from making so many expensive mistakes with our addition and reno. Thank you so very much!!"
— APARNA
In 2026, the Average Renovation can cost $20,000 (or more!)
In 2026,
the Average Renovation can cost $20,000
(or more!)
One bathroom. One kitchen refresh. One wrong decision.
Before you spend it, learn how to tell what actually needs changing — and what doesn’t.
Let's make your house feel like a home
A house is floors and walls and finishes. A home is what happens when all of it finally agrees, and you walk in the door and it finally feels like yours.
6 weeks from now...
You'll know what your house needs, in what order, and why.
Your money goes where it counts, and you're the one who called it.
Frequently Asked Questions
still not sure if this course is right for you?
Can you relate?
You have great taste. You know what you like when you see it, but still you’re not sure how to pull it all together. Or, even where to start sometimes?
Perhaps you’re really excited about your project, but at the same time, you’re stuck with worry that you might make choices you’ll later wish you hadn’t?
Or, maybe you’ve made mistakes you regretted in the past and THIS TIME you want to get it right without wasting more time and money?
If you find yourself nodding your head to ANY of these, this course is for YOU!
Home projects are an investment.
For most people, this is their one chance to create their forever home. And more than anything, I want you to enjoy the process and be happy with the outcome.
Colour mistakes cost money.
Learning how to avoid and FIX mistakes will save you money and time, repeatedly. In fact, fixing just one colour mistake could save you enough money to cover the cost of this course.
That’s good money you can spend on lamps and decor later! Just sayin’
And, if you have any other questions, please email [email protected].
Every person who takes this course BEFORE starting their renovation or new build project makes a point to tell me this, “I should’ve done this sooner. Now, I’ve got a much better vision for everything I’m doing, and I’m so glad I took this course first—whew!”
Every. Single. Time.
If you are scouring the web for all the answers and inspiration right now, then this is the RIGHT time to take this course – no matter when your new build or renovation is scheduled for in the future.
The perfect time to learn about colour and design is before you buy a home. Here’s why:
House Hunting with Expert Eyes
When you understand design fundamentals and colour relationships, you’ll view potential homes with a trained eye. You’ll be able to spot which “ugly” features are easy, inexpensive fixes versus costly renovations. This knowledge helps you:
See Past Surface Issues
- A dated wall colour or unfortunate wallpaper might scare away other buyers, but you’ll recognize these as simple cosmetic changes that can dramatically transform a space without major renovation.
Identify True Potential -
You’ll develop the skills to visualize how spaces can be transformed through strategic updates rather than costly gut renovations. This insight helps you find hidden gems that others might overlook.
Make Smarter Investment Decisions –
Understanding which design elements can be easily changed versus those requiring significant investment helps you negotiate better and avoid properties with costly inherent flaws.
The Create Your Dream Home course equips you with professional-level skills to evaluate spaces, identify what’s not working, and develop cost-effective solutions. This expertise becomes your secret advantage in finding and creating a home you’ll love – before you even make an offer.
Learning to See Colour is a Skill
Just like learning to play an instrument or ride a bike, seeing undertones is a skill that can be taught and mastered. You’re not “colour blind” – you just haven’t learned the system yet.
The Course is Designed for You The training specifically helps people who:
- Feel overwhelmed by colour choices
- Can’t understand why certain colours “don’t work”
- Struggle to see what others seem to see naturally
- Get frustrated trying to match colours
Instead of relying on natural talent or guesswork, you’ll learn a clear, step-by-step method for identifying undertones. This system works even if you’ve always struggled with colour matching.
Everyone Learns at Their Own Pace
The course is structured to build your confidence gradually. You’ll practice with real-world examples, and there’s no pressure to “keep up” – you can review materials as often as needed until the concepts click.
Remember: Your current difficulty with undertones isn’t a weakness – it’s precisely why this training will be so valuable for you. You’ll finally have the tools and understanding to make confident colour decisions.
Absolutely! We have students join Create Your Dream Home from all over the world.
The course lessons are released inside your private learning community, so you can work through the training from wherever you live. Live sessions with Maria are recorded and added to the community, so if the time difference makes attending live difficult, you can watch the replay.
If you’re in Canada, you’ll be charged in Canadian dollars (CAD). Customers outside Canada are charged in U.S. dollars (USD).
International students are responsible for any additional shipping costs for physical course materials.
Please also make sure Benjamin Moore colour resources are available in your country, as they are used throughout the training.
