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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Top 5 reasons you need an interior designer

Annie Elliott | March 27, 2017
  1. You want your home to reflect YOU, but you don’t know how

I bet you’re a pretty amazing person.

But being amazing and having your home look amazing require two different skill sets. Sometimes fascinating people have great senses of style; knowledge about the most interesting products on the market; AND the interest, time, and energy to decorate.

But sometimes they don’t.

That’s where I come in: your trusty designer.

My job is to transform your home into a beautiful, compelling reflection of you. My bossy color colleagues and I learn about you, your family, your life experiences, your passions, and your aspirations, and then we create a home that honors and reflects those qualities.

Blue grasscloth living room with blue sofa and fireplace
Living room with blue grasscloth walls, by bossy color. Photo by Angie Seckinger
  1. You don’t want to waste money – or make expensive mistakes

I don’t care how much money you have: you don’t want waste it. I don’t want you to, either. I want to use your budget as strategically as possible to create the home of your dreams.

But when you don’t order window treatments day in and day out, how could you possibly know the answers to these questions: Drapes or Roman Shades? What is the hardware made of? What finish is it? What diameter? What width? Where are you mounting it? Endcaps or finials? What design are the finials? And that’s before you even get to the fun fabric part: what color/pattern/repeat/pleats/length/trim…?

Those details are where expensive mistakes are made, my friends. (Note the tactful use of the passive verb.)

White bedroom with striped linen Roman Shades and brown chair
Bedroom with Roman Shades, by bossy color. Photo by Michael Wilkinson
  1. You want access to interesting pieces – rugs, furniture, antiques – that others don’t have

Not every item is an investment piece. But every room does need something special, whether it’s wallpaper, fabulous table lamps, an interesting sofa, and/or a one-of-a-kind rug.

As designers, we have resources, my friends. We can get our hands on things that you can’t find at Crate & Barrel or Room & Board. (Love both of those stores, btw, but you know what I mean.) And because two of us are recovering art historians, we have a pretty excellent eye for special furniture and artwork.

Asian-inspired dining room with red table and chinese artwork, Caboche light fixture
Dining room with Chinese antique table and artwork, by bossy color. Photo by Michael K. Wilkinson
  1. You’d like to give your favorite pieces a fresh start by combining them with new furnishings

We at bossy color rarely take an, “Everything must go!” approach to decorating. Of course we’ll help you say goodbye to certain pieces; that’s part of our job. (Especially pieces you’ve never liked but have felt obligated to keep.)

More often than not, though, a client has at least an item or two that they’d like us to work with. Pieces with meaning. Pieces with stories behind them.

Bringing in new, updated furniture and furnishings can give new life to things you already have. But mixing styles, genres, and time periods is difficult to do well. We do this all day, every day, and we’re quite good at it.

Living room with bookcases and Oriental rug
Living room with Eastlake antique furniture, by bossy color. Photo by Andrew Propp

4. Creating your dream home should be fun…

…and what could be more fun than teaming up with knowledgeable yet down-to-earth experts such as…oh, I dunno…bossy color?

You can’t be amazing at everything. So you do what you’re best at, and please invite us to do what we’re best at: creating a gorgeous, personalized home that makes you happy every time you walk through the door.

Library with red bookcases, concrete fireplace, and tribal rug
Family room with red bookcases and concrete fireplace, by bossy color. Artwork by Liza Houston. Photo by Angie Seckinger

Bossy color / Annie Elliott interiors is a full-service design firm based in Washington, D.C. Check us out on the cover of Bethesda Magazine’s special Home Issue!

Category: Living Room + Family RoomTag: advice, antiques, artwork, bedroom, bookcases, Chinese table, decorating advice, decorator, dining room, dream house, home of your dreams, interior designer, library, Living room, Oriental rug, rugs

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Oct 7

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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

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Oct 3

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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

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Oct 2

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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

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Sep 28

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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

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Sep 23

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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

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Sep 22

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“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

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Sep 18

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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

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Sep 17

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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

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Sep 10

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Pink, green, and a splash of dark orange come together to create this sunny, summery bedroom 🪷
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