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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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Oct 21

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Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! This week, we dive into Martinique by CW Stockwell.This small, family-run print facility in Los Angeles was founded in 1905. Clifton Stockwell’s daughter and son-in-law traveled to the Bahamas in 1942 and were so enchanted by the foliage that they collaborated with illustrator and textile designer Albert Stockdale to create a wallpaper pattern. The result was Martinique — also known as “The Original Banana Leaf Print.” (Martinique is not to be confused with Brazilliance by Dorothy Draper 😉 .)Martinique famously adorns the Beverly Hills Hotel’s halls, stairwells, and Fountain Coffee Room.CW Stockwell now sells the Martinique pattern in seven colorways as wallpaper, grasscloth, and linen fabric.@cwstockwell @scalamandre#interiordesign #wallpaperinspo

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Oct 19

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I love this cocoon of a bedroom :) And what makes it REALLY interesting? The red lamps. There’s no other red in the room. Oranges, yes, so the red has something to relate to, but the exact shade appears nowhere else.It’s these unexpected elements that can take a room from beautiful to fabulous.Hats off to: @visualcomfort @cowtanandtout @cowtanwashingtondc#dcdesigner #interiordesign

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Oct 16

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I stand by my decision to drywall the window 🤭. See how we created a dark and cozy boudoir in a spacious sunny condo in DC…#interiordesign #dcdesigner

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Oct 14

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Your bed is the biggest piece of visual real estate in your bedroom. It needs pillows! Check out my latest blog post for ideas about arranging pillows on your bed 🛏️.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.
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