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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

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Who Doesn’t Love a Makeover?

Annie Elliott | June 21, 2020

Thank you, Gentle Readers, for tuning into my House Beautiful live tour last week! If you missed it, you can still see it on this page. I’m so grateful for your support!

Annie Elliott on House Beautiful's Open House Live tour on Instagram

I’m in more of a picture mood than a word mood today, so I thought I’d bring out some before and after pictures just for fun. It’s the blog equivalent of summer reading.

Grand foyer in a historic house before redecorating
Before. Foyer of a beautiful historic house in NW DC before my clients moved in.
Bright, airy foyer in a grand historic house in Washington DC
After. We removed the chair rail to make the space less choppy, and ivory paint brightened things up considerably! Photo by Angie Seckinger
Half empty dining room before being redecorated
Before: A client’s NW DC Dining Room upon move-in. The space was so gracious…we knew it had great potential
After. One of my favorite rooms ever. Luckily, the client feels the same way ;) Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Red dining room before renovation
Before: My lovely Capitol Hill clients didn’t like spending time in their dining room
Red dining room before makeover
Although the room is on the “garden level,” it gets lots of light…the red walls just swallowed it up
Bright wallpapered dining room with pink and white chairs
After: Thibaut wallpaper with a white background changed everything
Bright dining room with bird wallpaper
My clients now use the room for lots of things: eating, paying bills, reading the paper…redecorating gave it new life. Photos by Jenn Verrier
Small Georgetown living room "before" picture
Before. My clients realized that their furniture was too large for their new house in Georgetown
Georgetown living room with blue grasscloth
After. Ironically, MORE furniture — at the right scale — makes this room feel larger than when it only contained a sofa and chairs. Photo by Angie Seckinger
Next time, I’ll catch you up on the goings-on with the ASPIRE House — which is now scheduled to open on August 21!

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, but we travel for fun projects. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine. Annie is designing a room in the ASPIRE HOUSE, a designers’ showcase, later this summer.

Category: Furniture + upholsteryTag: before and after, dining room, foyer, House Beautiful, Instagram house tour, Instagram tour, Living room, makeover, Open House Live tour

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Oct 7

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Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! Today we’re talking about one of my favorite things in the whole world: grasscloth. (Which technically makes today *Wallcovering* Wednesday, but tomayto tomahto.) Most grasscloth is made of actual grasses that have been washed, dried, bleached or dyed, and glued to paper. Wallcovering made of sisal, seagrass, raffia, or hemp also is placed under the heading “grasscloth.” Talk about timeless style: while grasscloth had a popularity surge in the 1960s and 70s (thanks to a cultural obsession with living in nature), its first known use was in 107 AD, in China ;) Grasscloth has long been appreciated for its insulative properties and durability. From a decorating perspective, I love it because it adds warmth, texture, and dimension to any space. Picture a room painted white, and then imagine that room with an off-white grasscloth on the walls (and, if you’re me, the ceiling). The second room is still light and bright, but it’s cozier and more interesting.Grasscloth can be minimalist in neutral earth tones or maximalist, dyed bold colors, colorfully painted, or appliquéd with spangles, embroidery, or tape trim. It shows its seams when installed, but that’s part of the charm. I love grasscloth in hallways, living spaces, and bedrooms, but I avoid using it in kitchens and steamy bathrooms because I’m nervous about odor retention and excessive moisture.Enough school for the day, but if you remember nothing else: grasscloth enriches every room it graces. Highly recommend.📸 Michael K. Wilkinson@schumacher_midatlantic @schumacher1889 @phillipjeffriesltd

annieelliottdesign

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Oct 3

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You likely know where I stand on pillows: they NEVER should be an afterthought. Check out my latest blog post for recommendations on size, shape, style, and placement. Link in bio. 📸 @stacyzaringoldberg📸 @kipdawkinsphoto📸 @angieseckinger

annieelliottdesign

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Oct 2

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This client’s gorgeous collection of gold icons in the bookcases puts this room in a league of its own. Whenever you have a collection — of ANYTHING: frog figurines, English engravings of flowers or dogs, snow globes — maximize its impact by bringing the objects together and placing them in a prominent place. These icons are breathtaking, and the sheer number invites you to go closer and study them. With reverence.#eastlake #vintagerug #antiquerug

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Sep 28

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Happy Fall! Ironic, isn’t it, that fall weather is cool, but the colors we associate with the season are warm? The earthy orange grasscloth in this foyer is undeniably “fall” to me. Add deep, warm versions of green and blue, et voilà: a cozy, inviting, autumnal space.

annieelliottdesign

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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.

annieelliottdesign

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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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