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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 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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Aug 12

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Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! Let’s talk about Cole & Son’s Acquario, shall we?Iconic Italian artist Piero Fornasetti designed Acquario for Cole & Son in the early 2010s. He was going through an ocean phase, captivated by its mysterious depths 🐠, so he developed this fish design and put it first on plates and fabrics, and then, luckily for us, on wallpaper. We just installed Acquario in the Print Room Blue colorway in a client’s tiny practice room (he plays classical guitar), and we LOVE it! That big old blowfish, just gliding along…he kills me.Featuring: @cole_and_son_wallpapers @fornasetti

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Aug 9

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Green, light blue, and a touch of navy come together to create a room that's bright, welcoming, and incredibly summery 🥰 🥰 🥰 #interiordesign #summercolors

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Aug 7

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Given that my brain is still on an academic calendar 🤷‍♀️ , I thought I'd do a little review and see which blog posts resonated with you the most in 2025-26. Who knew that a post from 2011 (!!!) is still in the top 5! Click over to the post to to see the year’s greatest hits. #interiordesign #designinspo

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Jul 24

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Get ready for a dramatic before and after! We transformed a playroom into a dining room, and the result is pretty amazing. (But still fun!) #wallpaper #interiordesign #diningroominspo
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