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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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What decorating book do YOU recommend?

Annie Elliott | December 15, 2010

Gentle Readers, a fellow blogger and I need your help. Yesterday, Nichole of 40 days of… asked for recommendations for design books. I’m making the same plea!

Can you help?

Apartment TherapyI’ve already raved about Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan‘s book, Apartment Therapy: The 8-Step Home Cure. I not only loved it; I think it’s a really important book. A how-to for loving and caring for your home as a living, breathing thing.

Jonathan Adler‘s “My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living” is my current favorite. I couldn’t agree more with his “your home should make you happy!” philosophy.

Jonathan Adler book

So lay it on us: What design or decorating book can we not live without? There’s still time to order before Christmas…

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to Real Simple and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

Category: Color + paint colorTag: book, decorating book, interior design book

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Jun 3

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! This week we feature Paper Trail by Lewis and Wood. Lewis and Wood launched Paper Trail in the fall of 2025 as one of four patterns in their History Papers Collection. Paper Trail was inspired by ancient rock carvings - 600–2,000 years old! - from various sites in America. It was named after the site Newspaper Rock, Utah.You know I love anything with an animal :) But there are 2 genres, right? Juvenile and…let’s call it *versatile*. To me, Paper Trail falls into the latter category, featuring deer, horses, buffalo, and foxes on a background that resembles the texture of rocks. It’s primitive, not cartoonish. I could see using this in a small bedroom; a breakfast nook (why? Can’t tell you, it’s just a feeling); or a hallway, because the pattern isn’t overwhelming.#wallpaperinspo #interiordesign #homedesign

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May 28

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For those of you lucky enough to have a beach house, now’s the time to start thinking about decorating beyond traditional “costal decor!” Step one? Consider a color palette other than blue and white ;) See my latest blog post for more! 🏖️ 🐚#beachhouseinteriors #interiordesign #eastcoast

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May 22

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I follow two rules when mixing patterns in the same space: vary the scale, and vary the subject.I was excited to share this and other insights on pattern splicing with @ericafinamore from @apartmenttherapy! #interiordesign #patternsplicing #patternmixing #designopinions #annieelliottdesign

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May 20

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It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! This week we’re featuring Deconstructed Stripe by Schumacher (in collaboration with Miles Redd).This pattern pays tribute to the legendary decorator Albert Hadley. Redd was inspired by Hadley’s contemporary, streamlined designs that played with scale and proportion. Deconstructed Stripe is impactful on its own but also looks INCREDIBLE next to other patterns.@schumacher1889 #designinspo #wallpaper #interiordesigner

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May 19

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HuffPost asked for my thoughts about the new White House ballroom. As you can imagine, I have many. I was so delighted to be included in this conversation! Thank you, @huffpost and @carsar91!#interiordesign #whitehouse #designopinions #annieelliottdesign

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May 13

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I was thrilled to attend Imar Lyman’s exhibition opening at the Kreeger recently! I’ve loved his work for years and am lucky enough to own one of his silkscreens (ours is of Frederick Douglass). He’s moved from portraiture to abstraction, but he still does some work in collage, which I confess is my favorite ;) The exhibition is up through July 11. Play hooky one afternoon and go.(The last painting is by Frank Stella, by the way — an influence on the artist, as you can see!)@imarhutchins @kreegermuseum

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May 11

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I’ve decided that spring cleaning is not enough this year. Spring MAKEOVERS are in store!Read my latest blog post to see before-and-after photos of some past and current projects. It’s heavy on pictures, light on commentary…the blog version of a beach read to give you a jump on summer 🏖️.

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May 8

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It was an honor to be a sponsor of the 87th annual Flower Mart at the National Cathedral! My  daughters have been trekking up to the Cathedral for this event since they were little - wonderful memories. This year, my favorite flower display was the Hong Kong Economic and Trade office; those peonies smelled UNBELIEVABLE! 🌺 🌼 🌷 🌻! Switzerland was a close second ;)

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May 6

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For today’s Wallpaper Wednesday, we discuss Hicks Grand by David Hicks.The British interior designer created the smaller-scale Hicks Hexagon in the 1960s and later scaled up the pattern to create Hicks Grand. The contemporary, geometric, honeycomb repeat adds intrigue and depth to any room. I have only used the smaller Hicks Hexagon (stairway picture), but I LOVE the scale of Hicks Grand. Fun fact: The Hicks Hexagon pattern was used on the rugs in the Overlook Hotel’ hallways in The Shining 😱#wallpaperinspo #interiorinspiration #hicksandgrand
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