• 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

Thinking about spring cleaning? Make it a makeover!

Annie Elliott | May 10, 2026

Gentle Readers, I’ve decided that spring cleaning is not enough this year. Spring MAKEOVERS are in store!

For inspiration, I thought I’d do a little before-and-after post of some past and present projects: heavy on pictures, light on commentary. It’s the blog version of a beach read to give you a jump on summer. Here we go!

Before: A serviceable but unexciting guest bedroom.

Bed with yellow walls, neutral rug, and beige chair.

After: Your guests will never leave!

Bedroom with bird-patterned wallpaper, green curtains, and a leather chair.
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Before: A dark family room.

Leather couch, red and blue rug, and fireplace.

After: Lots of light for Henry the dog!

Light blue and white wallpaper, blue sofa, green chairs, and dog laying in the sun.
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Before: Ho-hum. The sectional was new, though, so that was our starting point.

Gray sectional in family room

After: Crisp and bright! And the dark accent wall makes the big TV less prominent. (Accent wall…I know, I know; but sometimes they come in handy!)

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Before: A festival of neutrals.

Living room in beige and gray

After: Blue and orange save the day.

Photo by Angie Seckinger

Same room before: The problem wall.

Two leather chairs against a wall

Same room after: The solution!

Blue built-in bookcases

For more in-depth reading about some dramatic makeovers, here’s a previous post about this family room:

Green reading nook - striped sofa in a bay window

And another about this breakfast room:

Brown and white desk against white floral wallpaper

Happy spring, everyone!

Annie Elliott Design is a Washington, D.C based firm, but we also love working in NYC and on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We’re now scheduling projects for early summer 2026. Please contact us to discuss.

Category: Before and after, How-to, Living Room + Family Room, RenovationTag: before and after, makeover, spring cleaning

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

Nov 6

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17977466751149764
Let’s call it like it is: this library-slash-tv room was…boring. BEFORE: dull, a pass-through space, not inviting. AFTER: So fun! with its shiny purple walls and dramatic window treatments!! Makes you want to stay a while, doesn’t it?

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Nov 4

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18117490325589401
This Wallpaper Wednesday we feature Nanjing by @schumacher1889!This  pattern is a modern take on classic chinoiserie motifs: trees, pagodas and fretwork fences. It is named after Nanjing, Jiangsu, East China, one of the four great ancient capitals of China. You may recognize the pattern on your Blue Willow dishes, too :) I used this wallpaper in a client’s Powder Room, and it bring so much energy and brightness to the space. I love the green colorway, too 😊📸 @angieseckinger @schumacher_midatlantic

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Nov 2

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18092508983228146
Where do those gorgeous but multitudinous pillows go at night? See some ideas in my latest blog post… 😌#interiordesign #pillowinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 28

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18167021635426020
My home is my lab :) As evidenced by my constant tinkering. Today: replacing my own DR chandelier.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 23

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18138180424725389
One could argue that each element in this New York living room is dramatic, from the mirrored (wallpaper) ceilings to the purple sofa. If we had put an antique rug in this room — which, let’s be honest, is often my first thought — the effect could have been dowdy. It would have been cozy, it would have been consistent with the moody vibe, and it still would have been kind of interesting given the other things in the room.But the contemporary rug, Danika by @starkcarpet, makes the room SING. The huge geometric scale is a beautiful contrast to the smaller patterns on the chair and the Roman shade. The light background brightens the room while making the darker colors more intense. And the black…well, black always adds drama.It’s hard to explain, but you see it, right?@schumacher_midatlantic @timorous_beasties @starkcarpet_dc#schustagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 21

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17995465526842775
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! This week, we dive into Martinique by CW Stockwell.This small, family-run print facility in Los Angeles was founded in 1905. Clifton Stockwell’s daughter and son-in-law traveled to the Bahamas in 1942 and were so enchanted by the foliage that they collaborated with illustrator and textile designer Albert Stockdale to create a wallpaper pattern. The result was Martinique — also known as “The Original Banana Leaf Print.” (Martinique is not to be confused with Brazilliance by Dorothy Draper 😉 .)Martinique famously adorns the Beverly Hills Hotel’s halls, stairwells, and Fountain Coffee Room.CW Stockwell now sells the Martinique pattern in seven colorways as wallpaper, grasscloth, and linen fabric.@cwstockwell @scalamandre#interiordesign #wallpaperinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 19

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17884583844691170
I love this cocoon of a bedroom :) And what makes it REALLY interesting? The red lamps. There’s no other red in the room. Oranges, yes, so the red has something to relate to, but the exact shade appears nowhere else.It’s these unexpected elements that can take a room from beautiful to fabulous.Hats off to: @visualcomfort @cowtanandtout @cowtanwashingtondc#dcdesigner #interiordesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 16

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17947598421345387
I stand by my decision to drywall the window 🤭. See how we created a dark and cozy boudoir in a spacious sunny condo in DC…#interiordesign #dcdesigner

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 14

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18133519813736018
Your bed is the biggest piece of visual real estate in your bedroom. It needs pillows! Check out my latest blog post for ideas about arranging pillows on your bed 🛏️.
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