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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Kitchen + bath

Small painting hung on bookcase

Go ahead: hang art on your bookcases

Annie Elliott | September 7, 2014

I think hanging a big old painting on the front of a bookcase is one of the most elegant looks around. [photo deleted] There’s more than one way to hang art on bookcases, of course. (Notice that I didn’t say, “right or wrong way,” which shows amazing restraint.) My favorite style is layered and casual — almost …

Read more »Go ahead: hang art on your bookcases
» Art + accessories, Color + paint color, Kitchen + bath, Living Room + Family Room

Behind the scenes: recent photo shoot in DC

Annie Elliott | April 25, 2014

Photo shoots are so much fun. Extraordinarily time-consuming, painstakingly detail-oriented, and exhausting, but fun. And important. As the interior designer Celerie Kemble once said (I’m paraphrasing), “If I don’t photograph a project, it’s as though it didn’t happen.” True that. So we photograph our work. If you’ve been on bossy color’s website recently, you’ve seen our new pictures of …

Read more »Behind the scenes: recent photo shoot in DC
» Dining room, Kitchen + bath, Rugs, Wallpaper
Blue, black and white dining room by bossy color

Black and blue (and brass): 2014’s edgy color combo

Annie Elliott | January 18, 2014

Remember how I said that a bossy color goal for 2014 was to use ever-edgier color combinations? And I mentioned black and blue as one of those combos? Well, I’ve decided that this particular color pairing is worthy of more attention. Turns out I started using black and blue together last year without really registering …

Read more »Black and blue (and brass): 2014’s edgy color combo
» Bedroom, Color + paint color, Kitchen + bath, Living Room + Family Room

Mint green bathrooms! A cry for help

Annie Elliott | October 8, 2013

Help me out, Gentle Readers, will you? Light greens are tricky. Refinery 29 makes a pretty great case for mint green for summer-into-fall fashion… …and no 1950s GE kitchen would be complete without green — the avocado and mint varieties. But beyond that, decorating with light green is tricky. I even tried to save one of …

Read more »Mint green bathrooms! A cry for help
» Color + paint color, Kitchen + bath

19th century farmhouse with a pristine midcentury kitchen

Annie Elliott | October 2, 2013

What do you have when you become engaged, get married, and have a baby in the same year? So many reasons to celebrate, that’s what! A few weeks ago, my friend threw a party for her sister, who had gone through the above-mentioned events in record time. Liza is an unbelievably talented party planner and …

Read more »19th century farmhouse with a pristine midcentury kitchen
» Kitchen + bath

Space Matters

Annie Elliott | May 26, 2013

Thank you, ASID! The lovely folks there invited me to contribute a blog post on the subject, “space matters” to their current ICON issue. It was a lot of fun – hop over and read it! My assertion: when we feel we’ve run out of space, our knee-jerk reaction is to build MORE. Very few of …

Read more »Space Matters
» Kitchen + bath, Living Room + Family Room

Happy New Year, Emerald Green! Bossy color’s finished powder room

Annie Elliott | January 10, 2013

Yes, Gentle Readers, the rumors are true. Emerald, aka 17-5641, is Pantone’s color of the year for 2013. Hooray! I’m going to be honest. Emerald green as “emerald green”, emerald as I think of it, a true jewel tone, green with a little blue in it, really saturated, really deep… It’s not my fave. Greens of …

Read more »Happy New Year, Emerald Green! Bossy color’s finished powder room
» Color + paint color, Kitchen + bath, Wallpaper
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Feb 25

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! Queen of Spain by @schumacher1889Schumacher had to know it had an icon on its hands when it debuted its edgy Queen of Spain wallpaper in 1963, but let’s be honest: getting it into the home of a very young, very hot new rock star called Mick Jagger didn’t hurt. While I’ve used Queen of Spain *fabric* in the blue colorway, I the ONLY colorway for the wallpaper is the Black.#interiordesign #wallpaper #interiorstyling

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Feb 23

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When I visited Sir John @soanemuseum recently, I was blown away by the cleverness — and craftsmanship — that went into installing so many mirrors to maximize all light: from the sun, candles, and oil lamps. In his 1790s row house in London, Sir John Soane integrated mirrors into the architecture. Read my new blog post (on my website) to see how he expertly placed mirrors to light his wealth of fine art and objects.#interiordesigner #sirjohnsoane #architecture

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Feb 19

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I LOVE the wallpaper and paint colors used in @bookhoundsmd in St. Michaels, MD. The store is whimsical and charming…it’s an amazing place to snuggle up and read at any time of year 📚 #interiordesign #stmichaelsmd

annieelliottdesign

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Feb 17

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My fireplace filler recommendations:Try: Dried forsythia or Hydrangeas (a single type of flower, in other words).Don’t even think about it: Wine bottles.Try: Multiple real plants or a single fern (very southern!).Eeew: A wispy, random, combustible-looking arrangement of multiple dried flowers.Solid yes: Logs in any form, birch logs on an andiron, or regular logs filling the fireplace front to back.Maybe: Books. I have mixed feelings about this one. What do you all think?...Photo Credit: Domino MagPepper Design BlogCasoliaThe KitchnLiving EtcMolly In Main#interiordesign #fireplace #livingroominspo

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Feb 14

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I LOVE dark rooms. Don’t be afraid to go dark in a small space; dark walls and ceilings actually can make a room seem bigger because you can’t see the corners very well! The type of room matters, of course – I prefer to embrace the dark and select rooms that do NOT have many windows. Rooms with a lot of windows obviously invite a lighter, brighter feel. In any room you want to feel cozy – a Powder Room, enclosed TV room, dining room, guest bedroom (or any bedroom!) – try experimenting with dark wallpaper.#interiordesign #wallpaper

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Feb 11

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! Birds by @galbraithandpaul! The technique of hand-block printing is a few thousand years old, and Galbraith & Paul is doing a fabulous job keeping the tradition alive. In its Manayunk (Philadelphia) studio, G+P creates joyful, *thoughtful* hand-block prints in amazing colorways. The Birds pattern is near and dear to my heart; I used the fabric on my very own headboard many many years ago. On wallpaper, Birds is simply magical. Whether in the bright Lake colorway, the moody Midnight, or the low-contrast Pale Yellow, Birds makes a room sing. 🕊️Photo 2 photographed by Angie SeckingerPhoto 3 photographed by Stacy Zarin GoldbergPhotos 1, 4, 5 & 6 by Galbraith & Paul#wallpaper #interiordesign #designinspo

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Feb 5

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Hie thee to London! The exhibition, "Wes Anderson: The Archives" at The @designmuseum is worth the trip. His films are so stylish, and that’s due to no single element. It’s the combination of the settings, sets, costumes, props, actor selection, and dialogue that’s magic. As a designer, I’m inspired by Anderson’s careful curation of every item in every scene and his commitment to his artistic vision. Check out my new blog post for more thoughts about the show!

annieelliottdesign

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Feb 4

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! @schumacher1889 Queen Fruit, designed by Neisha Crosland. This stunning wallpaper was inspired by Mangosteen plants, a fruit native to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. Evidently, the gold-outlined flowers mimic a 16th-century English needlework bed hanging. Who knew?! Without knowing any of that ;) I used this wallpaper in the Lapis colorway in my own Dining Room. The metallic accents brighten the room, and because I’ve never seen a blue quite like this one (the field), I had to use it. The other two colorways are pretty interesting, too.#interiordesign #wallpaper #schumacher

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Jan 28

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday!  Today we feature Strawberry Thief, by @williammorriscollection Recognize this pattern? It’s 140 years old, so I’m sure you’ve seen it somewhere. (Perhaps on the walls of the Atlanta coffee shop my daughter frequents!). William Morris was known primarily as a fabric designer when he designed Strawberry Thief in 1881-83. The story goes that he was inspired by the thrushes that stole fruit from his garden. It’s a nice thought, isn’t it?It’s unclear when Strawberry Thief began to appear on wallpaper, but boy am glad it did. The pattern is classic, cozy, colorful, and just all-around charming. I believe the Indigo/Mineral colorway is the OG, but, like every other manufacturer with an icon on its hands, today it’s available in several colorways. (I strenuously object to the horrific Miami Strip. What genius thought THAT was a good idea?)Strawberry Thief appears on merch from coasters (which I own) to footstools (which I selected for a client!). I don’t mind. As long as it’s also on wallpaper, you can put it on anything you like.
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