• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • about
    • services
    • team
  • portfolio
  • press
Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

  • book
  • blog
  • contact

Delightful accent lamps to brighten your day

Annie Elliott | September 6, 2021

You may recall, Gentle Readers, that I recently wallpapered my foyer in a luscious green pattern, Narina by Cole & Son. The wallpaper does, however, make the foyer a bit darker. The space is north-facing already, so there isn’t an abundance of natural light.

Inside view of stained wood front door with sidelights and spiderweb transom
The new wallpaper accentuatea the front door, sidelights, and transom beautifully, though

The foyer has a chandelier, the Mill Small Globe Lantern by AERIN, and there is a small accent lamp on a cabinet. (The useful but rather nondescript Dauphine by Studio VC.)

Gold candlestick table lamp Dauphine by Visual Comfort
The Dauphine in the small “Bedside” size at 23.5″H. It really could use a custom shade. Hmmm…

There isn’t quite enough light at night, though, so I promised my daughter Georgie that I would add a lamp to the other side of the room, on the secretary.

Lamp with base shaped like a white apple with a gold leaf
I thought the Orchard Mini Accent Lamp by Kate Space would look pretty against the green wallpaper. It’s 16″H

Regarding size, I was looking for an “accent” lamp, which generally means a lamp around 20″H or smaller.

Small columnar Green Jade table lamp
The Jade Table Lamp from Anthropologie (19″H)

(Sometimes you’ll see the term, “mini accent lamp,” which hints at the whimsical…a 16” porcelain bunny, for example. They’re darling on a bar, a butler’s pantry counter, or even an étagère if it fits.)

Blue and white porcelain lamp with rabbit-shaped base
I don’t know what the feathery thing is extending from his little nose – Zorro the Rabbit? – but otherwise, I think this is pretty cute! It’s 16″H
The tiny 14.5″H Pepita Aqua Glass Accent Table Lamp by Lite Source

But I didn’t have to go that small…anything around 20″H would have been fine.

Midcentury style low dark blue ceramic table lamp
The midcentury style Wood and Ceramic Table Lamp, small, in Reflective Dark Blue, from West Elm (16.75″H)
White plaster table lamp with branches and birds
The Finch Table Lamp from Anthropologie (the website is confusing, so I don’t have the exact height. Probably around 20″)
Colorful floral gourd-shaped ceramic table lamp
Leah Goren Blooming Table Lamp (20″H)
Brass lamp with round alabaster marble shade
If you’re feeling flush…the 18″H Alabaster and Brass Melange Desk Lamp by Kelly Wearstler

And the winner?

Ceramic lamp with cheetah figurine as the base
The irresistable (to me) 20″H ceramic Cheetah Lamp by Art Knacky

The Cheetah Table Lamp by Art Knacky! The nearby Dauphine lamp is simple, so the space can handle the Cheetah. Plus I think it’s adorable and hilarious. Plus I love it against the green wallpaper. Plus I thought it had been discontinued and was berating myself for not buying it, so when I found it again I thought it was fate and snapped it up. (The next day it went on sale, but life just goes that way sometimes.)

And now, to plug it in. Tomorrow I’ll call the electrician to see if he can install an outlet on that side of the room ;)

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including HGTV Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine. Annie recently appeared on NBC4 for a story about author Jason Reynolds’ Kingman Park home.

Category: LightingTag: Anthropologie, Circa Lighting, Cole & Son, lamp, lighting, Narina

Sidebar

Subscribe

 

Bossy Color Blog

Categories

  • Art + accessories »
  • Bedroom »
  • Color + paint color »
  • Dining room »
  • Furniture + upholstery »
  • Kids »
  • Kitchen + bath »
  • Lighting »
  • Living Room + Family Room »
  • Renovation »
  • Rugs »
  • Wallpaper »
  • Window treatments »

View Portfolio

view Bossy Color's portfolio

Instagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Aug 9

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18436273279134156
Green, light blue, and a touch of navy come together to create a room that's bright, welcoming, and incredibly summery 🥰 🥰 🥰 #interiordesign #summercolors

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Aug 7

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18065703698744445
Given that my brain is still on an academic calendar 🤷‍♀️ , I thought I'd do a little review and see which blog posts resonated with you the most in 2025-26. Who knew that a post from 2011 (!!!) is still in the top 5! Click over to the post to to see the year’s greatest hits. #interiordesign #designinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 24

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18007861235943398
Get ready for a dramatic before and after! We transformed a playroom into a dining room, and the result is pretty amazing. (But still fun!) #wallpaper #interiordesign #diningroominspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 22

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18113978008731617
For today’s Wallpaper Wednesday, we discuss the chinoiserie wallpaper in the Great Hall at  @citytavern_dc  in Washington, DC. Ooooohh - field trip!I was delighted to visit City Tavern recently. It’s a historic 1796 Federal building in the heart of Georgetown, and all the cool kids hung out there. You know, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson…those guys. At one point, the building boasted the largest room in Washington.I, of course, was captivated by the Great Hall, which is covered in @graciestudio hand-painted wallpaper — which was selected by none other than Jackie Kennedy! EVEN THOUGH at that time the building was a club that didn’t admit women. Harumph.The chinoiserie walls are gorgeous from far away, but they’re amazing up close, also: you can see faint brushstrokes left by the painters. Doesn’t that give you a shiver? I love it.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 21

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17880979779674102
For a recent article in @vogueliving, I was asked how to mix wallpapers — either in the same room or adjacent rooms. I have a few pieces of advice to offer 😊See my latest blog post for more…#interiordesign #designblog #wallpaperinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 8

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18120991804793828
Star-studded wallpaper on the ceiling childish? Not necessarily! Here are the differences between babyish and grown-up star themed wallpaper. #wallpaper #interiordesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 4

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18098048903219045
Happy Independence Day! I happen to love a room decorated in red, white, and blue. It’s not always gimmicky; wouldn’t you agree that the dining room below is bold and sophisticated? 🤪 My advice: vary the shades (clash those blues if you have to!), throw some large-scale patterns into the mix, and add texture. A grasscloth ceiling, for example 😉 Have a great 4th, everyone!#interiordesign #homedecor #pattermixing

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 3

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17934768423090149
I was honored to co-chair — with the inimitable @ianthainteriors — the design competition, America at 250: The New Look of American Design, a project conceived by the nonprofit MADE: In America.Design students from Howard University partnered with Washington Design Center showrooms to create storyboards and vignettes reflecting their vision of “American style.” The Design Center is showcasing the students’ work through July 10; admission is free and open to the public. Details may be found at the link in the @washingtondesigncenter’s bio.I encourage you to visit! It’s so important to support the next generation of designers, and I was delighted to participate in this event. Iantha and I are grateful to James De Lorbe, Chairman of MADE: In America; and we extend our warmest thanks to jurors @melissacolganinteriors, @mariella.cruzado,  @gaildavisdesigns, @val_hawkins_architect, @hadleykeller, @byronrisdon, and @jazmynedesignstudio.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 1

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18345901804173891
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! This week’s guest star: Schumacher’s Birds & Butterflies. It’s so whimsical, yet so grown up! Creatures on wallpaper can be a tough sell to adults, but Birds & Butterflies’ black and white background is quite sophisticated. (That’s why the Multi on White is my favorite colorway. I wouldn’t bother with the others.)The pattern is derived from a hand-printed 1960s wallpaper in the Schumacher archive. It’s certainly earned its place in the Exuberant Prints collection, don’t you think?#wallpaperinspo #interiordesign #roomdesign
Follow

Looking for something?

Don’t miss a single post

 

Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
American Society of Interior Designers Firm Partner

© 2026 · Annie Elliott Design · privacy policy