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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

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Redux: Trim colors, window treatments, and furniture arrangements

Annie Elliott | August 5, 2024

Hello, Gentle Readers! Have you melted into a puddle? I know it’s so boring to talk about the weather, but GEEZ! And BLECH!

Two chairs by a pool
Annie Elliott Design. Photo by Markus Wilborn

August is always a funny time in the interior design business. It’s either absolutely quiet, because people are on vacation, or it’s super busy, because people are going on vacation ;) This year it’s the latter, in the best of all possible ways.

Even with the busy-ness, I usually try to do a little stock-taking in August, and that includes looking at blog stats. I’m always interested to see which posts have the most staying power. I know I’ve mentioned “7 Sanity-Restoring Rules About Trim Color;” that’s been in the top 10 since it first went up in 2011!! (I updated it slightly in 2022, but I was pleased to see that my advice holds.)

Grand light blue living room
Steven Gambrel in Elle Decor

Another post that you found particularly helpful — at least, that’s what you told me ;) — is “The Best Window Treatments For Half Coverage.” I just re-read it, and yep, I stand by those recommendations.

Green sofa in bay window with shutters
Annie Elliott Design. Photo by Kip Dawkins

Another post that’s been steadily popular since I first posted it 3 years ago is, “Which Is the Better Furniture Arrangement? 2 Sofas Or 1 Sofa + 2 Chairs?” Clunky title notwithstanding, I thought it was worth a mention.

Furniture layout plan in color
From that blog post.

I hope you get a bit of a break this summer, Gentle Readers, whether you’re stay-cationing or traveling. Stay cool, in every sense of the word.

Annie Elliott Design is expanding our horizons: if you live in New York and are ready for a color, pattern, and gin-infused update, be in touch!

Category: Color + paint colorTag: Brisbees, cafe curtains, furniture arrangement, moulding colors, paint colors for trim, painting trim, painting window trim, trim colors, window treatments

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Sep 23

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For this week’s Wallpaper Wednesday we go into the Woods… Woods is a great example of Cole & Son’s innovation in serigraphy, a traditional method of screen printing. The pattern is available on fabric and wallpaper in a variety of soothing yet elegant colorways. Due (I’m sure) to the booming success of the original, there are now some whimsical variations on Woods: Cole & Son added metallic stars to some colorways and pears to others. As you may imagine, however, this traditionalist prefers the original 🙂For some reason, Woods is especially popular for nurseries. Maybe those babies really wanted out of their cribs. 👶🏼In 2005, Woods deservedly won the ELLE Decoration International Design Award for Wallcovering of the Year. And it’s still going strong.

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Sep 22

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“Isn’t ‘modern farmhouse’ over yet?” I loved speaking with @authordinacheney @washingtonpost about the worst interior design trends! Turns out I’m not the only designer with strong opinions 😊@vincentewolfdesigns @kimletgordon @maxsinsteden #interiordesign #washingtonpost #designopinions #annieelliottdesign

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Sep 18

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Best part of being an interior designer is using your own home as a playground for creative ideas! We changed the paint in our living room again and here’s how it looks now! #interiordesign

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Sep 17

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When you become an empty nester, when is it ok to reclaim your adult child’s space? Check out my latest blog post for my recommendations on how to approach empty nesting!📸 @stacyzaringoldberg📸 @kipdawkinsphoto📸 Michael Wilkinson📸 @angieseckinger

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Sep 10

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Pink, green, and a splash of dark orange come together to create this sunny, summery bedroom 🪷

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Sep 9

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! This week, feast your eyes on @timorous_beasties Fruit Looters. TB claims that William Morris’s Strawberry Thief pattern inspired Fruit Looters, but only the name indicates the connection: Strawberry Thief, Fruit Looters…get it? Whereas Morris’s iconic pattern is medium-scale, rhythmic, 2-D, cartoon-like, and muted, Fruit Looters is the opposite in every way but subject matter. The scale is huge, with the foliage “stripes” providing a geometric order, and it oozes TB’s trademark edginess. The crisp pattern is finely drawn; pull it apart, and each element — a flower, a bird — could be in an English botanical print. Fruit Looters comes in vivid, saturated colorways, some with a metallic sheen, and dramatic black is present in all.Recently, a client (who originally introduced me to Timorous Beasties!) and I used Fruit Looters wallpaper in her stairwell, in the Alabaster colorway. The drama. Oh, the drama!

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Aug 27

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SO much fun to create this entertainment space! This client already had a living room and kitchen…this space is for friends and family to relax, talk, and just BE. What’s your favorite feature?

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Aug 26

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Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! There’s no better paper to feature in August than Schumacher’s Citrus Garden 🍋 🍊.The Swedish designer, artist, and architect Josef Frank created the Citrus Garden pattern as a fabric in 1947. The hand-drawn, whimsical, quintessentially mid-century, irresistibly cheerful design exemplifies Frank’s philosophy: “The freer the pattern, the better.” I’ve used Citrus Garden fabric a few times, but shockingly, the pattern wasn’t on wallpaper until 2017!! 🤯 Deprived for so long!! As soon as the opportunity arises, I’m running, not walking, to get my hands on this wallpaper.@schumacher_midatlantic 📸 @angieseckinger

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Aug 19

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All of a sudden, novelty accent lamps are EVERYWHERE! Some are cute, some are…inadvisable ;) If you just can’t resist a lamp in the shape of a snail, my latest blog post has recommendations for proceeding responsibly💡
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