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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Color + paint color

Jamie Drake's Grasse Sconce

Lighting by Jamie Drake and AERIN. An exercise in fabulousness.

Annie Elliott | March 11, 2015

Designing light fixtures can’t be easy. If it were, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? Scale alone is a tricky thing. Then you have to consider where it might go, create the design, choose finishes…then — goodness! — there’s wattage to think about, and probably something involving wiring… It seems complicated. Which is why we all should appreciate truly …

Read more »Lighting by Jamie Drake and AERIN. An exercise in fabulousness.
» Color + paint color, Lighting

5 questions to ask yourself before you hire an interior designer

Annie Elliott | February 12, 2015

You’ve been thinking about it…you’ve talked to your friends…you’ve been tooling around on the Internet looking at different designers’ websites… You’re ready to live in an outrageously beautiful home. You’re ready to hire an interior designer. Before you start making calls, though, I suggest asking yourself the following 5 questions. Having run my interior design business for …

Read more »5 questions to ask yourself before you hire an interior designer
» Color + paint color

Bossy color’s 2015 color of the year: BRIGHT NAVY

Annie Elliott | December 31, 2014

Happy New Year, Gentle Readers! I’m going to begin 2015 with a declaration: BOSSY COLOR’S COLOR OF THE YEAR FOR 2015 IS BRIGHT NAVY. I don’t usually have a color of the year, but this year is different. It’s been several weeks since the announcement that “Marsala,” (18-1438, for those keeping track) is Pantone’s color of the year for …

Read more »Bossy color’s 2015 color of the year: BRIGHT NAVY
» Color + paint color
Pantone's color of the year 2015 in action

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015: Marsala

Annie Elliott | December 8, 2014

We’re in for a rough year, Gentle Readers. By now you’ve heard the news that Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015 is 18-1438 Marsala. Yes. That Marsala. Jura Koncius at The Washington Post broke the news to me, and my reaction was less than positive. I sat with the news for a few days. And …

Read more »Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015: Marsala
» Color + paint color
1980s floral chintz matching furniture and walls

Matchy-matchy walls and upholstery: Cool again, or too soon?

Annie Elliott | December 1, 2014

Remember in the ’80s, how fashion-forward it was to upholster furniture in the same pattern as the wallpaper? And sometimes carry the pattern onto the drapes, too? Well, everything old is new again…again. I am an ’80s survivor, so you’d think I’d have trouble with this particular “new again.” Au contraire, mon frere! Today’s matchy-matchiness is …

Read more »Matchy-matchy walls and upholstery: Cool again, or too soon?
» Color + paint color, Furniture + upholstery, Wallpaper
Green upholstered door into gray room

That edgy color combo, green and gray

Annie Elliott | October 26, 2014

I feel like I’m seeing green and gray (aka grey) everywhere! From excellent designers… In catalogs… Everywhere! I smell a trend. I wasn’t sure what I thought of the green/gray combo at first. But it’s grown on me. There may be a green and gray room in bossy color’s future sooner rather than later. What …

Read more »That edgy color combo, green and gray
» Art + accessories, Bedroom, Color + paint color, Dining room, Window treatments

Flow? What flow? At Colonial Williamsburg

Annie Elliott | October 12, 2014

Thanks for bearing with me, Gentle Readers. Here is my final observation about Colonial Williamsburg. And then I promise to go on vacation somewhere else. As an interior designer, I spend a lot of time thinking how I can achieve flow within a house. How can I make each room a little different while maintaining a cohesive feel? It helps if the …

Read more »Flow? What flow? At Colonial Williamsburg
» Color + paint color, Wallpaper
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Jun 23

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Having sworn I never would wield a paintbrush again, I recently found myself helping my daughter paint her first apartment. Thus a tutorial about paint sheens for her, thus a recap for you!My latest blog post explains the differences between paint sheens and tells you what goes where ;)Link in bio to read. #interiordesigner #paintinspo #apartmenrdecor

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Jun 22

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There’s no other word for it: Sheila Bridges’ pattern Harlem Toile De Jouy has become an American icon. Iconic and ironic: the pattern conflates her experiences as a Black woman living in Harlem with pastoral motifs from 1700s French toile. Delightful and lighthearted at first glance, the pattern gives you plenty to think about. Bridges created Harlem Toile as a wallpaper but later expanded the collection to include fabric, bedding, plates, glassware, umbrellas, and clothing. I strongly recommend getting a piece of this pattern any way you can. @harlemtoilegirl#interiordesign #harlemtoile #patterninspo

annieelliottdesign

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Jun 17

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“Much of the wallpaper [in the Victorian era]—fabric, too—was made with arsenic,’ explains Elliott. ‘There are worse ways to go, I suppose.’”I loved speaking with @allisonpduncan @vogueliving about the art of using two wallpapers in one room. Happy Wallpaper Wednesday!#interiordesign #wallpaper #vogueliving #designopinions #annieelliottdesignSlide 1 📸  by Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Design by Annie ElliottSlide 2 📸 by Leslee Mitchell, Design by Kim ScodroSlide 3 📸 by Donna Dotan, Design by Ariel OkinSlide 4 📸 by Gordon Gregory, Design by Jenny Holladay

annieelliottdesign

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Jun 13

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Pink, light yellow, and gold-y tan combine to create a soft, unexpected color palette. The quiet colors are sophisticated together, and the palette will age beautifully as this tween moves through high school and college. (Her parents won’t even have to redecorate if it becomes a guest bedroom someday! But one step at a time…)#homedesign #paintinspo #bedroomdesign

annieelliottdesign

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Jun 10

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Deep down, I believe that a house isn’t a home without wallpaper 😊 My latest blog post identifies five unexpected places you can use wallpaper — and some are small! Wallpapering the space behind your island stools could be your gateway to my favorite home furnishing. If you have other creative spots for wallpaper, I’d love to hear about them!#wallpaperinspo #interiordesign #wallpaper

annieelliottdesign

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Jun 9

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Welcome to my new before-and-after series! 🥰 I take you through my thinking as I design a space — my “process,” as it were. Pretty pictures are involved too, of course. I hope you enjoy it!This was a super fun project: a historic townhouse with the challenge of a loooong shoebox-shaped front room. You know the kind. Here’s how we made this color-and-pattern-loving client’s challenging space amazing. Like this series? Please let me know! #interiordesigner #windowtreatments #wallpaper

annieelliottdesign

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Jun 5

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Don’t let your porch be a throwaway space! Make it a room. Get a high quality indoor/outdoor rug. Make sure your furniture is COMFY. Find a cordless lamp (they’re everywhere now!). Hang art! You can even add a vintage console table or cabinet if you’re ok with it weathering over time 🕰️. #interiordesign #porchdesign

annieelliottdesign

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Jun 3

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! This week we feature Paper Trail by Lewis and Wood. Lewis and Wood launched Paper Trail in the fall of 2025 as one of four patterns in their History Papers Collection. Paper Trail was inspired by ancient rock carvings - 600–2,000 years old! - from various sites in America. It was named after the site Newspaper Rock, Utah.You know I love anything with an animal :) But there are 2 genres, right? Juvenile and…let’s call it *versatile*. To me, Paper Trail falls into the latter category, featuring deer, horses, buffalo, and foxes on a background that resembles the texture of rocks. It’s primitive, not cartoonish. I could see using this in a small bedroom; a breakfast nook (why? Can’t tell you, it’s just a feeling); or a hallway, because the pattern isn’t overwhelming.#wallpaperinspo #interiordesign #homedesign

annieelliottdesign

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May 28

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For those of you lucky enough to have a beach house, now’s the time to start thinking about decorating beyond traditional “costal decor!” Step one? Consider a color palette other than blue and white ;) See my latest blog post for more! 🏖️ 🐚#beachhouseinteriors #interiordesign #eastcoast
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