• 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

Quick Q+A: Help! I bought a dumb gray sofa!

Annie Elliott | August 4, 2022
Charcoal gray sofa

(I paraphrased.)

Dear Annie, Purchased a grey couch on whim but it isn’t my vibe. Can you help me warm up the space? Paint color and coordinating fabrics for curtains/area rug – TikTok user

THAT, my dear TikTok user, is what we call a blank canvas. Since you mention “coordinating fabrics” and not “off the shelf window treatments,” I’m going to take a leap an assume that you’re handy with a sewing machine. Which is amazing.

All of this fabric is from Schumacher. Wellfleet Stripe

When you have a piece of furniture — or ANYthing — you don’t love love love, distract. With patterns, multiple colors, lots of furniture, etc. The more minimalist your aesthetic, the more difficult it is to camouflage a difficult piece.

Medium gray sofa

Let’s start with blush walls

PInk paint
Farrow & Ball’s Calamine

and a cheery rug that has some gray in it.

Floral rug
Loloi x Rifle Paper

With such a bold floral — and this is a BIG scale, which can be tricky in rugs unless you’re in the hands of a professional ;) — let’s pair it with geometrics of a different scale. Green is the easiest color to draw out of that rug, and it’s beautiful w/ blush walls. (All of these fabrics are from Schumacher.) For Roman shades or curtains (or floor-length drapes):

This must be a new one…edgy!!! It’s called Brushstroke

Then pillows:

West Elm

Green is beautiful and not that difficult to find in fabrics and rugs. If you like this ochre color, though…it would be SO edgy and amazing to put that into the mix of blush walls and that sofa. Onto the window treatments if you’re super bold, or pillows at the very least.

Loloi
Floral rug
As a reminder: Loloi x Rifle Paper

I hope this helps! Good luck!

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, and we have offices in St. Michaels, Maryland, and Middlebury, Vermont. Check out our recent thoughts about flooring in The Washington Post!

Light gray sofa + creamy walls +

Category: Furniture + upholstery, Q+ATag: couch, family room, gray sofa, Living room, sofa

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

Oct 7

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18635567182053307
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! Today we’re talking about one of my favorite things in the whole world: grasscloth. (Which technically makes today *Wallcovering* Wednesday, but tomayto tomahto.) Most grasscloth is made of actual grasses that have been washed, dried, bleached or dyed, and glued to paper. Wallcovering made of sisal, seagrass, raffia, or hemp also is placed under the heading “grasscloth.” Talk about timeless style: while grasscloth had a popularity surge in the 1960s and 70s (thanks to a cultural obsession with living in nature), its first known use was in 107 AD, in China ;) Grasscloth has long been appreciated for its insulative properties and durability. From a decorating perspective, I love it because it adds warmth, texture, and dimension to any space. Picture a room painted white, and then imagine that room with an off-white grasscloth on the walls (and, if you’re me, the ceiling). The second room is still light and bright, but it’s cozier and more interesting.Grasscloth can be minimalist in neutral earth tones or maximalist, dyed bold colors, colorfully painted, or appliquéd with spangles, embroidery, or tape trim. It shows its seams when installed, but that’s part of the charm. I love grasscloth in hallways, living spaces, and bedrooms, but I avoid using it in kitchens and steamy bathrooms because I’m nervous about odor retention and excessive moisture.Enough school for the day, but if you remember nothing else: grasscloth enriches every room it graces. Highly recommend.📸 Michael K. Wilkinson@schumacher_midatlantic @schumacher1889 @phillipjeffriesltd

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 3

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18482506054114649
You likely know where I stand on pillows: they NEVER should be an afterthought. Check out my latest blog post for recommendations on size, shape, style, and placement. Link in bio. 📸 @stacyzaringoldberg📸 @kipdawkinsphoto📸 @angieseckinger

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 2

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18103510994172389
This client’s gorgeous collection of gold icons in the bookcases puts this room in a league of its own. Whenever you have a collection — of ANYTHING: frog figurines, English engravings of flowers or dogs, snow globes — maximize its impact by bringing the objects together and placing them in a prominent place. These icons are breathtaking, and the sheer number invites you to go closer and study them. With reverence.#eastlake #vintagerug #antiquerug

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Sep 28

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18630011602021777
Happy Fall! Ironic, isn’t it, that fall weather is cool, but the colors we associate with the season are warm? The earthy orange grasscloth in this foyer is undeniably “fall” to me. Add deep, warm versions of green and blue, et voilà: a cozy, inviting, autumnal space.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Sep 23

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17881497900529047
For this week’s Wallpaper Wednesday we go into the Woods… Woods is a great example of Cole & Son’s innovation in serigraphy, a traditional method of screen printing. The pattern is available on fabric and wallpaper in a variety of soothing yet elegant colorways. Due (I’m sure) to the booming success of the original, there are now some whimsical variations on Woods: Cole & Son added metallic stars to some colorways and pears to others. As you may imagine, however, this traditionalist prefers the original 🙂For some reason, Woods is especially popular for nurseries. Maybe those babies really wanted out of their cribs. 👶🏼In 2005, Woods deservedly won the ELLE Decoration International Design Award for Wallcovering of the Year. And it’s still going strong.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Sep 22

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17934708156387896
“Isn’t ‘modern farmhouse’ over yet?” I loved speaking with @authordinacheney @washingtonpost about the worst interior design trends! Turns out I’m not the only designer with strong opinions 😊@vincentewolfdesigns @kimletgordon @maxsinsteden #interiordesign #washingtonpost #designopinions #annieelliottdesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Sep 18

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17989063023104856
Best part of being an interior designer is using your own home as a playground for creative ideas! We changed the paint in our living room again and here’s how it looks now! #interiordesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Sep 17

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18125330714481993
When you become an empty nester, when is it ok to reclaim your adult child’s space? Check out my latest blog post for my recommendations on how to approach empty nesting!📸 @stacyzaringoldberg📸 @kipdawkinsphoto📸 Michael Wilkinson📸 @angieseckinger

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Sep 10

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17906571285498443
Pink, green, and a splash of dark orange come together to create this sunny, summery bedroom 🪷
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