Annie Elliott’s philosophy is simple: Your home should make you happy every time you walk through the door. “We ’re reclaiming the term, ‘house-proud,’” Elliott says. “To me, that means you love your home so much you want to share it with everyone.”

Elliott founded bossy color in 2001 after working at the  Smithsonian. “Becoming a designer was a logical progression,”  she observes. “As a ‘recovering art historian,’ I look for beauty,  balance, and harmony everywhere.”

As her firm’s name implies, color is one of Elliott’s primary considerations. “But it doesn’t have to be vivid to be effective—nor does it have to cover the walls,” she says. “Blue silk drapes against creamy white paint? Gorgeous. Light-gray in a bath? Peaceful and perfect—and so elegant with white tile.”

Elliott begins with pieces that are meaningful to her clients; if she’s starting fresh, she’ll find something they fall in love with and go from there. “A well-designed home can be classic or modern, neutral or vivid, minimalist or maximalist,” she avers.  “But it must have comfortable seating, a place to put your drink,  adjustable lighting for reading and conversation, and furniture placement that encourages flow.” She adds, “The best compliment  I ever received was, ‘You made my house more me than me!’”