Tastemaker Tuesday

Tastemaker Tuesday: Maria Killam, Colour Expert

I'm Erika Ward

Over a decade ago, I exchanged my corporate life in building construction for an opportunity to enhance your personal home via decoration and renovation. My mission? To help busy professionals make their homes their sanctuaries.

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I’ve been hooked on Maria’s blog from the day I was introduced. A wellspring of information, Maria has an artist’s spirit and the heart of a teacher. Her hugely popular blog discusses the ins and outs of color and does an amazing job of explaining color theory to her readers. Her informative and lighthearted posts have received well deserved mentions from the Washington Post Blog Watch five times with titles such as “The Right Way to Create Flow Using Colour” and “5 Questions to Consider When Selecting a New Colour for Your Kitchen.” Each time I read one of her blog posts, I always leave with valuable design nuggets or a fresh prespective of the given subject matter. Maria’s work and advice has also be featured in Alberta Home Magazine and BC Home Magazine. So for everyone who is tackling design projects in the new year, I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you to Maria Killam, a Canadian-born international colour designer, writer, editor, and colour theory instructor. Thank you Maria for taking the time to give us this interview and for all of your assistance! Enjoy!- Erika

{Vancouver Color Queen, Maria Killam, on the cover of BC Home Magazine}

Erika Ward: Which colors inspire you the most?

Maria Killam: I love happy colours in any combination!

What 2010 design trend has you “rolling your eyes?”

Oversized flat screen televisions. They belong in Media Rooms, period.

With turquoise as the Pantone Color of the Year, can you give us three color palettes that contain the color turquoise?

I love the sophisticated look of turquoise with black and white! Here it is with the addition of yellow:

Turquoise, Orange, and White

Turquoise, Green, and White

The combinations I’ve chosen all have white in them. I think white belongs with turquoise because white just looks best with fresh happy colours!

Not only do you give great color advice, but also great advice about being a blogger. What makes you so passionate about helping fellow bloggers?

I’m generally obsessed with finding the “right” answer or the “right” way of doing something for any area of my life. When I was in Corporate (before my designer days) I always felt like I was just “making it up as I went along” without any real direction from anyone. For this reason I am quick to offer my knowledge to anyone looking for the same thing!

When reading other blogs, what is one of your pet peeves you see repeated time and time again?

Music. Your favourite song is probably not mine, enough said.

Please name 5 of your favorite things (list WHATEVER comes to mind).

1. Flowers. Tulips for how sexy they are and the scent of Casablanca Lilies
2. I love my morning coffee. I am a morning person.
3. Intelligent conversation
4. I love a good book and picnic at the beach
5. Having a great bag that looks good with everything

{designed and styled by Maria Killam}

What do you think about fashion and it’s influence on interior design?

I think colours in particular match up with interior design. For example, when burgundy was a trend in the 80’s we wore burgundy. I have also noticed that people tend to dress to match their decor.

{image courtesy of Annette Tatum, The Well-Dressed Home}

It is 2015, what direction have you taken regarding your business?

I have a book, a retail location, and I am an internationally known colour designer.

{Designed by Maria Killam}

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