Annie Elliott Design
Greater Washington DC
Gentle Readers: Needless to say, this letter made my day. I beg your indulgence for my decision to post it. It’s enormously gratifying to know that this blog IS, in fact, doing what it set out to do: help you make good decisions by passing along things I’ve learned and observed as an interior designer-slash-decorator. …
Annie,I’ve spent months obsessing over paint colors for my new condo. This is my first home and I’m losing my mind! I live in a fairly well lit garden unit… I am not attached to most of my furniture and will be changing most of it over the next few months. The only piece I …
One day last spring, I was at Timothy Paul’s on 14th Street scouting out rugs and accessories for a favorite client. I turned around, and there it was: the fabric of my dreams. It’s called Birds, and it’s hand blocked in Philadelphia by pattern geniuses Galbraith and Paul. The snowy white heavy linen, the saturated …
…14-0848, Mimosa! (Thank goodness for that last part – “Mimosa” is so much catchier than “14-0848.”) There are many color trend predictors out there, but Pantone really is the authority on this stuff. Here’s its reasoning in a nutshell: Mimosa embodies hopefulness and reassurance in a climate of change. Hmmm…follow politics much? Hope? Change? All …
Even when I remember to make New Year’s resolutions, I NEVER remember to keep them. So this year, I thought I’d try a different approach: a wish list. Even in a bad economy, spending is still the American way. I see it as my patriotic duty. 1. That darn Eames aluminum chair I mentioned recently. …
As long as we’re talking about trends, here’s Apartment Therapy‘s “Predictions 2009.“ Of particular interest to me is the In-ness of both the Saarinen Tulip Table AND Ikea’s Docksta table, a Saarinen knockoff. I guess it’s official: buying knockoffs – even if they’re not officially licensed reproductions – is generally considered to be okay. The …
Formica, I’m rooting for you. In the LA Times article, “Bad design trends we hope die in 2009,” there, plain as day, is this: Please, in the kitchen, no more granite countertop. It came into vogue in the ’80s, and it makes a place look dated instantaneously. I am pushing for an orange Formica comeback….” …