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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

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Thanks, Associated Press! “Carpet, the bolder the better, makes a comeback”

Annie Elliott | August 3, 2011

Do you remember reading my post about wall-to-wall carpeting a few months back? About how it’s making a comeback?

Patterned carpet in bay window
Wall-to-wall carpeting in bay window (Photo: Michael K. Wilkinson for bossy color)

Well if you didn’t, now you won’t have to!

Manuel Canovas bedding and headboard, Crate & Barrel lamp, Horchow side table (Photo: Michael K. Wilkinson for bossy color)

The AP interviewed me last week for a story about it, and it hit the papers – and the web-waves – yesterday. Newsday, The Washington Post, and abc.com lead the list, but the story also was carried by aol news, The Albany Times-Union, and others.

Wall-to-wall stair runner
Striped wall-to-wall carpeting on staircase (Photo: Michael K. Wilkinson for bossy color)

Most papers also carried 2 of my – (“my” = the work of my fabulous photographer, Michael Wilkinson) pictures, which was super duper.

What’s new about wall-to-wall is PATTERN. That and color. We’re not talking about the beige berber you have in your basement. We’re talking about strong, graphic carpeting.

Wall-to-wall carpeting in playroom
Bordered wall-to-wall carpeting in playroom (Photo: Michael K. Wilkinson for bossy color)

(Huh? What’s the name of the carpeting in the bedroom pictures? I knew you were going to ask that…I think the name involves the word, “princess,” but I’m going to have to let you know when I’m back in my real, non-remote office with all of my files. Sorry about that.)

In any event, Gentle Readers, the stigma is gone. Carpet away!

Art wall with heating vent
Art wall over Wisteria chest (Photo: Michael K. Wilkinson for bossy color)

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She’s considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible. She’s also a proud member of the Color Outlook team:  6 experts from across the country who podcast quarterly about color trends and forecasts.

Category: Art + accessories, Bedroom, Kids, RugsTag: AP, Associated Press story carpeting, Carpeting, colorful carpet, Crate & Barrel, graphic carpet, Horchow Orbit side table, Manuel Canovas, wall-to-wall carpet

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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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