Exterior eDesign Instructions - Maria Killam

Your exterior eDesign consultation begins here.

Looking for interior instructions? Click here.

Maria Killam eDesign Online Colour Consultations

A big, big thank you!

I am so glad you are here! And, I look forward to helping you select the right colours for your project. But first, I have a little bit of homework for you to complete (don’t worry, it’s easy) so I can give you the most accurate colour advice.

-XO, Maria

Online Colour Design Consultation

The eDesign Process

Maria’s eDesign service provides access to her 20 years experience in specifying colour for thousands of homes and getting the colour right, and most importantly getting the neutral undertone correct based on her proprietary System for Specifying Colour.

She is involved in every consultation and in each and every selection. Maria has helped thousands of clients with our eDesign process.

The eDesign team handles all the time-consuming details, including gathering and organizing information, handling communication, and compiling her advice into a clear presentation. This is what helps makes accessing Maria’s advice affordable.
Our process works best when you tackle your eDesign project in the following order.

STEP 1

Take photos of your space (see more instructions on how to take photos in the next section).

STEP 2

Create your idea board on Pinterest or Houzz.

STEP 3

Click on the link in your email (with ‘Your eDesign Questionnaire’ in the subject line) to complete the questionnaire. There is space on the questionnaire for you to discuss all your ideas or concerns and they will all be taken into consideration when Maria makes her recommendations. This is also where you will also submit links for steps 1 and 2.

Please note, we cannot begin your eDesign consultation before all steps are completed.

Once you return all the information, Maria formulates her colour and design advice and the eDesign team puts it all together in a clear presentation PDF format. It will include slides with images to illustrate what she is recommending, complete with explanations and advice, and links to any products she is recommending.

Step 1: Take Photos

Because Maria won’t be able to visit your home in person, the right photos are very important so that she can see the neutral undertones accurately. Please read this section carefully.

Taking the time to send in the right photos will expedite your consultation and assure you the best possible solution.

She has developed a system of how to take photos and a format of questionnaire that covers all angles and allows her to truly help people with their colour and decorating dilemmas.

How to take photos of your exterior (+ a list of shots we need)

Take photos of the front and back of the house, as well as any other fixed elements where the colour needs to be coordinated with a white piece of paper in natural light, with no flash, such as windows, brick or stone, a detached garage, or any fencing.

Please avoid taking your photos during times of day where the sun casts light and shadow all over your facade. A mildly cloudy day is ideal, but midday on a bright day can work well too. Photos where the light is shining directly behind the house casts the facade into too much shadow to be able to see the details accurately.

Please be sure to include the following images in your photo album:

A few photos of each fixed element, including your windows, that will be staying like stone or brick, with white paper in even natural light, with no flash. (if applicable)
A few photos of any elements on your property that need to be considered such as fencing and out buildings. (if applicable)
Images of any samples you are considering such as gutter colours, window colours, factory siding colour options, etc. on white paper in natural light, with no flash. If you don’t have any samples yet, don’t worry, we are here to help you with what to look for.
If your package includes a front door colour recommendation, include images of your interior entryway taken in natural light with no flash.
If applicable, images of any relevant elevations, layouts or drawings. In the case of new build construction, this may be the only visual support aside from inspiration images and that’s just fine.
Send a quick photo of your neighbour’s houses. Yes, both the colours and look of the homes that stand beside your home do need to be taken into account when considering colour possibilities.

Examples of Exterior Photos

How to upload your photos to an online album.

Taking photos with your phone is the most convenient way to gather the shots we need for your eDesign consultation. However, we will need them to be added to an album on an online photo sharing site that we can access with a public link.

Unfortunately sites like Dropbox have space requirements that prevent us from accepting a shared folder invite. That’s why we recommend using these free sites instead.

All of these solutions work best when you download the corresponding app to your phone first.

Google Photos

Flickr

SmugMug

Step 2: Set Up an Inspiration Board

Please create an idea board on either Pinterest or Houzz with 6 to 20 images of rooms or exteriors that appeal to you. Please be sure to mark your board public (accessible by a link) for the duration of the consultation process. Maria cannot accept invitations to inspiration boards.

How to share link to Pinterest inspiration board:

Step 3: Answer Questionnaire

Please note, Google does not allow our questionnaire to be saved before you submit it. If you don’t think you can finish this questionnaire all at once, we recommend adding your answers to a Google doc or Word doc as you go, so you don’t lose your progress.

To help you prepare, here are some of the questions we will be asking:

Exterior Questionnaire

Do you (or your contractor) have a preference of paint brands?
Are there any builder or H.O.A. restrictions on your finishes or colours?
What kind of windows you have and are they paintable? Aluminium, Vinyl, Wood, Other
Checklist of colours that you are interested in (i.e. siding or front door, depending on your package).
Please tell me what you would like to change on your home’s exterior.

What happens next?

Once we receive your complete information as outlined in Steps 1 through 3, the eDesign team will add all your information to a file and send it to Maria for review.

There generally isn’t a back and forth conversation unless more information or photos are required. But, if there is more than one option for handling your decorating query, the instructions on how to handle it in various ways are included.

Your presentation will be delivered to you via email within the promised turn around time from when we received your complete information.

We understand that you might still be left with questions after you review Maria’s recommendations. Your eDesign consultation includes a follow-up question in one clear and concise email.

But, if you have several questions or would like feedback on your testing of samples, or are considering alternative materials and colours, you can buy the eDesign Feedback and Follow Up Service here. The follow-up service buys you one hour of correspondence and review time with Maria. And if you need more time beyond that, we can arrange for an invoice to book additional time.

Guarantee and Refund Policy

There’s no deadline to send in your information – we’re ready whenever you are! You have paid for our time so if for some reason you move or something changes before you can implement our recommendations there will be no refund. We want you to be happy, so if there is an issue other than personal preference we ask that you share photos of your colour testing and any objections or concerns you might have and give us the opportunity to tweak our selections before you reject them outright.

Please note, we will not provide a refund unless we have had the chance to make adjustments to our initial recommendations.

Refund Policy for UNUSED Consultations

Things come up in life, situations get altered or sometimes we just change our mind – it happens. Our eDesign team is here to make you happy and we are committed to complete client satisfaction. So, if within 90 days of your purchase, and prior to submitting your information, you change your mind, we will provide a refund less a 5% administrative fee. After 90 days, or once you have initiated the consultation process by submitting your information, we can no longer provide a refund.