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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Q+A

Materials to design a room

How To Work With an Interior Designer

Annie Elliott | March 2, 2025

“I’ve been thinking about making some changes in my house, but I’m not sure where to start. How does it work, working with an interior designer?” If you haven’t said that sentence aloud, Gentle Readers, you may have thought it. I’ve been known to go down a rabbit hole or two with my blog posts, …

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» Q+A

Quick Q+A: The perfect rug for a sage green room

Annie Elliott | November 6, 2022

Dear Annie, What are the best rugs to pair with a sage green color wall? – Izzy via TikTok First, let’s clarify what we mean by “sage green.” I tend to think of this color as a light grayish green, popular at Pottery Barn (along with cranberry) in the, what, mid-aughts? So my first question …

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» Q+A, Rugs
Bed with small dog

Quick Q+A: Dorm room case study

Annie Elliott | August 15, 2022

Dear Annie, So what did you end up doing for your daughters’ dorm rooms? – Several people So glad you asked, Gentle Readers! Ruthie and I JUST ordered a bunch of stuff on Saturday. We’re a little behind, to be honest. (And maybe a wee bit in denial?) Georgie doesn’t leave until mid-September, so we …

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» Bedroom, Q+A

Quick Q+A: Help! I bought a dumb gray sofa!

Annie Elliott | August 4, 2022

(I paraphrased.) Dear Annie, Purchased a grey couch on whim but it isn’t my vibe. Can you help me warm up the space? Paint color and coordinating fabrics for curtains/area rug – TikTok user THAT, my dear TikTok user, is what we call a blank canvas. Since you mention “coordinating fabrics” and not “off the …

Read more »Quick Q+A: Help! I bought a dumb gray sofa!
» Furniture + upholstery, Q+A

Quick Q+A: Cat trees

Annie Elliott | July 28, 2022

Dear Annie, Any ideas on incorporating a cat tree in a way that doesn’t look like trash?? – Paige, NYC Paige, you will not believe this, but I had this VERY SAME CHALLENGE not so long ago! As you can see, the cat tree in question was VERY fancy. I kind of loved it. The …

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» Accessories, Q+A

Quick Q+A: Black and white tile floors

Annie Elliott | July 21, 2022

Hello, Gentle Readers! As you might imagine, friends and social media peeps ask me interior design questions on a fairly regular basis. I can’t answer every question, but I thought it would be fun to share some of the most intriguing and/or potentially useful Qs+As. Let’s consider this an occasional series ;) Dear Annie, I …

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» Q+A

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Apr 13

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Let’s talk about what fabric doesn’t work ❌ for the sectional upholstery in this beach house TV Room. Even though these fabrics are beautiful on their own… they don’t work here. The dark stripes were not lighthearted enough and the smaller scale blue and white pattern was too predictable. Watch to listen to me plead my case for lavender and green! 🏖️#interiordetails #colorfulinteriors #beachhousedesign

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Apr 13

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Here’s the challenge: Imagine you are designing a lighthearted, summer beach house. In the TV Room, there are bookcases, a neutral rug, and a large sectional.What upholstery would you put on the sectional?Comment your pick before you see part 2 👇#designchallenge #interiorsandhome #interiorinspiration

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Apr 8

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When you come home after a long day, do you want your foyer to rev you up or calm you down? Decide which approach you need and run with it. Add large-scale wallpaper and layered rugs for excitement, or paint the walls off-white and be selective with your artwork and mirrors for calm. #foyer #homedesign #foyerinspiration

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Apr 3

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Q: What is one thing you can do to elevate a room❓💬 The first thing you see when you walk into a room needs to look great. In your office, get a nice, big vintage desk. In a living room, paint all the walls a dark color. Avoid satin brass hardware, pills on sofa fabric, and fake wood!#interiordesign #dcdesigner #decorinspo

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Apr 1

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This will come as no surprise, but I think about window treatments a LOT. Especially during the transition from winter to spring, with the change in temperature and light…I’m reminded what a critical design element window treatments are. And then I get to thinking about window treatments through the ages. Who invented drapes? Did the Romans *really* invent Roman shades?I decided to do some digging. Check out my blog to see what I discovered!📸 @stacyzaringoldberg📸 @jennverrierphoto#windowtreatments #drapes #interiordesign

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Mar 25

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! Today we feature Brunschwig & Fils’ Les Touches. @brunschwigfils introduced Les Touches in 1965, and the pattern soon became a Brunschwig classic. (Interestingly, “touches” translates to “keys” or “strokes…” I guess that’s close to “dabs,” which is what I’d assumed.) According to handwritten records, Les Touches is inspired by post-WWII black and white photographs, but the connection between this inspiration and the pattern remains a mystery. Referred to most often as a stylized animal print, Les Touches is a staple of the Le Jardin Chinois collection.Today, Les Touches comes in 18 colorways, but the blue colorway remains iconic. I’ve used Les Touches for window treatments and upholstery, but I can’t wait to try it as wallpaper!

annieelliottdesign

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Mar 23

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Here’s what ✨ I ✨ would do… Instead of matching everything, you balance it. Pull one color. Shift the scale. Let each piece do something different. Here’s what ✨ I ✨ would do… Instead of matching everything, you balance it. Pull one color. Shift the scale. Let each piece do something different. Bonus: Change the rug! Suddenly you’d make a completely different window choice.Did you guess it?!Watch part 1 for the challenge context and part 2 for what doesn’t work.#interiorsandhome #fabricdesign #romanshades

annieelliottdesign

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Mar 23

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Let’s talk about what fabric doesn’t work ❌ for the Roman shades in this teenage girl’s bedroom with 2 big windows and a statement ceiling. Even though these fabrics are beautiful on their own… they don’t work here. Biggest mistake: repeating the same motif (moths, butterflies, etc.) across the room. It starts to feel themed instead of designed.Watch part 1 for the full context, and watch part 3 to find out what I would choose.#interiordesign #wallpaper #interiorsandhome

annieelliottdesign

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Mar 23

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Here’s the challenge: a teenage girl’s bedroom. Not huge. Two big windows. Statement ceiling. White walls.Which fabric would you choose for the Roman shades?There’s a right answer… a safe answer… and a couple very wrong ones. Comment your pick before you see part 2 👇#interiordesigner #wallpaper #romanshades
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