Our 5 favorite interior design moments of 2018 : Annie Elliott Design

We were thrilled to work on so many amazing projects in 2018 — and with such fantastic clients! (Seriously: we can’t overstate the importance of that.) But there are a few things we’re especially proud of. Here are 5 decorating highlights from Annie Elliott | bossy color in 2018.

1. The dramatic dining room transformation. You remember this one — you can see more before ‘n after pictures in this blog post. We had been considering a blushy wall color, but when Amy and I saw this wallpaper, we knew that was the way to go. Luckily, the clients agreed.

dining room, red walls, tablecloth, fireplace — Before: sad

Dining room, wallpaper, chandelier, mirror — After: deliriously happy! The wallpaper is Augustine by Thibaut

2. Cheetah carpeting. And not in a swinging ’70’s bachelor pad. It’s a gorgeous, classic family home with lovely clients. As my colleagues always say: “Animal prints are a neutral!” You be the judge.

cheetah carpeting with wall mural and white chair — Cheetah carpeting with Schumacher wallpaper

dining room, white dining chairs, chandelier, sideboard, green drapes — We obviously haven’t had this professionally photographed yet!

3. The twofer: wallpaper with TWO zingy trim colors. How bold is this client, please? The egg-yolk yellow paneling goes down the stairs, and wallpaper with light blue trim waits at the bottom. Ah. Mazing.

Stairwell with yellow wall, wallpaper sample, light blue trim — Will it work?

GP & J Baker Nympheus wallpaper — Why, yes it will!

Stairway, yellow paneling, light blue wood trim — GP & J Baker Nympheus wallpaper

4. Complementing — not competing with — a client’s fabulous art collection. We feel so lucky when clients collect interesting art. The trick is to show it off while not going totally neutral on the furnishings. (I mean, that’s ONE approach; it’s just not OUR approach.) We were really excited about how this residence turned out.

Living Room, Family Room, large painting, purple sofa — The painting is by abstract artist Karen Silve

Living room with large-scale artwork — The three paintings on the long wall are by Carol Barsha, and the blue painting on the left is by L.A. artist Chris Trueman

5. Standing up to neutral with DARK BLUE WALLS! There was nothing wrong with this living room, but the clients didn’t feel that it reflected them. (And it’s true: this family is so much more fun and interesting than the “before” picture would have you believe.) We did want to keep the amazing drapes, though — we were tickled to learn that they were purchased from a recent design house. The darker walls really show them off.

Neutral living room with gray sofa and chairs — Before

Dark blue living room with orange sofa and chairs — After!! The wall color is Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray

Happy New Year, Gentle Readers! Please remember that we can always find room in our schedule for interesting, challenging projects like these. If you or a friend is ready to make your home beautiful and livable, please be in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Annie Elliott | bossy color is a design firm based in Washington, DC. Annie’s design work has appeared in numerous local and national publications, most recently The Washington Post, Home & Design, Washingtonian magazine, and The New York Times.