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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

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Who doesn’t love a makeover? Befores and afters

Annie Elliott | July 15, 2023

Gentle Readers! I apologize for falling off the blog track for a few weeks. Life overtook me ;) Thank you for your patience!

First things first: we are accepting new projects for the fall! Please head over to this page if you’re rarin’ to redecorate. I’d love to work with you!

For inspiration, I thought I’d do a little before/after post of some recent and ongoing projects — heavy on pictures, light on commentary. It’s the blog version of a beach read. Here we go!

Before: Ho-hum. The sectional was new, though.

Gray sectional in family room

After: Crisp and bright!

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

Before: Basement office, emphasis on basement.

Beige basement office

After: Grasscloth and greenery enliven a now-multi-use space. Replacing the wall-to-wall carpeting with ceramic tile plus rug made a big difference…it’s hard to see here.

Photo by Markus Wilborn

Before: A small gray bedroom (realtor photo).

Small gray bedroom

After: Still small, but infinitely more cozy and interesting! We blocked off that silly high window: it wasn’t centered on the wall, and it faced a brick building. Don’t worry, though; the window is still there if we want to uncover it later ;)

Moody teal bedroom with dramatic scenic Roman Shade
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Before: An empty white box. (Hi, Amy!)

White family room in an open floor plan

After: Glorious banquette-d family room, featuring cork wallcovering and kick-ass art.

family room with long blue banquette
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Before: A boringly staged open plan condo (realtor photo).

Open plan dining area with white walls

After: What isn’t different? Look carefully – there are 2 wallpapers! Schumacher’s Deconstructed Stripe is on the left, and Timorous Beasties’ Totem Damask is on the TV wall.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Before: Dreary gray paneling.

Painted gray paneled wall down staircase

After: Pink! We just photographed this space last week…professional pictures (by Markus Wilborn) coming soon!

Paneled wall painted in shades of pink

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 summer, everyone!

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, D.C., but we work on projects all over the place. We’re experts in creating gorgeous, color- and pattern-filled homes and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

Category: Before and after, Color + paint color, WallpaperTag: banquette, basement office, bedroom, before and after, bookcases, deconstructed stripe, family room, home office, Living room, makeover, open plan, paneling, Schumacher, Timorous Beasties, wallpaper

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Given that my brain is still on an academic calendar 🤷‍♀️ , I thought I'd do a little review and see which blog posts resonated with you the most in 2025-26. Who knew that a post from 2011 (!!!) is still in the top 5! Click over to the post to to see the year’s greatest hits. #interiordesign #designinspo

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Get ready for a dramatic before and after! We transformed a playroom into a dining room, and the result is pretty amazing. (But still fun!) #wallpaper #interiordesign #diningroominspo

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Jul 22

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For today’s Wallpaper Wednesday, we discuss the chinoiserie wallpaper in the Great Hall at  @citytavern_dc  in Washington, DC. Ooooohh - field trip!I was delighted to visit City Tavern recently. It’s a historic 1796 Federal building in the heart of Georgetown, and all the cool kids hung out there. You know, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson…those guys. At one point, the building boasted the largest room in Washington.I, of course, was captivated by the Great Hall, which is covered in @graciestudio hand-painted wallpaper — which was selected by none other than Jackie Kennedy! EVEN THOUGH at that time the building was a club that didn’t admit women. Harumph.The chinoiserie walls are gorgeous from far away, but they’re amazing up close, also: you can see faint brushstrokes left by the painters. Doesn’t that give you a shiver? I love it.

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Jul 21

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For a recent article in @vogueliving, I was asked how to mix wallpapers — either in the same room or adjacent rooms. I have a few pieces of advice to offer 😊See my latest blog post for more…#interiordesign #designblog #wallpaperinspo

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Jul 8

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Star-studded wallpaper on the ceiling childish? Not necessarily! Here are the differences between babyish and grown-up star themed wallpaper. #wallpaper #interiordesign

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Jul 4

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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

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Jul 3

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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.

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Jul 1

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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
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