• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • about
    • services
    • team
  • portfolio
  • press
Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

  • book
  • blog
  • contact

Room Makeover Tips — On A Budget!

Annie Elliott | March 28, 2017

Thank you, House Beautiful online! I’m very proud to be featured in Lauren Smith’s article about interior designers’ favorite ways to impact a room in a big way — on a small budget.

Best Benjamin Moore paint color advice from DC interior designer Annie Elliott, bossy color, for living rooms, bedrooms, and more Farrow & Ball, Benjamin Moore, best paint colors, paint color advice, Edgecomb Gray, Windham Cream, Summer Shower, Arsenic, Black, Black Forest Green, Shaker Beige, Opal, Whispering Spring, China Blue, Wedgewood Gray, Mizzle, Million Dollar Red, Monterey White, Simply White, Ivory Tusk, Simply White, Super White After twelve (!) years of bringing color into people's homes and lives, I've learned that certain paint colors just come through again and again. Here are my go-t0 paint colors for every room. Best Living Room color (neutral): Edgecomb Gray Best Foyer color (and Living Room color - color :)  ): Windham Cream Best Dining Room Color: (a navy blue - F&B?) ***Bathroom: Summer Shower or Whispering Spring Wedgewood Gray? China Blue? Kitchen - choose a light green, maybe F&B? Mizzle #266 Basement: Ivory Tusk With Super White trim. Best trim colors: With medium toned colors, such as Edgecomb Gray - OC-117 Simply White With deeper colors, such as HC-45 Shaker Beige - HC-27 Monterey White Best baby girl's nursery color - Opal Alternate uses: Guest room, bath Best baby boy's nursery color - pick a green Best accent red: Million Dollar Red 2003-10 Best Bedroom color: Farrow & Ball Light Blue Best color for shutters: 2047-10 Black Forest Green Best color for handrails: Black Best Powder Room color: Wallpaper! Freshest new color: Arsenic. I'm dying to use this color. Maybe in a Dining Room
Getty image via House Beautiful online

You have exactly one guess as to what my #1 tip is.

That’s right: paint ;)

But there are more! Check out the article when you have a second — I guarantee you’ll pick up a trick or two.

Bossy color | Annie Elliott interiors is a design firm based in Washington, DC. Annie’s interior design work and decorating insights have appeared in such publications as Better Homes & Gardens, HGTV Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and, most recently, Bethesda Magazine. 

Category: Color + paint colorTag: before and after, budget, budget decorating, decorating advice, decorating tips, design on a dime, furniture, makeover, paint color tips, room makeover

Sidebar

Subscribe

 

Bossy Color Blog

Categories

  • Art + accessories »
  • Bedroom »
  • Color + paint color »
  • Dining room »
  • Furniture + upholstery »
  • Kids »
  • Kitchen + bath »
  • Lighting »
  • Living Room + Family Room »
  • Renovation »
  • Rugs »
  • Wallpaper »
  • Window treatments »

View Portfolio

view Bossy Color's portfolio

Instagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 8

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18120991804793828
Star-studded wallpaper on the ceiling childish? Not necessarily! Here are the differences between babyish and grown-up star themed wallpaper. #wallpaper #interiordesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 4

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18098048903219045
Happy Independence Day! I happen to love a room decorated in red, white, and blue. It’s not always gimmicky; wouldn’t you agree that the dining room below is bold and sophisticated? 🤪 My advice: vary the shades (clash those blues if you have to!), throw some large-scale patterns into the mix, and add texture. A grasscloth ceiling, for example 😉 Have a great 4th, everyone!#interiordesign #homedecor #pattermixing

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 3

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17934768423090149
I was honored to co-chair — with the inimitable @ianthainteriors — the design competition, America at 250: The New Look of American Design, a project conceived by the nonprofit MADE: In America.Design students from Howard University partnered with Washington Design Center showrooms to create storyboards and vignettes reflecting their vision of “American style.” The Design Center is showcasing the students’ work through July 10; admission is free and open to the public. Details may be found at the link in the @washingtondesigncenter’s bio.I encourage you to visit! It’s so important to support the next generation of designers, and I was delighted to participate in this event. Iantha and I are grateful to James De Lorbe, Chairman of MADE: In America; and we extend our warmest thanks to jurors @melissacolganinteriors, @mariella.cruzado,  @gaildavisdesigns, @val_hawkins_architect, @hadleykeller, @byronrisdon, and @jazmynedesignstudio.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 1

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18345901804173891
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! This week’s guest star: Schumacher’s Birds & Butterflies. It’s so whimsical, yet so grown up! Creatures on wallpaper can be a tough sell to adults, but Birds & Butterflies’ black and white background is quite sophisticated. (That’s why the Multi on White is my favorite colorway. I wouldn’t bother with the others.)The pattern is derived from a hand-printed 1960s wallpaper in the Schumacher archive. It’s certainly earned its place in the Exuberant Prints collection, don’t you think?#wallpaperinspo #interiordesign #roomdesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 26

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18423163795132747
Before and after part 2: a NYC pied-a-terre part deux! In this video we move to the primary bedroom, guest bedroom/office/workout area (remember: it’s NY! Gotta maximize your space!) and the tiniest powder room in the world. Such a fabulous, fun project!Mentioned:@Schumacher_midatlantic@leejofa@visualcomfort@fornasetti#interiordesign #wallpaper #nycdesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 26

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18095719559219273
Another installment of my Before and After video series! This project is in NYC. SO fun!!! We start with a VERY challenging living space/kitchen and then…well, then there’s Part 2!Mentioned:@Schumacher_midatlantic@leejofa@visualcomfort@fornasetti

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 23

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18095254961251333
Having sworn I never would wield a paintbrush again, I recently found myself helping my daughter paint her first apartment. Thus a tutorial about paint sheens for her, thus a recap for you!My latest blog post explains the differences between paint sheens and tells you what goes where ;)Link in bio to read. #interiordesigner #paintinspo #apartmenrdecor

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 22

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18011049497869192
There’s no other word for it: Sheila Bridges’ pattern Harlem Toile De Jouy has become an American icon. Iconic and ironic: the pattern conflates her experiences as a Black woman living in Harlem with pastoral motifs from 1700s French toile. Delightful and lighthearted at first glance, the pattern gives you plenty to think about. Bridges created Harlem Toile as a wallpaper but later expanded the collection to include fabric, bedding, plates, glassware, umbrellas, and clothing. I strongly recommend getting a piece of this pattern any way you can. @harlemtoilegirl#interiordesign #harlemtoile #patterninspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 17

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18106157639319026
“Much of the wallpaper [in the Victorian era]—fabric, too—was made with arsenic,’ explains Elliott. ‘There are worse ways to go, I suppose.’”I loved speaking with @allisonpduncan @vogueliving about the art of using two wallpapers in one room. Happy Wallpaper Wednesday!#interiordesign #wallpaper #vogueliving #designopinions #annieelliottdesignSlide 1 📸  by Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Design by Annie ElliottSlide 2 📸 by Leslee Mitchell, Design by Kim ScodroSlide 3 📸 by Donna Dotan, Design by Ariel OkinSlide 4 📸 by Gordon Gregory, Design by Jenny Holladay
Follow

Looking for something?

Don’t miss a single post

 

Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
American Society of Interior Designers Firm Partner

© 2026 · Annie Elliott Design · privacy policy