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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Living Room + Family Room

Thinking about spring cleaning? Make it a makeover!

Annie Elliott | May 10, 2026

Gentle Readers, I’ve decided that spring cleaning is not enough this year. Spring MAKEOVERS are in store! For inspiration, I thought I’d do a little before-and-after post of some past and present projects: heavy on pictures, light on commentary. It’s the blog version of a beach read to give you a jump on summer. Here …

Read more »Thinking about spring cleaning? Make it a makeover!
» Before and after, How-to, Living Room + Family Room, Renovation
Two people walking to a tiny cabin in the woods

Making the most of a small space

Annie Elliott | February 11, 2024

Hello, Gentle Readers! I hope you’re surviving the doldrums of winter. Punxsutawney Phil is optimistic that spring is imminent, but I have my doubts. In any event, in a true celebration of winter, John and I went up to New England recently. He skiied, I mostly worked, but we also visited a friend’s small cabin …

Read more »Making the most of a small space
» Living Room + Family Room
Yellow wallpapered room with corner fireplace

How to arrange furniture around a corner fireplace

Annie Elliott | October 2, 2022

I’ve tackled this subject before, Gentle Readers — In 2010, to be exact! Corner fireplaces — and angled ones — are just incredibly difficult to work with. As I type, I’m sitting in the left chair in the picture below. We’re at my MIL’s weekend house, and we’ve never really cracked the code on what …

Read more »How to arrange furniture around a corner fireplace
» Living Room + Family Room
Striped sofa in a bay window

Light and bright — and green! — in a top-floor family room

Annie Elliott | June 12, 2022

Who says a family room has to be in a basement, Gentle Readers? Not us! The third floor of a fantastic, longtime client’s house was underused. It had become the repository for toys and books the kids had outgrown and furniture that had been replaced. We decided to transform the room into a jaw-droppingly gorgeous, …

Read more »Light and bright — and green! — in a top-floor family room
» Living Room + Family Room
Author Jason Reynolds with Erica Gonzalez from NBC4

Jason Reynolds and AED on NBC4 this Friday! (That’s today!)

Annie Elliott | August 12, 2021

Gentle Readers, I hope that on Friday afternoon, August 13, you will become Gentle WATCHERS and tune in to NBC4. I will put the exact time on my Instagram account as soon as I have it. [UPDATE: it will air around 5:45 p.m.] NBC4 will be featuring author Jason Reynolds‘ home in Kingman Park, which …

Read more »Jason Reynolds and AED on NBC4 this Friday! (That’s today!)
» Living Room + Family Room

Which is the better furniture arrangement: two sofas, or one sofa + two chairs?

Annie Elliott | June 27, 2021

Oh, Gentle Readers, it’s been quite a month! A fun month, but a super duper busy one. I hope you’re having a great summer so far. We did several design presentations recently, and in two – count ’em, two! – we were faced with the same question: In a long, narrow living room, which is …

Read more »Which is the better furniture arrangement: two sofas, or one sofa + two chairs?
» Color + paint color, Living Room + Family Room

Designing Virtually: 3 Lessons That Will Outlast Covid

Annie Elliott | February 28, 2021

My husband read Pollyanna  — you know, the “glad game” girl? — for his classic book group this weekend. It got me thinking, Gentle Readers. I realize that I’ve been channeling *my* inner Pollyanna recently. The pandemic, quarantine — it has been an unspeakably awful year. But Polly-Annie found a silver lining: Our mighty design …

Read more »Designing Virtually: 3 Lessons That Will Outlast Covid
» Living Room + Family Room
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Nov 6

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Let’s call it like it is: this library-slash-tv room was…boring. BEFORE: dull, a pass-through space, not inviting. AFTER: So fun! with its shiny purple walls and dramatic window treatments!! Makes you want to stay a while, doesn’t it?

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Nov 4

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This Wallpaper Wednesday we feature Nanjing by @schumacher1889!This  pattern is a modern take on classic chinoiserie motifs: trees, pagodas and fretwork fences. It is named after Nanjing, Jiangsu, East China, one of the four great ancient capitals of China. You may recognize the pattern on your Blue Willow dishes, too :) I used this wallpaper in a client’s Powder Room, and it bring so much energy and brightness to the space. I love the green colorway, too 😊📸 @angieseckinger @schumacher_midatlantic

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Nov 2

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Where do those gorgeous but multitudinous pillows go at night? See some ideas in my latest blog post… 😌#interiordesign #pillowinspo

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Oct 28

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My home is my lab :) As evidenced by my constant tinkering. Today: replacing my own DR chandelier.

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Oct 23

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One could argue that each element in this New York living room is dramatic, from the mirrored (wallpaper) ceilings to the purple sofa. If we had put an antique rug in this room — which, let’s be honest, is often my first thought — the effect could have been dowdy. It would have been cozy, it would have been consistent with the moody vibe, and it still would have been kind of interesting given the other things in the room.But the contemporary rug, Danika by @starkcarpet, makes the room SING. The huge geometric scale is a beautiful contrast to the smaller patterns on the chair and the Roman shade. The light background brightens the room while making the darker colors more intense. And the black…well, black always adds drama.It’s hard to explain, but you see it, right?@schumacher_midatlantic @timorous_beasties @starkcarpet_dc#schustagram

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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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