What does "luxury" look like? And thank you, Wall Street Journal : Annie Elliott Design

I hope you saw us in The Wall Street Journal on Saturday! Thank you, WSJ Off Duty and Kathryn O’Shea Evans, for featuring one of our recent projects in the House Tours column.

Contemporary condo with white walls and colorful furniture — The home of Jason Reynolds. Interior design by Annie Elliott | bossy color, photo by Angie Seckinger

The article, “How Color Made a Routine Condo Special,” went online last week, but it wasn’t until I saw the article in print that one of my client’s comments really grabbed me. Ms. Evans writes:

When Jason Reynolds bought his condo in Washington, D.C.’s Kingman Park area, it was “glass and steel, black and white,” he said. It seems, he added, “that everybody believes: ‘This is what luxury looks like.’”

This is what luxury looks like. Indeed. This is how Jason’s condo looked when he called us:

White and gray contemporary condo — Before

It’s hard to see, but the door to the left of the fridge is black. As was every single door in the place. So: luxurious? Or soul-sucking? Or just plain uncreative?

Let me step back for a second. Jason Reynolds is an amazing author and collector who places supreme importance on his surroundings. If an object is in his house, it’s meaningful to him. He gives equal weight to scribbles from friends, work by emerging and established artists, and family memorabilia. (If you don’t know Jason’s name yet, your kid probably does; I think he’s spoken at every school in the Northern Hemisphere.)

Wooden bookcase with accessories — Jason Reynolds’ entry, also by Annie Elliott | bossy color, photo by Angie Seckinger

In other words, Jason is a discerning person. He wants to live in a comfortable, spirit-lifting home that is at once beautiful and sophisticated. And he does not want to live in a home devoid of color.

Architects and developers default to black and white, and designers and decorators default to beige and cream (or, in recent years, gray). Tragically, these limited, neutral palettes have come to define luxury and elegance.

But color and elegance can coexist very happily, as evidenced in the work of Katie Ridder, Jamie Drake, and Alessandra Branca. And my own:

Victorian house with a dining room with blue ceiling — Blue grasscloth on the ceiling of a Victorian home. Annie Elliott | bossy color, photo by Angie Seckinger

Modern living room with green chairs and large artwork — The art and furniture provide most of the color in this modern home. Annie Elliott | bossy color, photo by Angie Seckinger

Navy blue living room with orange sofa and chairs — A bright orange sofa is the focal point of this dark blue living room. Annie Elliott | bossy color, photo by Angie Seckinger

So, what does luxury look like? It’s up to you. Whether you want to be enveloped in aubergine or just glimpse bits of sky blue in unexpected places, there’s a place for color in your luxurious, elegant home. I promise.

Annie Elliott | bossy color is based in Washington, DC. Annie’s design work has appeared in numerous local and national publications, most recently The New York Times, Home & Design, Washingtonian, and The Washington Post.

What does “luxury” look like? And thank you, Wall Street Journal