White house or is it a gold house? Depending on where one turns the look, it will give the final answer. That is, if we focus, after first wearing sunglasses for everything, with certainty.
The fan of maximalist decoration of Versailles, intervened on the aesthetic side of the oval office. Golden frames, gold trophies, gold knobs, gold carpet (the tone can easily be moved to the recipient).
The result is divided. Others see the symbolism of a “new golden age” for America, while others see the dressing professional wrestler.
A white- gold- house
For the Golden Details (?) Even Donald Trump’s “personal goldsmith” was recruited, John Icart, who flew with the Florida Air Force One to turn the Oval Office into a Mar-A-Lago, which moves into the same color palette.
During a tour of the Oval Office in March, Trump was asked by a Fox News presenter about some of the new golden details. Describing the room, he said that “needed a little life” and continued explaining how difficult it is to make the golden color look like gold.
This obvious obstacle did not stop the president from continuing renovations. In the coming months, the “golden” decoration intensified, with golden details on the roof, the door frames and the fireplace. Even the cherubim sculptures in the door frames were painted gold.
Photo Credits: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo
Photo Credits: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
During the months of his term of office, the number of gold trophies and vessels scattered on the fireplace has multiplied and now there are even gold coats with Trump’s name.
A White House spokesman told Fox News that gold – “high quality” – was fully paid by Trump personally.
Trump has also multiplied the number of tables exposed, with nearly 20 images of his predecessors adorning the walls. His predecessor had only six paintings on the walls. He had only two former presidents.
Photo Credits: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The office is complemented by photos of the Trump family, a copy of the Independence Declaration and gifts by visitors and supporters – including the FIFA World Cup Trophy, given to Trump by the President of the Organization.
After all, does every president do what he wants in the part of the White House decoration? The first taste of the oval office shows that interventions in this room are the trademark of the president.
But what about other spaces? Is there the same freedom or next to things things are stricter? These are the real (and inviolable) White House decoration rules.
White House: Who pays the decorators?
Historically, Congress is responsible for funding the care, maintenance and renovation of the White House.
The basic framework includes a $ 100,000 decoration allowance offered by Congress to new first families for their private apartments, although it regularly approves additional funds for structural improvements, maintenance and purchase of new furniture, either through auctions, private sales or other sources.
It also has the power to approve the sale of items that are considered inappropriate for use or cannot be repaired.
Some modern presidents, such as Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, completely denied the $ 100,000 allowance, choosing to use private funds for their personal touches in the family districts.
Photo Credits: EPA/GUIDO BERGMANN
Photo Credits: EPA/PETE SOUZA / THE WHITE HOUSE
However, this does not mean that they were funded entirely by the same resources. Like all governments, they continued to benefit from Congress -approved maintenance funds and supporting various organizations.
The historical union of the White House, founded by Jackie Kennedy in 1961, is an additional source of funding for major markets and projects. This private, non -profit organization has funded everything from new state porcelain ($ 1.5 million worthy of $ 1.5 million during Obama’s term) to major rehabilitation projects.
Clinton, for example, used this resource to renovate the state dining room in 1998, which cost $ 396,429.
During the first Trump presidency, there were several high profile renovations, including the controversial renovation of Rose Garden by Melania Trump and a significant renewal of the White House Bowling Room.
Photo Credits: AP Photo/White House
Although the exact amounts for these projects have not been made public, they were funded through a combination of private donations and support by the White House historical union.
Another important factor is the White House conservation fund, which works with the historical union to preserve the historical character of the building.
In addition, the General Administration Service undertakes basic maintenance and repairs, while the National Parks Service takes care of the maintenance of the outdoors. Large building blocks, such as the renovation of the western wing in 2017, costing $ 86 million, usually require special approval by Congress.
Which parts of the White House can be renovated?
The White House is essentially operating as two separate spaces: official spaces and private homes. The official rooms are spaces mainly on the first floor and host from diplomatic receptions to presidential speeches.
These spaces include the famous blue hall, red hall, green room, and the state dining room and are the most strictly regulated.
The changes here require multiple levels of approval, starting with the White House Commission, which includes the White House curator, interior design, historians and scholars.
Private spaces, occupying the second and third floor, offer greater freedom of decoration. Here, the first families can decorate (mostly) as they wish, although they still operate within the restrictions of a historic building.
The second floor includes, among other things, the famous Lincoln bedroom, the room of the conditions, the yellow oval hall and the family dining room. Although these rooms maintain their historical character, they have undergone significant conversions over the years.
The Obama family brought contemporary art and modern furniture, with Barack Obama choosing a deep red color for the walls of the rooms and exhibiting works by contemporary American artists in the family dining room.
Bush chose a more traditional aesthetic, while the Clinton introduced vibrant colors and patterns that reflected their roots from Arkansas.
The third floor, added in 1927, houses the music hall, the game room and additional private spaces. This area offers greater freedom in decoration, as it is the farthest from the official rooms.
Here, the first families can really create personal spaces – Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, enjoyed a comfortable living room with many pillows and comfortable seats, while Amy Carter had built her tree house in the southern garden, visible from the windows of the third floor.
The rooms are full of treasures from the permanent collection of the White House, which includes over 50,000 objects, and each new addition must be properly substantiated.
This huge collection grows during every term and acts as a “lending library”. The new first families can “shop” from the collection, removing items from the warehouse or by moving them between rooms, depending on their taste.
Who decorates the White House?
Unlike other government positions, there is no official application or public notice for the post of chief decorator. The first family chooses the one or the one he wishes.
The purpose of any professional in the decoration chosen to work at the White House is to balance between the preservation of the historical heritage and the family’s personal taste.
Defasors work according to strict safety protocols and take into account the practical requirements of a building that serves both as a private home and as a public institution.
When Trump settled in the White House in 2017, they chose Tham Kannalikham, who adopted a more classic approach. Her most notable intervention was Rose Garden’s renovation.
Jackie Kennedy’s apples were removed and a design of white and pastel roses were introduced. During Trump’s first term, the Red Room was also renovated, with a new wallpaper to repair water damage, as well as the bowling and tennis of the White House.
Biden invited Mark D. Sikes to renew the Oval Office in 2021, choosing a magnificent design that emphasized classic American furniture and artwork.
The design included fabrics in roy blue for windows, replacing the golden curtains of the (first) Trump era. They also chose to expose busts of leaders of political rights and distinguished Americans, such as Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Park, along with traditional presidential portraits.
For the family sites, Jill Biden adopted a more discreet approach, making subtle renewals and largely using pieces from the White House collection.
Each designer must work closely with White House permanent staff, including Chief Usher and Curator’s Office, which help meet the requirements of decorating a national monument. They are also coordinated with the White House Historical Association for markets and maintenance efforts.
*With information from Elle Decor, The Guardian, The Washington Post
