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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Living Room + Family Room

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

It’s here! House Beautiful’s Open House Live on Monday, June 15

Annie Elliott | June 14, 2020

Hello, Gentle Readers! Today’s the day! (If you’re reading this on Monday, that is…) Please go to House Beautiful’s Instagram page at noon, click on IGTV, and tune into my house tour – LIVE!

Read more »It’s here! House Beautiful’s Open House Live on Monday, June 15
» Living Room + Family Room
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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

annieelliottdesign

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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.

annieelliottdesign

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Jan 23

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This month marks 1 year since we moved into our new office space! Here is a sneak peek at the installation...#dcdesigner #interiordesign #washingtondc

annieelliottdesign

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Jan 21

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My wish list for 2026! 🌟1. Design another house with the gracious proportions and strong (not ornate) details of the 1910s and 1920s.2. Design a bedroom around a super tall headboard, à la Kit Kemp.3. Paint a room “Arsenic.”4. Find a fantastic resource for high-end bedding.5. Cover a living room in a low-contrast, small-scale wallpaper such as @Schumacher’s Burley in Straw.See my latest blog post for more!

annieelliottdesign

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Jan 17

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Blue Rooms: When you think of being cozy in the winter months, I’m sure you think of warm tones. But this is proof that blue can be cozy too! 💙 🟦Hint: deep colors are always comforting. #roominspo #interiordesign #blue
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