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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Show House Part 5: Annnnnd we’re back!

Annie Elliott | July 5, 2020

Hello, Gentle Readers! When we last left our heroine…

Preparations for the ASPIRE House are in full swing (again!)! I encourage you to go back and read my last blog post about the show house, just to get your head back in it. *I* had to. I couldn’t remember where I’d left off because I wrote that post IN MARCH. A lifetime ago.

Remember this?

Tania Lee Illustration of Annie Elliott Design's ASPIRE House room
A portion of Tania Lee‘s beautiful rendering of our space as envisioned when we applied to the ASPIRE House

In my last blog entry about the show house, I mentioned an unexpected bonus space. Here it is: the little hallway leading to our bedroom:

Hallway into Annie Elliott's room in the ASPIRE show house
Looking through our bonus hallway into the bedroom

These were taken early last week — which was the first time we saw the floors, by the way. Here’s another picture of that hallway:

Hallway with small chandelier leading to bedroom
Put a bird on it! That’s the Diego pendant from Circa, who is a sponsor of ASPIRE House
Circa Lighting's Diego pendant chandelier
Diego Petite Classical Perching Bird Pendant, designed by Chapman & Myers for Circa Lighting

I believe this little hallway was the result of a late architectural change. I’ve seen designers assigned spaces this small in other show houses, so theoretically, the hallway could have gone to someone else. Happily, it didn’t.

SOME designers would have declared this a throwaway space, slapped a coat of paint on it, hung a picture, and called it a day.

Well, Gentle Readers, as you know, Amy and I are not just ANY designers ;)

Interior designers Amy Oliver Beaupre and Annie Elliott
Senior Designer Amy Oliver Beaupré and me

No, we couldn’t help ourselves and went (further) over budget to select a few things to make it special. (If you guessed that wallpaper is one of those things, you would be correct.)

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I’m dying to show you just a glimpse, because I literally — literally — gasped (I’m a gasper) when our wallpaper installer sent us pictures. So just a peek…

Mural wallpaper in a hallway
Are you dying?!? This is the English Parks wallcovering from Mural Sources

Meanwhile, in the bedroom itself, we painted the ceiling a similar color to the walls to make the soffits less noticeable. Light pink. It’s a little thing, but it makes a difference.

Circa lighting's Piaf chandelier in an empty room
Early last week. That’s the Piaf Large Chandelier by Thomas O’Brien via Circa Lighting. Isn’t it cool? It’s in the Swedish Gray finish
Circa Lighting's Piaf chandelier in an empty room
The ceiling in progress, middle of last week

And the wallcovering, which you can glimpse in the hallway picture above, looks fantastic. It’s blush, not brown as it looks in the picture — Haruki Sisal by Schumacher. Thank you again, Schumacher. We were going to paint, but…you know what a sucker I am for grasscloth.

Room with light pink grasscloth wallpaper
So pretty!!! So empty. Furniture will be delivered this week

The new dates for ASPIRE House McLean are August 21 – September 14 — Wednesdays through Sundays. (We’re photographing it in early August, thus the crunch right now.) Please put it on your calendars, and I’ll keep you posted!

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, but we travel for fun projects. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine. 

Category: BedroomTag: Aspire House, bedroom, before and after, before and during, blush, Circa, Circa Lighting, Design House, Diego, grasscloth, Mural Source, mural wallpaper, Piaf, pink, pink bedroom, Schumacher, show house, Tania Lee, Thomas O'Brien

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I LOVE large-scale wallpaper. I mean, REALLY large. It works especially well in double-height spaces like this one: the huge pattern creates drama and holds your interest across a large expanse of wall that otherwise would be a whole lotta nothing. It’s exciting.Timorous Beasties has mastered the art of large-scale wallpaper. Because Totem Damask is SO dramatic, we did it on one wall only. Then on all the other walls — also double-height — we did the smaller scale Deconstructed Stripe. (Look carefully and you can see it!) Large justaposted with small…you know that’s one of my biggest tips for mixing patterns 😊If you want space to feel alive and interesting, consider going big. You know what they say: Go big and go home ;) #ColorCourage #WallpaperDesign #AnnieElliottDesign #InteriorDesign

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Oct 21

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Ask me what I love most about Philly. It’s very, very hard to choose just one thing. I’ll skip the obvious (cheesesteaks) and maybe even the medium obvious (all the fabulous restaurants). Ready? One of my favorite things in Philadelphia is the incredible store JAMES by @jimmydelaurentis . In addition to super friendly, knowledgeable salespeople — sometimes even Jimmy himself! — there’s a great selection of furniture and lots of gifty things. Including books! I’ll be at JAMES to sign mine on November 1, and I would love the opportunity to meet you! Let’s raise a glass, shall we? #PhiladelphiaEvents #InteriorDesign

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Oct 15

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It’s official! The 𝙈𝙮 𝙉𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙖𝙬 𝙈𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙙 book tour is hitting the road! ✨First stop: 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗮 at the fabulous shop 𝗝𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦 by @jimmydelaurentis on November 1. RSVP details in bio.Then we’ll be in 𝗗𝗖 at 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 on November 11, where I’ll be in conversation with the incredible @jasonreynolds83 And finally, a cozy weekend on the 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁. 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝘀 at @bookhoundsmd on November 15.Come for the stories, stay for the laughs (and maybe a few design confessions). 🥂Can’t wait to see you there!#MyNeighborSawMeNaked #AnnieElliottDesign #BookTour #DesignLife

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Oct 12

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Let’s talk about the most important room in the house, shall we? It’s the one where you begin and end each day. Interestingly, though, the primary bedroom is often a space my clients neglect, placing a higher priority on the more “public” rooms of their homes. In other words, they place greater importance on spaces for 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, not themselves. Please believe me: with the busy pace of fall, you must have a bedroom that functions as a true sanctuary. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity. You 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 a space that quiets the noise and allows you to rest and recharge. In this Somerset bedroom, we achieved that calm through a whisper-soft palette and layers of luxurious texture. From the creamy-dreamy upholstered headboard to the light-filtering curtains and the impossibly cozy throw, every detail was chosen to soothe the senses. This is your reminder to prioritize your own retreat. Your well-being depends on it!

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Oct 8

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My prescription for the perfect autumn afternoon? A plush sofa, a good book, and a room that wraps you up like a hug. I used this brilliant wallpaper by Cole & Son in a NYC study to create a room that’s wonderfully snug. The paper is a bit whimsical, incredibly chic, and the perfect backdrop for getting lost in a story. Here’s to rooms that feel like a retreat from the world. 🍂#CosySesson #FallVibes #HomeOfficeDesign #WallpaperWedbesday #LibraryLife #ReadingNook #InteriorDesign #NYCDesign #CozyCorner #HyggeHome

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Oct 7

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Fellow jurist Marika Meyer and me at the Home & Design Excellence in Design Awards Gala last night! It was an honor to judge the submissions and attend the celebration. My heartfelt congratulations to all of the honorees ! Cheers to your hard work and dedication to our craft.

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Oct 3

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Recently, I’ve been thinking about how to keep our homes joyful as the days get shorter (and shorter…). The easiest way — since wallpapering on a whim is something only crazy people like me do — is to bring a dash of nature inside. In this North Cleveland Park dining room, we wrapped the walls in a gorgeous silk wall covering to provide a quiet yet glamorous backdrop for the client’s Chinese silk rug and antiques. The clean-lined Minotti dining table and iconic Foscarini pendant bring modern elements into the space. But the final, life-giving touch is the plants. Or the plant-like elements 😊 The mini-shrubs marching down the dining table and the dramatic leaves against the walls are wonderful, aren’t they? Those dashes of green breath life into the room and make it feel fresh and alive. It’s so easy to cram a bunch of branches (hi, Trader Joe’s) into a vase and set it on a sideboard or table. You can’t believe how this simple gesture will life your spirits on a cooling fall day. #DiningRoomDesign #InteriorDesign #LuxeLiving #GoldAndGreen #DesignDetails #DCDesign #FallDecor #BringTheOutfoorsIn

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Oct 1

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In this edition of Wallpaper Wednesday: Wallpaper as art. Art doesn’t always need a frame. Sometimes, the walls themselves are the gallery walls.Case in point: this powder room in Cleveland Park. We wrapped the walls in an incredible trompe-l’œil wallpaper by Manuel Canovas to transform a tiny space into an immersive experience.A powder room is the perfect place for drama and delight—a place that offers an unexpected, charming moment for your guests. Every room deserves to tell a story…specially the small ones.#ArtInTheBath #PowderRoomDesign #StatementWallpaper #TrompeLoeil #HistoricHome #DCDesign #ClevelandPark #JewelBoxRoom #UnexpectedBeauty

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Sep 28

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There’s a reason our motto at Annie Elliot Design is “Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.” I’m often asked about my design style, and the truth is, I love when classic and modern are friends. In fact, I think they make the very best of friends. Here’s why: Think of it as a great conversation. Classic is the friend who brings the history, the soul, and the wonderful stories. It’s like an heirloom chest with a beautiful patina: it makes a room feel grounded and personal. Modern is the friend who brings a fresh perspective and keeps things from feeling stuffy. It’s the clean-lined sofa, sculptural lamp, or piece of abstract art…it’s the item that makes you see things differently. When you put them together in the same room? That’s where the magic is. The elements balance each other to make the room feel intentional, collected, and stylish. That mix of classic and modern creates a home with a story. And isn’t that what we all want? #ClassicAndModern #TimelessDesign #DesignPhilosophy #CollectedHome #MixedStyles #InteriorDesign #GeorgetownDC #DCDesign #InteriorDesignTips #Gin
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