Before we dive into today’s makeover, a quick reminder that our biggest sale of the year is live! If you’ve been waiting to grab a set of Large Colour Boards or get help with your upcoming project, now is the time!
My black Friday sale ends Friday night, November 28 at midnight. My ebooks, online training, edesign, my flooring guide and more! See it all here.
The wrong paint colour can make your furniture look dirty 🙀
Remember this Colour Rescue One Day Makeover I did where we transformed a living and dining room?
Well Melissa’s Mom who lives next door wanted the same transformation for her living room, but it needed to be painted first so last week, I popped over to choose a new paint colour for her living room.
You can see that the wall colour is too clean compared to the sofa which ends up making the sofa look dirty.
This same issue is happening in homes everywhere in this trend where the walls are stark white but the furniture is still earthy:
You won’t want to miss this demonstration of how I chose the perfect paint colour. And next week, we’ll be doing a makeover in this living room right before it gets a Christmas tree for the holidays!
Why I love what I do
While I was there, Melissa dropped by with this card. This feeling is exactly what I want to help everyone create in their home. This makes me so happy!
Here’s the video:
If you have a room that needs a makeover and you live in the Fraser Valley or the Lower Mainland, apply here.
My black Friday sale ends Friday night, November 28 at midnight. My ebooks, online training, edesign, my flooring guide and more! See it all here.
Bonus Alert: With any $50+ purchase, you’ll receive my Killam Colour System™ Digital Paint Dot Library—a $19 new digital tool that will make all your mood boards so much easier. It includes the full system of whites and neutrals in BM and SW.
The sale ends Friday night, November 28, 2025!
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Ask Maria: I Don’t Like My Paint Colour in Certain Light
Maria,
The concept of clean and dirty makes so much sense. I recently repainted my condo. I matched my warm neutral with my couch. I really like it but my recliner chair looks dirty! I hate the colour of the recliner and I’ve been trying to mask it with pillows etc. Should I just get rid of it? It’s only one year old.
I would love it if you would make a series of short courses
on how to solve problems like this with your colour system. Would love a short course of selecting coordinating colours, cushions etc. My preference is short and effective. Not a fan of long six week courses which are very detailed.
I love your style. Everything is warm and welcoming. Thanks
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment—and I’m glad the clean vs dirty concept clicked for you, because that’s exactly what you’re experiencing with the recliner. When one piece reads “off,” it’s usually not because everything is wrong, it’s because the colour is technically wrong Before getting rid of a one-year-old chair, I’d look at whether the pillows and surrounding colours are actually reinforcing the right undertone, or unintentionally making the chair look dirtier by contrast.
As for courses, I hear you. Some people love short, targeted solutions, and others want the deeper framework so they can solve these problems themselves again and again. The reason I teach the system in a more comprehensive way is because decorating problems are rarely isolated—once you understand the system, cushions, furniture, paint, and finishes all become much easier to assess.