The last two weeks have been a whirlwind! I was so happy to meet so many of you in our two-day Expert Colour & Design Training in Dallas last week!  

We will announce Spring dates shortly! Get on the list to be the first to know!

Here I am with 3 out of the 4 amazing volunteers (Alumni True Colour Experts!) 

I received an interesting question on my Insta last week and it was, “Why is your event set up in round tables and not classroom style?” 

Because my colour training is an engaged workshop, not a conference where you’re just being talked at. We have several tactile exercises like placing colour chips and brainstorming real client rooms with your table mates!

Biggest Sale of the Year

And yes, my Black Friday BIGGEST sale is here! It’s the ONLY time of the year that I discount my large painted colour boards. 

In 2024 the price of everything is going up, so they will never be this low again! If you have been waiting to get your hands on the only collection of large colour samples you need to choose a neutral or white, this is your chance!

My Colour Board Collections

There are 4 collections of 50 samples. Two in Benjamin Moore and two in Sherwin Williams. And each collection of 50 samples come with both ebooks and a colour wheel. If you have bought the books already, we can re-gift the ones that are included to whoever you’d like.

NOTE: These prices cannot be applied to previous purchases.

“Maria, I too have been using your color boards ever since I ordered them a few years ago. They are simply priceless! I don’t know how I ever got along without them. When I show my client(s) the color that will make their rooms look perfect they are amazed. Your system is one that I recommend to everyone I talk to. Also taking your class reinforced the whole concept! Thank you so much for ALL that you do!!” Lucy H.

It’s way easier to make a colour choice, when you have large, easy to see COLOUR and NEUTRAL samples you can move around! Sticking samples on the wall does not help you choose a paint colour, you must be able to move them AROUND to make sure that they pull the room together.

Sometimes, when someone buys my boards and hasn’t attended one of my live workshops (where you learn exactly how to use them) they say things like, “Well, Maria doesn’t have every colour I might want to use, but these are a very helpful start.”

But here’s the thing.

Over the past 20 years, while I’ve conducted literally thousands of colour consultations, I’ve paid attention to which neutrals and colours are the useful ones I’ve specified over and over again. These useful colours created the foundation of the Killam Colour System

When you buy my large painted boards what you also get is a SYSTEM.

So 95% of the time you need one of the nine useful neutrals, you’ll find it in my large colour boards.

And when you understand how my system works, you’ll be able to quickly shuffle through and pull the right neutral out of the stack of 50 boards. Kind of like magic.

You can also stop running to the paint store to ask them to ‘cut already super pale colours by 25% or 50%’ because when you can see and COMPARE the ones that work and eliminate the ones that don’t work, your days of creating ‘custom colours’ are over.

Want my best colour tip right now?

If you don’t have any of my painted colour boards, you’ll want the set of 50 in my first collection, called the Colour Collection in either Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. These collections represent my System, all 9 neutral undertones plus whites!

I know buying these colour boards is an investment, but when you start using them with your clients, they are highly worth it. Anyone who’s made this investment will tell you that their clients LOVE these boards! You’ll also find them invaluable if you have a design project coming up where you need to choose a lot of colours!

Get your whites and greiges correct once and for all!

What people are saying:

I received my set of color boards just a few days after I completed Maria’s Expert Colour & Design training. Because I had the boards I could immediately apply the concepts I had learned in the course during my color consultation sessions with clients. 

Armed with the boards and the knowledge and confidence I gained at the training, I’ve been able to communicate with my clients in a language they understand…visually. The large samples help my clients truly see the color in context and help me reinforce why the color I’ve chosen for a client’s space is the right one.

Arianne Bellizaire, True Colour Expert

My Exterior Masterclass is also on sale! 

When I was a brand new colour consultant in the 90s when the sage green trend was alive and well, I arrived at a clients home who had a Tudor style home.

They were interested in updating it from the white and brown to green.

source

Back then, I had no idea what the right green was. So I was like Vanna. “Do you like this colour? How about this one?”

Thank goodness I had large colour samples because at least I had something to hold up but back in those days I couldn’t explain why one green was better than the next, nor could I expertly specify two greens that would have enough contrast so that their house would look good.

Two months later, I drove by the same house and guess what colour it was? 

It was exactly the same as it was when I arrived and waved around colours with no reasons WHY they were right.

Here’s the course you need to know what the right colour is for any exterior and WHY.

It has 17 modules (one of them have two) and if you’re a homeowner who wants to choose a colour other than white or black for your home, this course will show you all the other possible neutrals so you won’t be bored of your home the minute the trend moves from white to the next trend.

How to Create a Mood Board Self-Guided Online Course 

This course was formerly called Shop Online with Colour Confidence.

When I was shopping for a divider for my Mom’s sunroom, I was having a hard time finding one that was over 6 feet tall so instead of making sure that the divider I ordered was the right colour to sit beside the chairs in my sunroom, I ordered the Dark beige (gold beige one) 

This is what it should have been:

Shall we add up what this mistake cost?

The cost of this divider is $250 plus tax.

Plus $200 for shipping. 

The total cost of this online shopping mistake is $450.

Doesn’t $99 seem like a real bargain now? How much money will you waste going forward without this knowledge?

If you’re buying ANYTHING for your home online (which is mostly what we’re doing now) you’ll need to know how to create a mood board so that you’ll save yourself all kinds of time and money!

This course has over 400 5 star reviews, it has 3 easy to digest modules and lots more! Get it here!

My eDesign packages are on sale for the first time ever!

Last but not last, something we’ve never done before! My smaller eDesign packages are 10% off so if you’ve been eyeing them, watching my Colour Rescues and thinking maybe there’s a solution for your bathroom or kitchen that is much better (and cheaper) than ripping them out? Now is the time!

I have been in and seen so many kitchens and bathrooms where the clashing countertop with the floors is what is offending everyone, along with the bad and dated lighting, AND the colour! This is where I can help!

See all the packages that are on sale here!

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the Holiday Season!

Related Posts:

The Easiest Tree Decorating Idea (when you move in December)

Timeless Exterior Colour: Stand Out Without Being Trendy

The Best Neutral Paint Colours (and how to choose the right one)

The post It’s Time for the Biggest Sale of the Year on the Killam Colour System! appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

If you live in the lower mainland (and we will be back in Calgary or Edmonton soon), send me your photos! You could be featured on my next Colour Rescue. 

I completed two Colour Rescue Makeovers in 3 days this week in Dallas. It was epic! Rhonda had been following me since 2015, she had the perfect timeless white kitchen in the bungalow she shared with her husband Rick.

She sent in a spare bedroom she wanted to turn into an indoor she-shed. A spare room can be such a great space to get creative with! Here’s a cute one below, love the green!

DecorPad

Here’s her room before (below). The reason she had the bed centered against the wall was that she had visions of turning it into a daybed. She also wanted an etagere for her orchids in front of the window.

Many of us have that neglected spare bedroom that has a danger of turning into a junk/storage room because well, any room that isn’t decorated just doesn’t get the same love that a decorated room gets.

She only needed a 5 x 7 area rug but selection was bleak when we got to Homegoods. When decorating a bedroom, it’s easiest if you start with the area rug or bedding.

We headed over to the bedding department and found this fabulous, dramatic William Morris bedding. Then after adding some coordinating pink pillows to our pile, we headed over to the art department.

I was just about to suggest we hit a different store when Anita found the large floral artwork which we all immediately fell in love with!

This is the email I received from Rhonda the next morning:

“I was so keyed up I hardly slept at all.  I will be taking my video calls on that day bed!!  Just plop my laptop on that pretty little faux marble table and zoom away (well, in my case MS Teams away)!!!  It was a great time and I don’t know if I will ever come off Cloud 9!!”

Colour Rescue: Updating a Spare Bedroom

Head over to watch this week’s colour rescue makeover to see how it all came together!

If you live in the lower mainland (or Calgary or Edmonton we will be back there not sure when) and you have a room that needs a makeover, you can apply here.

Remember, this is my sister Anita and I with our iPhones. This isn’t an intimidating full-camera set up when we interview you. Just in case you are worried about that.

Related posts:

Colour Rescue: Living Room Makeover at the Lake

Colour Rescue: Simple Fixes for your Dated Bathroom

Colour Rescue: Have a High Wall? Think of Art as Wallpaper

The post Colour Rescue: Decorating a Spare Bedroom appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

Here’s my best advice for creating a beautiful black and white kitchen that’s also timeless. So you can design a kitchen you love, without regretting your choices a few years from now!

Are black countertops timeless?

Lately a lot of people are asking me if it’s possible to create a timeless kitchen with a black countertop.

And that’s a darn good question because right now, we’re right in the middle of the black (and white) trend. That means it’s easy to get carried away with black details and quickly end up with a kitchen design that just looks harsh, flat and ultimately predictable.

So let’s dissect a black and white kitchen I designed for a client many years ago. Because it still looks completely timeless since we didn’t overuse black.  Remember, good kitchen design is all about the details. 

Pendant Lights 

3 Design Details for a Timeless Black and White Kitchen

1. Keep plumbing fixtures in chrome or polished nickel

This isn’t the most popular viewpoint, but black faucets are likely a fad, meaning they won’t be around for a long while.

I hear you… black kitchen faucets dominate the shelves of major retailers, so it’s tempting to believe they’re the perfect fit for your black and white kitchen. However, opting for plumbing fixtures in a specific color is a guaranteed method to give your kitchen a timestamp.

 So, if you’re trying to design the MOST TIMELESS black and white kitchen, skip the black faucet. And you’ll love your new kitchen forever.

The client’s kitchen before:

Before

2. Introduce black hardware ONLY if you have a black countertop

Otherwise, and especially with a light or white kitchen with no large black element to ground the space, the eye will just bounce around with no place to land.

There is, however, one exception to this guideline, and we make sure our eDesign clients have this detail. 

The client’s kitchen before:

2. Mixing brass metal with black and white is a great way to warm everything up

I’ve said this before. Mixing metal finishes add so much interest and warmth to a black and white kitchen.

So, to create a more layered look  – in other words, a look that isn’t too busy and isn’t too much black, include brass accents in your black and white kitchen hardware or lighting or furniture.

Read more: Here’s how to mix metals like a pro

The client’s kitchen before:

The client’s kitchen before:

See the rest of this home here

Help me design my timeless kitchen!

Follow these 3 design details and this will help you create a timeless black and white kitchen.

But, if you’d like help with your kitchen renovation, here’s the edesign package you need.

We also have a NEW kitchen refresh package (if you’re not renovating everything)

New Colour Rescue coming soon!

I’m in Dallas this week and just finished two colour rescue makeovers, can’t wait to share them with you!

Here’s a sneak peek of the bedroom (lamp linked here) art & end table from Homegoods (art was on sale for $39) 

PS. Everyone in America has been telling me that Canadian HomeSense is better than US HomeGoods. Well, I’m here to tell you that is not true! It’s just that y’all have twice the merchandise we do, piled to the rafters, so it feels like junk if you don’t know how to cherry pick in there. But a one-stop shopping store is way easier to decorate in than having to run all over town trying to put a room together. 

Related posts:

How to Update a Tuscan Home: Before & After

5 Ways to Update a Tuscan Brown Bathroom

When is Black Timeless? (and 4 Design Traps to Avoid)

The post 3 Design Details for a Timeless Black and White Kitchen appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

It feels like everyone on the planet either has hardwood or LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) flooring, and for good reason. It’s cleaner and just as economical as carpet, making these types of flooring very popular.

And that makes this burning question from my followers more common than ever. Maybe you’re looking around your house and wondering the same thing?

“What’s the best wall colour to work with my (insert colour here) flooring?”

Looking for inspiration in an empty room

When I was a new decorator, most homes were full of honey oak or fir wood tones. Back in the day, when I was running around from house to house doing colour consultations ofent I would be in an empty house. So when I was faced with orange wood floors with no other inspiration, I simple chose an orange beige paint colour.

When the room is empty, we look at the thing that has colour in it and that’s usually the hardwood/LVP floors.

Fast forward through thousands of colour consultations later. And I now know better.

And I have posted about which floors are bossy and which floors are as versatile as jeans here. However let’s start with what to do with the biggest flooring trend out there and that is grey LVP.

Choosing a Wall Colour for Grey LVP Floors

If you have grey LVP and you want a neutral. It does work better if you choose a neutral that relates to your floors because grey floors are not as versatile as flooring that looks like wood.

Here’s an example of blue grey walls that don’t work at all with the much warmer yellow/taupe floors.

What would make this entry of the black and white trend in 2023 is the walls would be stark white and the railings would be black.

However, look again at the floors and you’ll notice there’s a much warmer creamy/yellow shade in them. That’s why a warmer complex cream would be better because grey floors are typically a lot less versatile than floors that are the colour of real wood.

The colour of real, natural wood is like denim… why? Because it goes with everything.

Same with this entryway floor. Again the wall colour could have worked better with the floors. 

Because the closer the neutrals are in value the more they try to relate. And if they don’t, it looks like you tried to match them and you failed.

This image is a great example that shows that you have to work with the undertone of grey floors if you have them.

The walls on the left side of this room are concrete. And what’s the undertone of concrete?

When you compare them to the floors what colours do you see?

Can you see the violet grey and taupe in the room?

Now, take a look with the help of the neutral colour wheel. It becomes more clear, right?

Image source

Here’s what this means. If you identify your floors as violet grey and taupe, then you need to decorate around them.

A violet grey greige or taupe greige paint colour would be the best choice for the walls here.   You can download my curated paint colour list here.

Colour Rescue: Which paint colour goes with my wood floors?

But if all this hurts your head, here are the two best colours to consider if you’re starting with a blank slate:

Related posts:

When not to replace your floors 

What Colour Works with Orange Wood

How much Heavy Lifting can a Paint Colour Handle?

The post What’s the Best Wall Colour for My Wood Floors? appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

Today I’m sharing my Holiday Gift List for the inner decorator in your life. You know, that special person in your life who  loves to make their home beautiful every chance they get!

Maybe you fit into that category yourself? Feel free to send this list to whomever is shopping for you too. #yourwelcome

Some source links may include affiliates, meaning Maria may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
Our use of affiliate links does not influence the products we share with you. Click here for full disclosure.

Shop My Amazon Storefront Here

The Neutral Colour Wheel

At the top of my list, is of course, the neutral colour wheel (bundled with the eBooks). I promise this is the only item on the list that I sell.

But the Neutral Colour Wheel is a game-changer for anyone who’s getting ready to renovate a kitchen or bathroom, or who might be planning a new build.

And since you already know how powerful it is, why not share it with your favorite inner decorator?

Get Your Colour Wheel Here

Shop eBook Bundles Here

Not only are my eBooks are a treasure trove of design wisdom, they also contain invaluable insights, tips, and step-by-step processes for selecting the right colours and creating a timeless look. You’ll be giving them the tools they need to elevate their decorating skills to a whole new level.

I also have eGift cards you can send instead, just in case you want to give the gift of colour, but let them pick it out. Gift cards can be used on online courses, in-person events, colour boards, wheels, eBooks and more. 

Elegant Pocket Tape Measure

When I was a new decorator, I had a small tape measure in a leather case. Having that special tape measure with me always made me feel like a real decorator. If I was shopping with a client I was sure to whip it our every chance I got!

Elegant Pocket Tape Measure Here 

A tape measure that is also pretty to look at, is a perfect stocking stuffer for the colour enthusiast/decorator in your life.

Beautiful Drinking Glasses

Many of you know I have Finnish heritage. Both my parents came to Canada many years ago. But our Finnish traditions as well as Finnish design are always still so close to my heart.

Take a look at the Iittala Glasses Here

Iittala has been making beautiful glass in Finland for almost 150 years. This gorgeous tall glass holds a perfect glass of water that keeps me hydrated all day. Isn’t this glass beautiful? 

Pretty Finnish Coffee Mugs

You know how much I love my coffee. I have a set of four Marimekko coffee cups with the famous Unikko (the Finnish word for poppy) design. Now that I have a matching set it’s the only cup we drink out of when I’m having coffee with my sisters in the mornings. 

Get Your Marimekko Mugs Here

Cozy Fur Throw

I have these cozy faux fur throws all over my house! My dog Lucy loves to snuggle in, making them perfect for covering the sofa or other spots she likes to lay. It’s a great way to make your furniture pet friendly, since they can be washed easily.

They’re also perfect for those cold winter nights when we’re cozied up with popcorn and a Holiday movie.

You can See the Cozy Fur Throw Here

Super Soft Cashmere Scarf/Shawl

Whenever I travel I don’t leave home without my cashmere scarf. I often need a scarf to wrap around my shoulders to stay warm. Sometimes I will even roll the soft scarf up for the perfect pillow if I’m having a little nap on my flight. This one is so pretty and can be dressed up or down with your outfit – no matter what the weather looks like.

Super Soft Scarf/Shawl Here

Timeless Jenny Bird Earrings

Here’s one of my favourite go-to earrings by Jenny Bird. She is a Canadian jewelry designer famous for her innovative designs and her use of sustainable materials. I love this simple design and I wear this pair all the time. 

Here are the Jenny Bird Earrings

These earrings are a wardrobe classic. 

Glam Swarovski Crystal Ring

I always love to complete my outfit of the day with a little glam. And this Swarovski ring is so sparkly in the light, which makes me happy. My fingers are especially pretty when I wear this. 

Sparkly Swarovski Ring Here

Holiday Lamp Glow

My list cannot be complete without a set of lamps. Because most people simply don’t have enough. These small table lamps with metal shades are so easy to place anywhere you need a little glow.

Glowy Lamps Here

The simple design goes with any decor and the size is perfect for adding intimate lighting for dinner parties this holiday season. They have a sturdy base that will keep the lamp upright and a single charge will give you hours of light. 

You may want multiple sets of these to tuck into every dark corner this winter!

Decorating for the holidays!

How many of you have your tree up already?

So far I’ve had so much fun putting up wreaths and adding a little sparkle all over the house, but no tree yet.  We’re traveling to Dallas for a few weeks, then I’ll get my house in full holiday spirit. Stay tuned for my Christmas decor reveal coming soon. 

In the meantime, if you’re looking to take your holiday decorating to the next level and make your home look more expensive, I’ve got the perfect solution for you. Shop my Holiday Styling Guide: 50 Ways to Make Your Home Look More Expensive.

With over 40 pages of styling inspiration and expert tips, you’ll have everything you need to create a festive “look and feel” in your home.

You’ll find an abundance of photo examples from my Christmases past, as well as tips and colourful inspiration to ignite your holiday imagination. From coffee table displays to cozy family rooms, this guide covers it all.

Let the holiday magic begin!

XO,
Maria

PS. Here are the 15 Anniversary gift winners from last week’s post. Be sure to check your email (from shop@mariakillam) to redeem your prize!

Winners:
Sara Fehr 
Kirsten Ancona 
Kim Williams (Kitty)
Barbara Pastuch 
Vivien Wulff 
Jean Rowett 
Ann Ryan
Sheree Liddiard 
Brookie 
Robin Stanley
Melissa Deaton 
Rebecca Dougherty 
Brooke Odegard 
Beth Boyd 
Kim Kovacs

Related Posts: 

Christmas 2020 and My New Leopard Rug

The Easiest Tree Decorating Idea (when you move in December) 

The Best Faux Flocked Tree of 2019 is in my House

The post Maria’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide for the Decorator appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

This week’s Colour Rescue episode is about ceilings.

Do they all have to be white?

This is what we’re exploring, so I thought we’d do a tour of the painted ceilings in my new house!

When we took possession of this home, all the walls and ceilings from top to bottom in this house were varying shades of taupe.

Since I was forced to paint them, I decided to add colour wherever it made sense. I was paying to paint them anyway so they might as well add a layer of joy to my life which is what colour always does. 

Here’s what my entry (above) staircase and living room looked like when we took possession.

You’ve already seen my primary bedroom ceilings in this post.

Here’s the bathroom before (below):

And here’s the after:

And here’s what the all taupe primary bedroom looked like.

Wait until you see it now! When you see the after in the video keep in mind it’s still a work in progress. I still need to recover the headboard (it arrived in the colour it is now) and I need drapery. . . right now, however my landscape is what is getting done.

Last chance to train with me in 2023

Before I turn you loose on this Colour Rescue episode, I wanted to remind you that time is running out to sign up for my Dallas course in a few weeks. Because I won’t be back in Dallas in 2024.

In just two days you’ll learn your way around all the neutral undertones to be ahead of the curve now that beige is back! Plus you’ll learn all about decorating with colour, working with a timeless aesthetic, the best decorating and styling tips and more!

Dallas Meet Up – ALL are invited! Join us in the bar at Sixty Vines Uptown from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 9.

Here’s a quick 1-minute video with reviews from participants this Fall. Can you relate to their feelings about colour?

Say goodbye to boring white ceilings

What I want for you this week is that you get inspired to paint your ceilings a colour! It’s a missed opportunity for colour and a spot people often overlook!

Related posts:

Consider a Colour on Your Ceiling: My New Obsession

My Closet & Dressing Room Reveal: Before & After

Decorating with Blue and White: My Upstairs Dining Area

The post Colour Rescue: Let’s Rescue Your White Ceilings! appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

And because I’m so grateful that you’ve been along this amazing journey with me, I’m doing 15 giveaways, one for every year! Keep reading to find out how to enter.

It all began on my least favourite holiday

It was October 31, 2008, 15 years ago. And since Halloween is far from my favourite holiday (I can’t handle horror movies of any kind), it happened to be the day I started this blog. While everyone else was out at a party, I wrote my first post here.

I was 41 years old.

Tough times offer positive pressure to change

The events leading up to starting the blog was the 2008 real estate crash. I watched my designer friends closing up their retail locations and moving their offices back home.

And not surprisingly, my design business had been dead for months. Luckily, I had a client that placed an order for silk drapery for several large windows in her home and that took us through Christmas!

There was a two day online conference that I wanted to attend but it was expensive and I couldn’t afford it. So I borrowed money from a friend. I’m happy I did! It was during that conference where I got the idea to start this blog.

I had no idea back then how it would completely change my life. 

In the beginning 

In the beginning I posted four times a week and spent most Sundays writing Monday’s post. It was a lot of hard work but I loved it. I had no idea when I started writing that I had so much to say about colour and design.

However, up until this point, I had spent my 20s decorating for my friends and family and my 30s in the design industry, selling furniture, working in a paint store doing colour consultations and running a decorating business.

This was where I lived in October 2008. Terreeia and I had found a super cute rancher to rent, high above the hill in North Vancouver with sweeping views of downtown Vancouver. 

The owners were renting it out with plans to tear it down and build their retirement home because the location was so fabulous.

I decided we were going to make enough money to buy it from them with visions of adding an extension to it. The house was a small 50s bungalow with three bedrooms, laundry in the kitchen with this living room and small dining room.

See more pics here

So I was wildly disappointed when we were given notice to move out. I truly felt that my manifesting abilities had failed me.

My first eBook

We found a townhouse that was much bigger but it faced completely North and was super dark with an overhang and large shrubs that blocked out even the tiniest ray of sunshine.

We lived there for two years. It was during this time when I launched my first ebook on the blog, How to Choose Paint Colours; It’s all in the Undertones.

The price back then of my first ebook was $49.00, so I did some basic math and decided to manage my expectations of how much we would make by drumming up some ultra conservative numbers.

Because I had 400,000 monthly readers, if 1% of them bought my ebook, we would make $30,000 a month.

Seems reasonable right?

Haha, wrong.

It was not that easy unfortunately. Our ebook did add approximately $4000 per month to our bottom line and we now had an assistant’s salary to pay for along with all the expenses that go along with running a website with a shop.

And then after two years of living in the dark town house and saving our money, Terreeia suggested we move out to Chilliwack where my family lived. She reasoned we could afford to buy there and also create more content with a renovation. After all, real estate prices in Vancouver are out of reach for the average homeowner 

So that’s what we did.

What I asked for but better

When I walked into this rancher which just needed a renovation instead of a renovation plus an addition–plus the fact that that it was two minutes away from my Mom, nephews and sisters–I realized I did manifest that house, the original one was just in the wrong location.

Read more: Window of Happiness

It looked a lot different when we moved out last October:

Read more: See the interior of this house here

We lived in this house approximately four years longer than we should have. It was definitely over renovated and over decorated by the time we moved out. That was another reason we wanted to move, I was finished with this house.

Making our next move

Over the years we looked for a different house but given what I do, everything required major renovations or was just plain unredeemable.

We looked at some property to build but the prospect of building also overwhelmed me because of what I do. Building a house would become a full-time job and I already had one with the business we were in.

Then last summer I unblocked myself. I had been working with a coach for about a year and one day he called me and said “Maria, you can’t build, it would cause too much stress so you need to buy a house, start looking again, NOW”.

When the sign is unmistakeable

So we did and we toured only one house right before the one we bought. And if you’ve been following me for long time you’ll know my goal in this world is to be the Martha Stewart of Colour.

And this house is on Stewart Road. Do you look for signs like this when something major is about to happen?

This house had so much potential but it had been neglected inside and out for four years since the second homeowners had purchased the home. That was lucky for us because I had vision while other people just saw a mess along with overgrown trees in the back and front yard.

What makes this house the most dreamy for me is the oversize Southern living room. I have poured over rooms like this for years in magazines. And this French country house, which is completely my style, only needed paint (on the exterior). Which was another miracle since so many homes not only need paint but structural work as well.

Beyond my dreams

I would not have been able to dream up a space this perfect had I been able to build my own house. I am obsessed with the french doors on both sides and the way the morning light floods the house.

To be clear, other than the custom corner sectional  (below) that arrived right before summer, the rest of the furniture in here is from our last house (other than a few tables I’ve picked up on Marketplace). 

A dream in progress

I still plan to add coral to this room which means the cream chair will be replaced with a coral one, an oversized ottoman will be custom made in front of the fireplace and coral in the pillows (Using my Colour Balancing Method® I teach in my two day workshops) in addition to drapery on all the windows. 

However, right now the landscaping project (below) is priority so that’s where our budget is going! 

Here’s Terreeia and I in a photoshoot with the family this past summer.

The sweetest addition

And last but not least our biggest source of constant joy is our mini goldendoodle Lucy. She became ours 2 1/2 years ago and we are completely obsessed with her.

Everyone loves this baby girl she’s so full of love. She’s the biggest proof that just constantly telling someone that they are the best in the world 100% works. I have never once been mean to her (except to yell, ‘enough barking already’, when she sees another dog, haha) and she’s just perfect all around.

This is her “Mom it’s time for our walk” look (left). And she’s never far away from a ball she loves to chase (right)!

Your last chance to take my colour course in 2023!

I hope you enjoyed the whistle stop tour of the last 15 years. This all started with a course I couldn’t afford but I did it anyway.

Which brings me to the course I’ve meticulously adjusted and refined to be the best colour course you’ll ever attend. And if you don’t feel that way by the end of the first day, I will give you your money back no questions asked and you can keep the materials.

We just had 90 people in the virtual class last week and the only regret people have when they finish my course is that they didn’t do it sooner (or, bring a friend!)

It’s a complete game changer for the homeowner/colour enthusiast who wants to make more confident colour choices for everything for their home and the design professional who needs to gain the confidence of their clients by giving them certainty.

Learning the ‘why’ behind colour choices is what make this course a step beyond everything else you’ve ever done. 

There’s one more event this fall and it’s in one of my favourite cities, Dallas! It’s going to be amazing and so fun to see each other in person! I can’t wait to see you there!

Thank you for being a part of this journey! 

So here it is! I’m giving away 15 prizes for 15 years.

HOW TO ENTER: please post a comment below and let me know the most useful thing you have learned from me in my 15 years of blogging! 

ONE seat in my Expert Colour & Design Training  course in Dallas on November 15th and 16th – 0r a seat in an upcoming spring session Virtual class if you prefer (Value up to $1,997)

You already know you can’t get this colour training anywhere else! Enter below to win a chance to attend!

FIVE Colour Wheel + ebook bundles (Value $69 each)

The bundle includes both my essential eBooks, How to Choose Colour: It’s all in the Undertones and White is Complicated, a Decorator’s Guide to Choosing Whites. AND the most powerful tool for identifying the neutral undertone of anything.

FOUR Exterior Colour Selection Masterclass online course (Value $349 each)

In depth self guided learning to tackle any exterior project! Learn how to choose colour for a wide variety of exterior styles ACCURATELY to create perfect colour harmony to make your house, or your client’s, the envy of the neighborhood!

FIVE Learn How to Create Mood Boards online course (Value $149 each)

Do you, like most homeowners, spin and delay decorating your room because you don’t know where to start? Here is the essential guide to teach you not only where to begin, but how to pull a room together using mood boards!Plus you’ll learn how to get colour right when shopping online. 

Prizes may not be redeemed for cash or exchanged for previous purchases.

Winners will be drawn THIS FRIDAY!

Good Luck!

XO, Maria

The post Colour Me Happy Celebrates 15 Years with 15 Giveaways! appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

Because if it’s just blah right now, what do you have to lose?

In this week’s Colour Rescue, I’m sharing ideas for creating some joy in neglected, dated bathrooms using colour and styling.

When you have a dated bathroom that needs some love, this is exactly when you can ignore what’s timeless and get creative.

Iris Apfel

Colour to the rescue

When a space is lacking charm and detail, it’s too easy to close the door and sigh, “one day”. But let’s be honest, you may have to put up with this bathroom for 5 or 10 years more, why not make it fun!

Too often my timeless advice is misinterpreted as meaning top to bottom “safe” or “correct”.

To be clear, I do think the best options for tile and flooring in bathrooms are limited. Quiet white or cream.. the end.

But the goal is to create a flexible backdrop so that the colour, walls, and details CAN be creative. 

But when you have a bathroom that’s already past its expiry date, and with less than perfect finishes, you might as well get eclectic with colour and fun details.

Ok, this bathroom below has a perfect white countertop but I love the playful spirit of it. 

Wall Street Journal

If you have a dated bathroom with some drab or wonky finishes, this is when you need to get creative. Like in this amazingly creative bathroom below. It’s a small bathroom with no window so she went bold with colour, really well done. 

Jeweled Interiors

Over on my Youtube channel I’ll show you how I’d add more colour to this bathroom below. 

Get curious

Bathrooms are compact spaces where it’s only one can of paint, a shower curtain, a small inexpensive rug. Some art and styling. It’s not a huge commitment if you draw outside the lines in a small space. You could end up with something that gives you joy, not to mention the satisfaction of creating something beautiful.

And if it doesn’t work out, chalk it up to learning and try again. 

Why busy wall tile is so limiting

One of the biggest limiting elements in a bathroom is when tile that is not solid white or cream is run up the wall onto eye level. That’s when you’ll need to pull the colour palette right from the tile like the first bathroom we’ll look at below. (Because the purple is clearly NOT working).

Then we’ll look at a couple bathrooms where adding in some charming details and COLOUR is the answer.

Willey Design

Finally, I’ll show you an unusual bathroom with some existing bold tile and some ideas to with its retro potential.

4 Simple Fixes for Dated Bathrooms

So get curious with what you can do with your less than fabulous bathroom and get some inspiration from this week’s Colour Rescue here!

If you would like my ideas for your specific bathroom that isn’t slated for a renovation, but you’d like to make it look its best in the mean time, check out my new Bathroom Refresh eDesign package here. 

Related Posts

The Eclectic Bathroom Design vs. The Timeless One

Trendy vs. Timeless Black Tile for this Primary Bathroom

Transform Your Kitchen with this ONE Update; Before & After

The post Colour Rescue: Simple Fixes for Your Dated Bathroom appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

This post is written by my sister Anita Junttila who recently started working with me as my Creative Assistant. We’ve come a long way baby! I just did an Instagram live on Sunday where I shared about our relationship here and how far it’s come. 

Anita’s been helping me with my new Colour Rescue® series on Youtube. It was her idea to include the homeowners which has been super fun! If you’re local and would like to be featured in an episode coming soon, you can apply here.

Anita Junttila and Maria Killam (photo by Macy Yap Photography)

Don’t take this post too seriously, unless you want to. 

And you should, it is lamp season.

Because it’s about to get dark a lot earlier in the day, which means the fastest way to add some joy to your interiors, is with lamps.

This is no joke by the way. Even though this post is funny it’s still true.

And, Terreeia loves to turn on the overhead lights when she’s cooking in the kitchen and she requested that I added one in the shower (and she’s the only one who turns it on

Here’s three of mine:

Maria calls overhead lights ‘Cheese Lights’ . Cheese lights: Big bright holes in a ceiling that resemble Swiss cheese.

More on my thoughts on recessed “swiss cheese” lights here.

I’m here to give you some more shocking advice: skip the cheese lights altogether.

The only place to keep them possibly, is in a kitchen, although here’s another way to handle kitchen lighting.

Read more: Ask Maria: Help me Choose Lighting for my Kitchen

Let me count the ways I don’t love cheese lights

A cheese light is a spot light and it shines too bright on everything: your uncle’s bald spot is a shiny reflective dome under cheese lights.

Have you ever been into a cheese light change room? Bright lights that shine down and put shadows on every nook and cranny of your body. Is that a bruise on your thigh or a shadow? We’ll never know.

Doing your makeup under bright cheese lights? No. All shadows. You might as well hold a flashlight under your chin and start contouring your cheekbones. Good luck.

Bright overhead lighting create shadows and shine. It’s not pretty and should only be used when looking for contact lenses or when questioning your teenager, as they try to slip through the door at 3:00 AM. 

But isn’t overhead lighting practical?

But Maria, be practical you say, I need bright lights when I’m …

I can’t think of anything, can you? Here’s a lamp so you can do your fine needlework. Oh, and a pair of readers, don’t worry I won’t tell anyone.

Reading? Here have a little light that attaches to your book.

Big party? People need to see what they’re eating, drinking and who they’re talking to. 

Nightclubs turn on bright overhead lights to chase their patrons out at the end of the night. You don’t want to chase your guests away with bright overhead lighting.

No one wants to stay long under the ‘ugly lights’. “Closin’ time, ugly lights, everybody’s inspected . . .” (Prince) 

Here, have a lamp.

Get it here

Here’s another. A short little light like this one can happily sit on a powder room counter or underneath your kitchen countertops as well.

Get it here

Put one in every dark corner of your home. I have a nice list of lamps here.

Gourd lamps are beautiful. Get two gourd lamps in a colour that matches your carpet and throw pillows.

Get it here

Why lamps are better

Lamps create a glow. Think: youthful glow, happy glow, the glow that creates a mood. That’s because they are warm and illuminate faces on eye level with filtered light. Perfectly soft and beautiful. 

Bright cheese lights? Unflattering shadows and shine. We don’t want that. Stop buying replacement lightbulbs for your bright, overhead cheese lights. Let the lightbulbs burn out.

Buy another lamp instead.

Chandeliers over recessed lights

Still think you need overhead lights? Try a chandelier. A beautiful chandelier with small shades on each little lightbulb.

Get it here

If you haven’t put shades on your chandelier light. I’m talking to all of you that have this light (below) order some pretty shades here.

Linked here

This chandelier would look amazing with some mini lampshades on it too:

linked here

Recently, I included a photo of the new chandelier in my kitchen (with shades) and that inspired a few of you to buy chandelier shades for your bare bulbs. Here is a photo from a follower whose lampshades just arrived:

Light is Love

Peace. Warmth. Now you’re nicer to your spouse. Your kids. Your dog. I’m sure there is a study somewhere that says bright lights are bad for you. The only bright light you’ll ever need is sunshine.

So please, turn off your overhead lights. Make a list of all the dark corners in your rooms. Furniture that needs a lamp beside or behind it. Pretty lights for your reading nook. A good light for your scrapbook table.

Pick up a pumpkin spice latte and head to your local shops and buy some lamps. You will become a much more peaceful person.

Disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post

Learn more about creating atmosphere and get all my best decorating tips on top of the best colour education in the world next month in Dallas. Hurry! There are only a few spots left!

Related Posts

5 Lamps Everyone Should Have in Their Home

Two Magical Lighting Ideas for Creating Atmosphere in a Kitchen Dining Area

My Closet & Dressing Room Reveal: Before & After

The post Turn off Your Overhead Lights Forever appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

This weeks makeover is for my good friend Gail and her husband Casey. They built their lakeside retirement home in Cultus Lake with this spectacular view. After she purchased new sofas for the living room, she got stuck on how to finish and decorate the room.

How to decorate a room with a view

Here’s how it looked when they moved in.

And here are her new sofas (below). The reason Gail chose two sofas (instead of a sofa and two chairs) was because she wanted to block the view of the patio furniture located directly outside the windows.

She specifically expressed that she didn’t want drapery because she didn’t want to block the view in any way. However they have roller shades for privacy in the evenings.

The other thing that bothered her was how heavy this side of the room felt.

She worried that the fireplace should have been positioned on the right of the room instead of the left (see below) because it didn’t feel like it was part of the living room.  

And she didn’t know what to do with the bowling alley size walkway to their back patio.

Here’s a sneak peek.

I know you might be wondering why she agreed to have art installed in between the two windows (since she didn’t want drapery to block the view) but you’ll have to watch the video to find out how and why it all went down like it did. 

This entire space was transformed in a weekend. We shopped on Saturday afternoon, and it took a couple hours on Sunday to install everything.

Mini Kitchen Styling

PS. I also styled the kitchen before I left.  Here’s a look at the before:

And, here’s the after:

Colour Rescue: Lake Inspired Living Room Magic

This is a great episode demonstrating how to tackle some of the specific decorating challenges of styling a room with a stunning view and multiple focal points.

And you guys! For a VERY limited time, I’m offering my popular Get me Started decorating eDesign package! It’s like having me in YOUR living room.

You’ll get two done-for-you mood boards with decor and source links personalized for your specific room. Plus, the first 5 who sign up will SAVE almost $500! Get started here.

Related posts:

5 Kitchen Design Details that Matter; Before & After

Fall Nesting: Warm Colour and Cozy Styling

How to Mix Dining Chairs and Tables (Pass the Pretty Test)

The post Colour Rescue: Living Room Makeover at the Lake appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

In 2015 when I first suggested that ‘Grey is Out’ because back then we were about halfway into the grey trend, a lot of people lost their minds (just go read the comments).

But what I was really saying in that article was that there was nothing wrong with grey as long as it was used as a backdrop for colour NOT as the MAIN colour for absolutely every colour choice for the home.

So colour #1 that is going out of style truly out and has been for a while but it probably needs to be said here is mid-tone grey EVERYTHING. 

What to do instead: Reach for warmer pale wall colours like the complex creams to freshen up grey colour schemes.  

Or, if repainting is not in the cards this year, make grey rooms look more current by layering in toasty earth tones like camel and brown or fresh colour like green or coral to create balance with warmth.  Swap out area rugs, accent chairs, pillows, art and decor  to update the look.

The New York Times

#2 Off White Walls

Someone had to say it and it might as well be me. 

We are 5-6 years into the black and white trend and again, while there is nothing wrong with white. Even I thought it felt so fresh and new when it first arrived, it’s being overused much worse than any other trendy neutral.

I had a friend message me a photo of her house from the earthy tuscan trend.

Dark cabinets, pink beige tile and pink being carpet. She said “We’re selling our house and the real estate agent told us to paint everything White Dove do you think that’s a good idea?.

And the answer is no, because here’s what it will look like:

Not her house but this is the idea. Off White walls will look like primer in a house with finishes this warm. 

It’s time to stop acting like off white is a colour. SW Alabaster won’t look like it has a “hint of oatmeal”. Certainly not in the context of earthy finishes. And not even with most upholstery and soft furnishings.

Todd Hunter Earl

What to do instead: Off White is a great fresh trim or cabinet colour to contrast with friendlier wall colours. You can get a fresher look for the walls with much more subtle colours. 

Enroll in my Expert Colour & Design Training to be the go to colourist in your area.

#3 True White Walls

Honestly, true white walls like BM Chantilly Lace or SW High Reflective White should never have been a thing except in the rarest of spaces. With furniture that is all super bleached white slipcovers. Or hyper minimal modern spaces that look better in blown out photos than in real life.

The Design Chaser

Throughout the white trend I have been calling this out. Brighter walls aren’t better. They don’t create light. They don’t look right unless they are in FULL natural light which is rare. And worse, they make your furniture look dingy. 

If you painted your walls True White, the outlook is not great to get a better look via decorating alone.

What to do instead: take stock of the neutral undertones in your hard finishes and furnishing to inform the right pale neutral wall colour. 

Click here to get my help choosing the perfect softer colour for your walls.

#4 Any kind of black paint

This side of the black and white trend, chances are high that you have some black accents in your home whether lighting, windows, hardware, furniture, etc.

However, if you’ve painted anything black, (and I’m crossing my fingers here that you didn’t paint all the walls in your open layout black), now’s the time to consider a softer look and get out the roller. 

Warm, earthy tones in softer contrast combinations are coming fast. As are more adventurous vibrant colour combinations. And if you’ve kept the big things simple and versatile in white, like your countertops and tile, you’ll have an easy time layering in some of these new colours in accents and paint. 

My Lands

What to do instead: Instead of high drama colours in sharp contrast accent walls, drench the room in a softer mid toned to light colour for a current take on bold.

Remember to take any trend advice with a grain of salt 

Someone messaged me on Instagram the other day and said “I painted my exterior white but if you think I should paint it a better colour I will”.

I responded “No, buy some furniture, the paint job is done and it’s certainly far from bad”.  

It’s simply that everyone else’s house is white or black right now that’s all.

I’m just saying when this trend is done, you might have wished you spent a little more time obsessing about paint colours inside and out.

But if you are painting your exterior, my course on getting your exterior paint colours right will give you lots of options. A paint job is still not cheap especially for exterior. Get it here.

And I just received a note from Michelle who completed my two day workshop last October she said “Hi Maria, I’m in the midst of a renovation, I took your class last October and still can’t believe how helpful it was!”

Whether you’re a homeowner or designer, you will have a completely different vision and point of view when you’ve completed my Expert Colour & Design Training, there are still spaces left in Dallas, November 24 & 25, register here.

PS. My front garden beds are going in, my septic tank covers will be covered by dirt and plant material very soon.

Also, the chandelier I’ve been waiting for was finally installed in my kitchen yesterday:

Linked here

It makes me so happy! 

The shades are made for chandelier bulbs so you can buy them for your bare bulbs as well and I highly recommend that you do, they make such a difference.

The goal is glowy light everywhere which is not possible with ceiling spot lights and bare bulbs that make you want to squint.

Linked here

Related posts:

When Grey is Timeless in 2023

Ask Maria: Which Undertone Should I Choose if I’m Starting From Scratch

How I Reply to Media Requests About Colour and it’s Effect on Mood

The post 4 Paint Colours that are Going out of Style in 2024 appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

Libertyn Interiors

This week’s colour rescue features an office space that I restyled recently. I transformed this room from functional and flat to fabulous and fun – and, still functional, I might add (below).

The key to styling success in this space was first, adding some much needed colour! But it was equally important to create interest on the corner wall that is the first thing you see when you enter the room.  

Well, to be clear, after we rearranged the bookshelves so they weren’t the first thing we could see, the corner wall then became much needed focal point for this dark and dreary office located in the middle of the home across from the stairwell.

Add lamps to dark corners

And while we’re on the subject of stairwells. . . if you have a dark one that you pass through all the time, I give you permission to keep light on somewhere that gives it a glow. And in this case, the powder room light could also stay on all day long so when you’re walking through here throughout the day, it still feels inviting.

I know, I know I am OBSESSED with creating atmosphere, haha.

However, if you have a dark corner in your house that will NEVER be bright, having a lamp on at all times just feels welcoming. As we begin to enter the late fall/winter months, I encourage you to try this in your home.

How to Decorate an Awkward Corner

Ok back to decorating a corner.

It’s not uncommon to have a room where the main focal point is a corner. Like this double duty office space (above) where the upper corner cabinets felt way too heavy. I’m also showing this transformation in the video! 

Maybe you’re avoiding an awkward spot in your home, because what the heck can you do with a corner?

A lot actually!

Often it’s the tightest, most seemingly awkward spaces that become the most fun with a little decorating!

Colour Rescue

Check out this week’s colour rescue to see how I transformed these both these spaces and much more!

Related posts:

My Nephews HomeSchooling Room; Before & After

Before & After; How to Brighten a Dark Room

Ask Maria: Help me Decorate my Home Office

The post How to Decorate an Awkward Corner appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

We truly had an exceptionally hot and sunny summer here on the West Coast. In fact, it’s the first time in years where I’m looking forward to sweater weather! 

I always ramp up my fashion inspiration scrolling this time of year. I get sucked into the what’s hot for this season posts, runway reports. All of it.

I probably ramp up my shopping a bit too

Decorating for Fall: Start with styling

But October is also the best time of year to take a look around your space and see where you might want to play with some new colour, that small update you’ve been considering, or rearranging your styling and vignettes for now and going into the holiday season.

I do this every fall!

That’s why I created a warm and cozy Fall styling board on Amazon so you can shop some of my decor, or similar items in these photos. Be sure to take a closer look if you want to elevate your fall styling with a warm and cozy vibe. 

Here’s a look at my first fall mantel in our new house. 

Shop this look

Shop Fall Decor on Amazon

This pretty fall vignette (below) is from several years ago, but I think it’s very relevant today as we shift into pretty neutrals for the season.

Shop this look

It’s the perfect time to get your home fluffed and cozied up for the coming colder months and the holiday season ahead!

Fall Paint Colours: Try out some of the new earth tones with paint

If you’re feeling the warmer colour coming at us lately, now’s the great time to paint your dining room or bedroom a cozy, duskier shade for the cocooning seasons ahead.

Home & Garden Uk

House Beautiful

Sometimes inspiration for a new bold wall colour comes from new bedding or drapes. (Find similar drapes to these gold ones here!)

If you need the nudge to take the plunge into some colour for your walls, check out my eDesign paint colour package here.

Fall Kitchen Idea: Cozy up the heart of your home

It’s amazing how wood stained orange cabinets unceremoniously just came back in style. I blame this fully on the trending cognac sofa. 

Read more: Is the Cognac Leather Sofa Timeless or Trendy

Anna Bode Design

And, speaking of my eDesign services, I’m offering a new kitchen package geared at making selective updates with smaller-than-a-full-renovation updates to your kitchen!

This package may only be available for a limited time, so be sure to get yours if you want to refresh your kitchen in time for the holiday season!

Better Homes & Gardens

Outdoor Fall Idea: Spruce up your porch

Fall is THE season for porch decor. Whether you’re big on spooky Halloween decorating, or bounty of harvest Thanksgiving style is more your thing, before the weather turns is a great time to refresh your front door colour to make this year’s decor pop.

Here is my Fall porch this year! Yes there is netting on my lanterns to discourage the barn swallows from hanging out.

Any way that you like to update your space for fall, I’d love to hear about it! Comment below. 

And don’t forget to shop my Amazon Favourites during Prime Big Deal Days (Oct. 10 & 11) for fall decor inspiration! You can even find my favourite flocked holiday tree here.

And my Dallas event is coming up in November, I’m so excited to see you! Register here.

This was the last group when we were live!! Super fun, I’ve learned to dress a lot better since those days

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian followers!

Related Posts

How to Style a Vignette in 5 Easy Steps

The Truth About the Brown Colour Trend

Do’s and Dont’s for Painting Your Doors Black

The post Fall Nesting: Warm Colour and Cozy Styling appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

Before & After (Updating a 90s Kitchen)

This week’s Colour Rescue is about updating kitchens without doing a costly full renovation.

Because it doesn’t always make sense to fully tear out a functional kitchen for the sake of aesthetics. You can often dramatically change the look of your kitchen with a few savvy tweaks, some paint and of course, the magic of styling

How to update your kitchen without renovating (the whole thing).

Because, you don’t need to wait till someday.

Despite the jaw-droppingly gorgeous images we are all used to seeing on Insta and Pinterest, the world is full of less-than-beautiful but functional kitchens.

Don’t make the mistake of believing you need to ignore your for now kitchen until you save up for your dream kitchen. 

There is so much that can be done!

A kitchen I updated with drapes, new lighting and styling

3 Simple Fixes for Kitchens (when you can’t renovate)

In this Colour Rescue episode, you’ll see what suggestions I have for these three kitchens, submitted by readers just like you.

In the kitchen below, the homeowner doesn’t know what to do about her brick floor. This is an excellent example of how we sometimes focus on the wrong thing.

By the way, focusing on the wrong detail can send you into a domino effect of spending money where you don’t have to. I’m here to save you from that.

This kitchen below was recently updated with new white quartz, but it’s not perfect yet. Find out how I’d fix this.

This homeowner is unhappy with her cabinet colour. Find out the real reason this homeowner is reacting to these cabinets.

Colour Rescue: 3 Simple Kitchen Fixes

New! Kitchen Refresh eDesign package

Since I know so many of you would love to make your kitchen look its best without a full renovation, I’ve created a new eDesign package to help you with that.

It’s called a Kitchen Refresh.

With this new package, I will analyze your kitchen to tell you what the best interim fixes are to bring your kitchen out of whatever trend era it was installed and into 2024 (and beyond)! 

All I’ve done for over 20 years is help my clients take a dated room, bathroom or kitchen and make it look so much better. Sometimes I’ve done it with a one day makeover (my favourite thing), sometimes with paint and a new countertop or a new backsplash. 

The bottom line, if you are looking at your dated kitchen and wondering if it can be saved, more often than not, it can and for much less than what a full reno would be.

Because often updating the paint and some details, or knowing if the countertops really are worth replacing NOW instead of later to shift the look of your room is all you need. 

Please note, this package is for refreshing an older, existing kitchen only. This means just a few minor tweaks.

NOTE: If you are doing a more extensive renovation, you will still need my Create a Timeless Kitchen package here.

Need a colour solution for YOUR room? 

Submit well-lit, good quality photos of your room that needs a rescue. Be sure to tidy up your room and take photos in natural daylight with no flash and submit them here with your question.

As always, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a single new Colour Rescue episode. 

PS.  We just spent the most delightful two days in my home with a fabulous group of True Colour Experts with my first Fall workshop of this season!

The only regret anyone has from doing my course is they wish they had done it sooner!  It’s a game changer because you’ll instantly gain certainty. This is what your clients and YOU need in order to make colour decisions for everything in you or your clients home MUCH faster! 

My upcoming virtual workshop is sold out but you can still register for Dallas here.

Related Posts:

The BEST Kitchen Cabinet Colours with Grey Floors

This Trending English Countryside Kitchen is Bringing Beige Back

Designing a Kitchen? Lighting & Hardware is EVERYTHING

The post Colour Rescue: 3 Simple Kitchen Fixes (When You Can’t Renovate) appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

Once you work through the fixed elements that need specific colours to coordinate, and what works in the context of the style of architecture and the neighbourhood, you’re often left with very little, if any, room for personal preference.

Haint blue ceiling in New Orleans

Also this is a reminder that since eDesign packages are not totally ‘done for you’, I’m not there to take photos and style up the space–so it’s hard to get good after photos–however, I we recently received two before and afters that I’m so happy to share with you! 

Adding timeless colour to an all-white exterior

First up this sweet house that’s looking a bit tired in all white. As I’ve said many times recently, while white exteriors are technically timeless, in the context of the current black and white modern farmhouse trend, they are looking a bit… well, boring.

I absolutely love choosing colour for a house like this one. It has virtually no bossy fixed elements (the brick steps are completely versatile) and it has the potential to look absolutely stunning in a pretty colour.

Here’s the charming front entrance below. When I look at this, I straight up see potential surfaces for gorgeous colour.

We gave her a range colour colour choices, and she chose a soft and muted blue green that looks so much fresher and shows off the trim and details much better than white.

The house looks so fresh now!

And she went with our suggestion to paint her porch and balcony ceilings a beautiful haint blue. Because why not??

She loves it so much, she’s working with us on her interior now too.

All this house needs now is a great foundation planting, and it looks like the garden beds are ready to go.

Even the brick pavers look refreshed and her choice to leave the rich wood door unpainted to relate to them is perfect.

Here’s another house I snapped while in New Orleans this past Summer with a Haint Blue ceiling. 

A timeless colour palette for this tudor home

And sometimes, a bit LESS of your favourite colour is what is needed. This client inherited this somewhat eccentric blue trim on her Tudor exterior and wasn’t in love with it. While it’s definitely not the worst I’ve seen, the Tudor style looks so classic in a pared back neutral palette. 

She wanted to update her exterior, but NOT to go with something that looked black and white like many houses in her neighborhood.

While it’s common to see high contrast chocolate brown (and now in the black trend black or charcoal) timbers on a Tudor, one of my favourite ways of updating this style is to soften the contrast between the stucco and the timbers while making sure the colours are still rich enough to relate to the brick.

My eDesign client’s response:

You all nailed it. I nearly cried when the trim was painted, it’s so beautiful. 

Here’s the lovely after below.

Now we’re back to timeless yet still sophisticated and fresh! 

Get customized colours for your exterior!

If you’d like help with your exterior colours, see our eDesign packages here.

And, if you’d like a breakdown of the colours that we specified on these projects, you’ll find them on the Exterior Materclass facebook page that you will have access to when you purchase the course here. It’s a game changer for learning all about how to specify and choose exterior colours for you or your clients home.

Related posts:

The Black and White Exterior Colour Mistake EVERYONE is Making

 Update the Brick Columns on your Exterior; Before & After

Historic Log Cabin Renovation: eDesign, Before & After

The post eDesign Exteriors: Finding the Perfect Colour (Before & After) appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.

This is my second cousin Miia and her husband Colin (above). They are both physiotherapists in Edmonton and they are due in October to have their first baby!

Anita Junttila, Elizabeth Jacobs, Hellen Junttila (Our Mom)  Miia James, (her Mom) Lea Reardon, Maria Killam, Lea Junttila

All my sisters arrived for the baby shower (I wore pink because it’s a baby girl). I arrived a few days early to do some one day makeovers. See the first one here and the second one here.

Here are some sneak peaks:

Here’s the before of Miia and James living room (below).

Layering art in front of windows

You might think (as Miia did) that the art above the mantel should stay small and kept below the window but having a small piece of art above it (below) just drew attention to the top of the patio cover outside and the roof behind it. 

Adding the taller piece of art (above) drew the eye immediately to the tall aspens in their beautiful backyard.

Now with the addition of the moody greens and blues we added to this room (scroll down for the second sneak peek), along with the tall trees outside, we are transported straight to Italy.

Some very common decorating mistakes

Notice the lack of lamps and the flat, glary, empty feeling of the overhead lighting.

Also the curtains. Installed dead wrong (they were still there from the previous homeowners, Colin and Miia recently moved into this house). However, this is a common mistake people make, see last weeks colour rescue that was focused on curtains here.

I fixed both problems immediately. 

Also, the chandelier needs shades stat. 

However, the way we lit the room in the end with lamps, this light fixture never needs to be turned on again.  It’s works very well as a decoration.

If you have a light fixture that looks like this, you can buy them here.

Here’a sneak peak of the vignette on the fabulous travertine coffee table we found. 

If you have tall walls like this, the only way to make them work is to go UP with artwork as we did.

Don’t forget to reserve a budget for decorating

The total cost of this weeks makeover was $3980. A little more than we’ve been averaging, because we needed some furniture as well. We purchased a coffee table, two end tables, the accent chair, bigger artwork, as well as three new counter stools in the kitchen.

However the rooms are now finished and all we have left to do is enjoy them. Worth every penny.

Most people don’t buy new decor because they don’t know what to buy.

And it’s all too common to blow the home budget on renovations and unnecessary upgrades like crown moulding and stone without reserving some funds for decorating to finish your room.

My philosophy is, if you have the good fortune to have a decorator aunt in the family, you allow her to just get it done. Now, you can stop wandering around home decor stores wondering what to buy to make your house feel like a home. 

Here’s the kitchen before (above)

And of course I found a spot for a lamp in the kitchen

Styling for tall walls with high ceilings

Take a closer look at this amazing transformation in this week’s Colour Rescue.

Yes, of course.

However, this is a new couple on a budget, especially now as this new Mom will be on maternity leave very soon.

Please remember Miia will be reading the comments when you post them! Always be kind.

Related posts:

Elevate Off-the-Shelf Curtains with this Installation Trick

Colour Rescue: Create Styling Magic

Transform your Room with One Trip to the Store

The post Colour Rescue: Got a High Wall? Think of Art as Wallpaper appeared first on Maria Killam | Timeless Colour.