Our lovely clients had a dining room that wasn’t working for them. It was formal and dark, with red walls and heavy wood furniture. Even the black and white floor — a look I usually love — was tired.
Using our magic bossy powers, we transformed this formal dining room into what we now call the “English Breakfast Room.”
The first thing we did was replace the black and white ceramic tile floor with porcelain tile that looks like limestone. Light and creamy, it brightened up the room immediately. (The room is on the lower level of an 1890s house, so we needed a material that could withstand moisture. In other words, no hardwood floors!)
The next decision was the walls. (Well, actually, the next decision was to remove the chair rail to make the room seem taller. Done.) We proposed a super light pink paint OR (crossing our fingers, holding our breath, standing on one foot) Thibaut’s Augustine wallpaper. We were giddy when they chose the wallpaper!
Isn’t the transformation amazing? One more time, just for fun:
We wanted to create a bright, light-filled, cheerful room where you could not only eat, but also read the paper, write a note, and just BE.
Here are some of the room’s highlights:
Chandelier: AERIN
Dining table: William Yeoward (whom we met in High Point, and he was so tickled by our company name that he inscribed his book for us, “To Les Bossettes…” He was a doll.)
Settee: Julian Chichester
Rug: Gabbeh
Desk: Julian Chichester
Desk Chair: Philippe Starck
So fun, so satisfying.
Annie Elliott | bossy color is a design firm based in Washington, DC. Annie’s design work and decorating insights have appeared in local and national publications, most recently The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the podcast, The Home Hour.
