32 Insider Secrets

www.mariakillam.comCopyright 2014 Maria Killam | All Rights Reserved

32 Insider Design & Colour Secrets You Cant Live Without

32 I N S I D E R D E S I G N & C O L O U R S E C R E T S

YO U C A N T L I V E W I T H O U T

M A R I A K I L L A M



2

Are you renovating or building a house and need to know where to start? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make?

My 32 Insider Design & Colour Secrets You Cant Live Without will help you navigate my blog to get the answers you need.

If youre renovating your home or youre building a new home its easy to get

completely overwhelmed by all the choices you need to make, isnt it? Whether its a

contractor or installer whos waiting for your next choice or youre wrestling through

the endless list of buying decisions and details you need to make.

Im going to walk you through the design

decisions you need to make when youre

renovating or building new. Think of this

report as a road map to helpful blog

posts Ive written with dozens of tips and

ideas on how to avoid mistakes and how

to make great decisions.

Interior design by Maria Killam



3

Over the last 10 years I have conducted thousands of consultations both in person and online. Theres not a design dilemma I havent seen and worked through to get to

the right answer.

Since 2008 Ive written hundreds of blog posts, helping my readership navigate through

every aspect of colour, design and decorating. Sometimes it can be hard to find the

right post that will answer your question because you dont know the right question to

ask. This report will help you with that.

If youve just found my blog, youll find answers here you wont find anywhere else

because I have a particular design opinion and aesthetic.

And if you dont like my aesthetic, theres no harm done. Its easy to click and keep

reading other blogs until you find advice that resonates with you.

If you like what Im saying and find that it resonates with you, youll end up with a lot of

answers and insider advice. And, if youll listen to what I have to say and stick to your

guns when people around you have differing opinions, youll soon have a house that

fills you with happiness when you walk in the door.



4

If you have just found my blog and your renovation is complete, you might want to stop reading right now. Especially if there are some things about it that you know arent

perfect and/or colours and finishes that kind of bug you, but you can still live with.

Reading this report could make you a little unhappy with the decisions you made.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. Please believe that I do mean this in the nicest way.

If you cant make any changes, knowing something is wrong, or not as perfect as it

could be, wont make a difference

Here are some inspirational blog posts you might enjoy reading instead.

Spoiler Alert

Your creative sweet spot

Find the inspiration to keep doing what you love

Happiness is being remarkable



5

If youre someone who has just been living your life, raising your kids, or doing anything other than focusing on building or renovating, you might say, Maria, I dont

make buying decisions based on trends; I just buy what I like. I meet a lot of people

who say that very thing, but when I ask them what colours or looks they like, everything

they tell me, and everything they show me, is usually exactly what is currently trendy!

Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new car you suddenly see this same

model everywhere you go? Before you purchased that particular make and model you

wouldnt have noticed it even if one were on the road, right in front of you.

Its the same kind of experience when you are inside of a design trend. When youre

starting to renovate or build a new home, youre suddenly awake to the designs and

finishes you see all around.

Im telling you this because, unless you are obsessed with design or in the design

industry, you dont think about the specifics of a current trend until you decide youre

going to make some changes in your existing home or build a new house.

You can easily understand that once you start to see the same colours, the same stone,

the same granite or tile everywhere you look, it can seem like these finishes will be in

style forever. Or at least for a long, long time.

Trends1



6

I know this because Ive done it myself. In the very beginning of my design career I

helped my uncle choose new tile for his bathroom renovation. We went to a tile store

and chose a solid cream field tile for his tub surround. This tile was paired with a tulip,

embossed accent tile so we bought that too. After all, they belonged together, right?

When everything was installed, I noticed that the tulip accent tile was a different dye

lot so it looked peach in comparison to the cream field tile.

Over the years, whenever I would visit my uncle, I would cringe every time I was in his

bathroom. As time went by, the creamy field tile still looked relatively undated, but the

tulip accent tile was so obviously 80s, and it made the bathroom show its age.

The truth is were all influenced by the trends. On the west coast, where I live, the

brown trend ended about five years ago. If you live in mid-North America you might

only now be noticing that the gray trend has arrived and that brown is soooo yesterday.

Fads come and go pretty quickly but a design trend (if its accurately named) has a shelf

life of approximately 10 years.



7

23

If you are just starting the process of building or renovating your home, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is filling your home with gray trend hard finishes.

Theres nothing wrong with trends when they are used in moderation. Just know that

if you fill your entire home from top to bottom with gray and charcoal its not only

debilitating to look at, but will make you cranky as soon as this trend is over and the

next one shows up.

How do you renovate or build a new house and fill it with hard finishes you will

love forever?

You fill it with finishes that are timeless and classic.

The problem with an all-gray room



8

Having lasting significance or worth; enduring.

Simple and harmonious; elegant.

The Free Dictionary

Not restricted to a particular time or date; ageless.

Websters Dictionary

Classic and Timeless

The definition of classic

The definition of timeless

Whats the best argument for classic and timeless design? I guess it depends who you ask.

Remember the incredibly popular kitchen in the 2003 movie, Somethings Gotta Give,

starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson? Even before the gray, black and white trend,

it was the most copied kitchen around. And you know what? It still looks classic, beauti-

ful and timeless.



9

Classic design is not dictated to by the latest and greatest trend. It lives on and, if youre aware of the design decisions you make as you make them, will end up saving

you money in the long run.

If you are renovating or building a new house, read one of my favourite posts about the

importance of classic and timeless design by my friend, Joni from Cote de Texas. It will

reinforce the importance of choosing classic rather than trendy finishes for your home.

Want a fun little exercise to do while youre watching your favourite TV show or movie? Start looking closely at the kitchens and bathrooms featured in the show. Over and over again, the ones that will make you think, beautiful will be filled with the classic and timeless finishes Im going to talk about in this report. Youll see beautiful hardwood floors carried throughout the entire main living areas, simple and clean subway tiles and little pattern and fuss in tiles.

Maybe theres something to the idea of choosing classic and timeless finishes if location scouts look for them to represent the wealthy and the beautiful.

Renovating advice Boring = Timeless

4



10

56

When youre planning to start buying the 101 finishes you need for a new home, the first principle you must understand is that your finishes must look like they are happily

married. They cant just coordinate. You need to have higher standards than that for

your finishes. They cant just be second cousins they must be fully married.

This is why its essential you choose the majority of your hard finishes at the same time.

You need to see all your choices together to ensure you have success at creating a

happy marriage between your tile and granite. Or your tile and stone. The best way to

accomplish this is to not make any purchases on their own. So dont commit to granite

or stone until you are sure youve found any tile you need that looks exactly right.

The reason for this is simple the undertones and patterns in many tiles, granite,

marble and quartz can be extremely bossy.

How do you start?New build think about love and marriage

Are your colours married?



11

7Domineering, overbearing, fond of giving orders.

Websters Dictionary

Multi-patterned, multi-coloured finishes.

Finishes that are far from truly neutral.

Maria Killam

The definition of bossy:

Okay, so I think Im bossy, but in a really charming way. When it comes to picking

finishes for your home, my definition of bossy is this:

Hard finishes like tile, granite and stone often have multiple colours and undertones

and also have a pattern. This is why they are considered bossy. They will dictate the rest

of your design decisions along with your dcor until the day you take them out or you

move out.

You will no longer call bossy finishes charming; in fact you will most likely grow to dislike

them intensely. Tile, stone and countertops last so much longer than a typical 10-year

trend and its so much harder to justify replacing them when youre no longer in love

with the colour or pattern.



12

8Wood flooring and wall-to-wall carpet can be chosen after youre sure your tile, granite or stone are selected. Wood floors because you can treat wood flooring like a pair of jeans (mostly) and installed carpet because its usually a solid colour. This makes it easier to select a colour that relates to the undertones in any bossy hard finishes. So, when youre shopping, please keep in mind the above conversation I just had with you as you look around at all the cool and trendy new tiles and counters that you might

really, really, love right now and be tempted to buy.

When you are renovating your home, the first step to take is assessing what, in your home, is staying and whats going. Anything that is staying and not changing colour

is now the boss of your home. And its just as bossy as any multi-patterned, multi-

coloured finish you buy right off the shelf.

When you want to be matchy matchy

Renovations think about whos the boss

9



13

1011

My two best pieces of advice for you are these:

If you have a dated bathroom or kitchen and youre planning to replace the countertops

but not the floors, here are some good tips to keep in mind. Do not install granite in a

20-year-old bathroom or kitchen. It will simply scream, New counters, old bathroom.

Installing one current and new piece in an older room will never disguise the fact that

the rest of the room is dated.

It is far better to spend your money on a new cost-efficient and good-looking laminate

counter (leaving you with enough money to repaint your cabinets) than to use your

entire budget on granite counters. Infinitely better.

The tiles were installing in 2015 are a larger size than the 12x12 tiles weve seen

before. The new sizes of tiles are 12x24 or 18x18, or even 24x24. Whatever you do,

dont install one of these larger-scaled tiles with an existing 70s countertop. Again, you

will end up with a combination of old and new in the same room and that rarely, if ever,

looks good.

This is especially true when you can see the old and new all at the same time.

The same applies to anything else in your house that you can see all at the same time. It

applies to the bossy kitchen tile floor that you ignore because youve convinced yourself

it will come out at some point, while you add brand new and trendy granite countertops.

1. Dont ignore whats staying and add new and unrelated finishes into the mix.

2. Be careful how you mix new finishes with old finishes.



14

12The day you actually take your bossy tile out might not come soon enough, if ever. Its much better to choose something that works with what you have now (and possibly the floor you eventually choose) that you can live with today! Interesting to classic kitchen makeover

How to find more money for home decor

Colour Alert for New Builds and Renovations

And please know that while the colours you choose for your walls should be chosen last, its very important that you chose finishes (fixed elements) with your wall colours in mind.

In other words, if you are considering a granite or tile sample that has four colours in it, know that one of those four colours will be your wall colour. Ask yourself if you will like that.

Many people choose very bossy finishes like earthy stacked stone for their fireplace or tile for the bathroom or kitchen without any understanding of the consequence of that choice.



15

13

Kitchen and bathrooms

Dated kitchen floors Great design

Kitchen and bathrooms are a good first place to start making decisions when

youre building a new home or if your

renovation includes a kitchen and/or

bathroom update.

Youve now read how I feel about trendy

finishes, the ideal of classic and timeless

and my definition of bossy finishes and

you might be wondering if I ever approve

of a multi-patterned, multi-coloured

stone, tile or countertop.

My guideline for choosing a multi-patterned, multi-coloured hard finish is to give

yourself a pattern allowance. Of one. One multi-patterned, multi-coloured hard finish

per room. If you choose a granite countertop with pattern, any floor and wall tile now

needs to be solid. Or, if you choose a patterned floor tile, choose a solid countertop and

backsplash.



16

Designers mix patterns and colours all the time with fabrics and it looks fabulous. It is not fabulous when you try to do the same thing with tile or stone.

Even if the combination of solid and patterned tile or stone looks good together before

its installed, by the time you introduce grout to the mix and see it under your own

particular lighting, itll all change again. And then youll be dealing with those sneaky,

pesky undertones again.

This is why its critical to select your tile floors, countertops and any wall tile other than a

solid tile at the same time.



17

14The days of defining each room with different flooring are over. Installing tile in your kitchen,

wood flooring in your hallways and carpet in

your living room and/or dining room creates

a dated look and can make even a brand new

home look older than it is.

If you look through the latest design magazines

youll see many kitchens showcase the same

wood floor that starts in the entry, flows

through the hallways, powder room and main

living areas.

Installing wood flooring in your kitchen is a totally classic choice and will save you from

having to make yet another floor choice once the current trend is over and your kitchen

floor tile looks dated. Almost without exception, tile is trendy and will look dated in less

than 10 years.

This is another reason why I would just take your laminate or hardwood flooring right

through your kitchen if possible. It will save you from being permanently bossed around

by the colours in the floor tiles.

Floors for kitchens and bathrooms

Interior design by Maria Killam



18

15If you do find the same hardwood as you already have in a main living room and want to continue it through into your kitchen, you must re-stain it all at the same time, usually a darker colour. It will be nearly impossible to match a previously stained floor with a newly stained floor.

The new timeless hardwood floor

Should you install gray wood floors?

A lot of people are still installing espresso-coloured wood flooring or laminate. But because this colour belongs in the brown trend, it will instantly make your house look 10 years old as thats how long the brown trend has been around.



19

Tile floors should only be used in bathrooms and mudrooms, or in an entry if you live with snow six months out of the year.

Have you noticed that most floor tile is actually quite busy and, well, ugly? Ive seen so

much floor tile that clashes with the wall tile in bathrooms, and that in no way relates to

the countertops in kitchens.

When I was a new designer starting out and shopping for tile for my clients, I went to

store after store and couldnt find anything I liked. At the time I concluded that it was my

inexperience that precluded me from finding anything that would work.



20

1617

18

Now I know its because most of it is just blotchy and bad.

I wrote one of my most popular posts back in 2009 on five steps to a kitchen you will love. The advice in this post still holds up today. Read it to get valuable information on

how to decide if a wood-stained or painted kitchen is right for you.

These days the most popular cabinets are white ones. Currently they are simultaneously

timeless and trendy. Youll be hard pressed to date a kitchen by its white cabinets no

matter when they were installed and they are hugely popular. The good news is that

when they are no longer trendy, theyll still be timeless. Thats why my favourite kitchen

is a white one.

How to know if your tile is right

White kitchen cabinets

Cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms



21

2120White kitchen cabinets For those of you considering gray kitchen cabinets, here are four ways to know if you

should follow this trend.

Of course there will always be some who love a wood stained kitchen. This post will give

you my ideas on how to keep it classic.

Some design magazines feature kitchens where the lower cabinets are a different colour

from the upper cabinets. In my opinion, if you paint your lower cabinets brown or black

or a colour, youll end up with a trendy look. If youre prepared to repaint these cabinets

when the trend is over and you tire of the look, you should do that.

Your kitchen island can be treated differently from your wall cabinets and this post will

tell you the dos and donts.

Can you paint your cabinets the same colour as the walls?

White cabinets versus espresso cabinets

19



22

22If you have only ever had Formica, Wilsonart or some other type of laminate countertop and are now considering granite, it can seem like such a beautiful upgrade. I

get it. Its natural, colourful and youll love it at first.

But then, after the thrill of having a stone countertop is over, you might get cranky at

how bossy it becomes when trying to decorate around it.

Think of it like this. You fall in love with the latest trendy fabric pattern. Right now that

might be some kind of geometric pattern and colours. You buy a sofa in this pattern, nail it

into place and leave it there for the next 20 years. New buyers come and they have to live

with it too. No one is happy with your specific pattern and colour but, because its nailed

into place they cant easily change it.

Whats better quartz or granite?

Countertops for kitchens and bathrooms



23

If youve already lived with the busyness of a granite countertop, youll probably want to move on to a solid quartz countertop.

Dont forget: If you introduce patterned and busy tile or granite into your colour

scheme, youll need to check any new purchases you want to make or colour changes

you want to introduce with the new boss of your house (your tile and granite) always

and forever. Amen.

This is where Im suggesting you start (instead of waiting for the next house you buy or

the dream house you build).

Heres a post that will help you decide if this look is also for you.

Granite is hard



24

In all the countless homes Ive seen, Ive rarely met anyone who likes their accent tile

five years after its been installed. And if they

have inherited accent tile from a previous

homeowner, forget it, Ive never met anyone

who likes it.

Its always either dated, theres too much of

it or it clashes badly with the existing tile or

countertops. Or its just plain personal.

You know the plaid or flowered curtain

valances you immediately removed in the

new-to-you house you just bought because

they were the last homeowners choice? Well,

consider the fact that accent tile falls into the

same category.

If you are trying to decide which accent tile is right for your house, remember that what

you love right now may be because its highly trendy. You will not love it forever. You may

even barely love it after its been installed.

Wall tile for kitchens and bathrooms



25

23This is why I talk about subway tile all the time. Its classic, timeless and never goes out of style. But even with the video I did here to explain why I think its the best solution, I still get emails asking if YOUR kitchen is the exception to the Rule of Simple that I

constantly refer to.

Its not. Just trust me on this one. A classic and timeless look does not include the latest

trend in accent tile.

I have spoken to countless readers who got creative with their backsplash choice. It

looked fabulous before it was installed and then terrible once it was all up. Be careful

of creative wall tile. Small samples in patterned tile can be very deceiving and look

completely different once they are installed on your walls.

You dont need to stress too much about your backsplash until after your countertops have been installed. Unless you are really committed to a backsplash material youve already fallen in love with. Then of course your countertop choice will be determined by your backsplash choice.



26

24

If you choose a granite countertop many granite companies will install a four-inch kick of granite on the bottom of your backsplash, right above the counter.

If you look at beautifully designed kitchens in shelter magazines and on TV, youll rarely

see this. Its not a design feature; its a finishing touch granite companies install to

create a finished look when you have no plans to install a tiled backsplash once the

granite is being installed. Sometimes, even if you plan to have a backsplash installed,

they do it anyway because they dont know any better.

If you already have one of these four-inch beauties, I would not install a backsplash. Just

paint the walls below your upper cabinets the same colour as the rest of your kitchen. If

you do want to install backsplash tile, remove the four-inch kick first.

Continuing the same granite onto your backsplash mostly looks busy. There is so much

going on with everything that sits on your countertops; more granite will just be too

much.



27

2627

25The exception to the four-inch rule is in bathrooms, but heres how its done right.

If your cabinets are wood stained, your backsplash should coordinate with your wall

colour and your countertops.

If you have white or cream in your countertop then I would choose a white or cream

solid (subway) tile to coordinate. Then your wall colour can relate to your counter.

Here are some more ideas on my Pinterest boards.

Ceramic architecture



28

29

28

Heres a post I wrote about which hardware finish to choose for a white kitchen.

The images on my hardware Pinterest boards speaks volumes about the subject. Look

at how these kitchens mix knobs and pulls and how this creates a more custom, A

designer was here, look with your hardware.

Cabinet hardware for kitchens and bathrooms

Bathrooms are often the hardest to design because everything in a

bathroom is a hard surface. The floor

tile connects to the wall tile, which

connects to the countertop, and it all

must relate to each other. This goes

directly back to the dilemma of tile and

how its mostly bad and bossy.

If youre not sure what Im saying is right, just look closely at any tile you are currently

replacing. Is it porcelain and bossy?

Better to stick with classic finishes and lots of white for a timeless look.

How to have a beautiful bathroom

Best fix for ugly tile in bathrooms

The next big trend after subway tile Why I still say white

The best white bathrooms



29

30

Once youve made the decisions for your kitchen and bathrooms, youve set the look and palette for the rest of your home. Youre well on your way to having made the

important hard finishes decisions but you still have a few important decisions to make

that relate to your living rooms (family rooms, dining rooms, study, etc) and bedrooms.

Ive already discussed wood flooring in the section on kitchen and baths, so you know how I feel about a medium brown wood flooring throughout the main living areas of

your home, including kitchens, powder rooms and master bedrooms.

If you are choosing to install wall-to-wall carpet in certain rooms in your home, there is

no such thing as timeless carpeting. Carpet doesnt last forever; it has a limited shelf life.

Its better to choose a trendy, tight texture (NOT a shag) and follow the same guidelines I

talked about in this post for the most neutral colours.

Just like there is there no such thing as timeless carpet, there is also no such thing as

a neutral carpet. I mean neutral as in a colour that will not boss you around. Even

white or cream carpet will be bossy in the sense that you will have to make the rest of

your choices relate to the white or cream of any carpeting. If you choose any neutral

colour that is darker than white or cream, you are in the world of beige, gray and taupe

none of which are truly neutral!

Living rooms and bedrooms

Floors for living rooms and bedrooms



30

If you are building a new house, coordinate your carpeting with any connecting tile. If you have tile in your bathroom and carpet in your hallway, it should relate.

If you are choosing new carpet for your renovation, coordinate your carpeting with the

main neutral undertone of the room in which it will be installed.

Two ways to decorate around carpet you hate



31

31

What about all the new earthy stacked stone for fireplaces? Have you noticed this seems to be the next upgrade when updating a living or family room?

When we can afford it, well install a nice cultured stacked stone, or a ledge stone or river rock.

Your fireplace may be plain now or clad with brick from the 70s, but installing a bossy

and yes, trendy, stone is not the answer.

Youve probably all seen a fireplace clad in the brick from the 70s. Im not talking

about the heritage brick found in a New York loft. The brick Im talking about is rusty,

or orangey, browney-black and totally bossy. And you cant change it unless you paint

it or drywall over it, which is the best answer to the problem.

The truth is that all the cultured stone you see is just the new centurys version of

that 70s brick. Its bossy and trendy it will dictate all the other design choices you

make and in a short while, itll look totally dated. And its hard to take it out or even

paint over it. Brick you can paint stone, not as easily.

Personally, I would leave stone to a house in the country, a ski lodge in the mountains

or a castle in Europe. Stone really belongs in countrified settings.

A better option is to stick with a classic wood-stained or painted mantel and a simple,

solid-coloured surround. This will give you a beautiful, timeless fireplace, one that

will not boss around your other design choices.

Fireplaces for living rooms and bedrooms



32

32

If you are renovating your kitchen but its attached to the great room which has a

perfectly good but bossy (in other words,

multiple coloured) stone fireplace that will

not be changed anytime soon?

Do not ignore it!

If youre installing a stone fireplace and

you already have the stone selected, the

next place to coordinate is your kitchen,

especially if its open. Youll want your

kitchen finishes to relate to the finishes in

your living/great room.

If you are choosing granite for your kitchen, then make sure the colour tones in the

granite relate to any stone you choose for your fireplace. Youll want your living/great

room finishes to relate to the finishes in your kitchen.

Should your great room fireplace relate to the kitchen?



33

There are many designers (and Im one) who dont believe in recessed lighting at all. Except in task areas like kitchens and bathrooms. It looks like Swiss cheese for

your ceiling.

I suggest you spend your money on wall sconces and lamps instead.

If I had to choose between lamps or new paint colours in my house? I would choose

lamps every time. Heres more on why.

Lighting

The top five lights you should never buy for your house

What every lighting obsessed gal (or guy) should know



34

Thanks for reading my 32 Insider Colour & Design Secrets You Cant Live Without. Follow my advice and youll have a home that fills you with happiness every time

you walk in the door.

Colourfully yours,

Maria Killam



35

My eBook How to Choose Paint Colours - Its All in the Undertones, teaches you the system I developed to understand colour, and its second to none in the world.

This book outlines, in detail, how to choose the correct neutrals and colours for

your house in addition to the correct way to test colour (its not what you think).

As if thats not enough, heres what makes this book truly invaluable:

Once you have trained your eye to be able to look at rooms and exteriors through

the lens of understanding undertones, 95% of the time youll find the neutral you

need in my Bonus Book of Colours. This bonus book comes attached to How to Choose Paint Colours Its All in the Undertones, absolutely free.

Heres an email I just received from a recent reader of my book:

Buy Marias books:

Oh my goodness, where have you been all my life???? I have fought with my space for over 20 years (is that possible?)

Its a large open two-story space with lots of northern and late afternoon northwestern [light]. Everything tends to look greeny there and brighter even though I lived in Illinois which has dreary gray weather conditions for a good part of the year. It has always felt like a dissonant chord in music.

You have helped me understand what Im actually looking for - a much more muted tone of my color of choice - notwithstanding the dreariness. Who knew? Best quote of your book for me, All colors intensify and in most cases, become twice as light and bright with paint on all four walls.

And your tutorial on understanding undertones in neutral colors is nothing short of amazing; I feel like I just learned a whole new language. Lighter/darker; cooler/warmer; cleaner/dirtier now seem like words of pure genius.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Linda C



36

Want to get the single most important and indispensable tool you need when youre choosing colours for your home? My colour boards, available in Benjamin

Moore and Sherwin-Williams colours, are the secret weapons in determining which

colour is right before you paint your walls.

If youre a professional designer, decorator, stager or colour consultant and want to learn my secrets to helping your clients transform their homes and become the

go-to consultant in your area, come join me in Vancouver or Toronto for one of my

True Colour Expert courses!

Buy Marias colour boards

Attend Marias True Colour Expert Academy

I have both sets [of color boards] and they are completely indispensable. My clients THINK they know what colour they want until they see clearly if it is right or wrong with the large boards. I have turned many away from a bad undertone match. Jennifer Johnson, Interior Designer

Documents

32 Insider Secrets