We're forever preaching that the first step in decorating for the holidays is to pick a palette - a colour scheme that you'll be comfortable sticking with (for this season, anyway!), and that will guide your hand as you shop for bits and baubles for the tree and throughout the home. But this year - more than any before - the colour options in ornaments and decorations seem completely overwhelming. Where to begin?

Maria Killam portrait by Anna Beaudry Photography

Vancouver-based colour designer Maria Killam advises clients on harmonious hues for a living, and shares her design expertise on her hugely popular blog, Colour Me Happy. Who better to ask for suggestions for a hot, three-colour holiday palette? "Colour creates a feeling," Maria says of the three colours she selected for my festive scheme. " Royal blue is energizing and electric; turquoise is cool, upscale and sophisticated and gold is luminous and joyful." MARIA'S ROYAL BLUE: Big Country Blue 2066-30, Benjamin Moore, 800-361-5898: TURQUOISE: Aquarium 6767 , Sherwin Williams , 800-474-3794: GOLD: Ale 12-9 , Pratt & Lambert , 877-772-8898 "It`s the perfect combination for conversations that sparkle at the dinner table," says Maria. Taking Maria's colour cues, I scoured the market for ornaments in similar shades... Here's what I came up with! I can't WAIT to decorate!

Photography by Steve Rhodes

Holiday Collection hand-decorated blue and turquoise glass ornaments, $10 per pack of four, Canadian Tire 101 Glass Ornaments in gold, $20, President`s Choice Home Collection Thanks so much, Maria! For more of Maria's colourful design advice, check out Colour Me Happy ! Follow Style Sleuth on Twitter! Subscribe to Style Sleuth!