Melania Trump left her mark on White House decor

Part of the legacy of a first lady is the ongoing preservation and decoration of the White House, a living museum of the nation’s history.

Every departing first family who has lived in the 132-room mansion leaves something of themselves behind. Although Melania Trump did not make refurbishing a major focus, there were some significant additions and improvements during her tenure. They included a bronze statue by Isamu Noguchi, a restoration of the East Room, and new fabrics to replace sun-damaged upholstery and walls in the Red Room.

“From the tennis pavilion to the Rose Garden, Mrs. Trump worked on a variety of restoration projects during her time as first lady,” the office of Melania Trump said in a statement. “She is passionate about the historic preservation of the White House and its grounds, ensuring history and beauty are preserved for generations to come.”

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, her strained relations with the media, and her low profile, though, her design projects didn’t often make headlines.

“Jackie Kennedy is the one that Melania modeled herself after,” said Kate Andersen Brower, a presidential historian who has written five books about the White House, including First Women. “But I think with her background as a model and in the fashion industry in New York, she was more concerned with her own appearance than with opening up the house.”

The redo of the iconic Rose Garden raised a few eyebrows with traditionalists who were not happy about the removal of crab apple trees that were included in the original design by gardener and landscape designer Bunny Mellon. There was also chatter about the revamped bowling alley’s flashy new bowling balls, which were embossed with “The President’s House.” Then there were the tapes that revealed her disdain for having to plan the annual holiday decorations.

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Although first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama shared their White House interiors in cover spreads in Architectural Digest before leaving office, there was no AD story for Melania Trump.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff’s 2020 memoir, Melania and Me, dished on a few decorating details, including Trump’s love of Farrow & Ball’s Middleton Pink paint, which she used in her office, and her insistence on new plumbing fixtures. CNN reported that Melania Trump was said to be “toying with writing a photo-centric coffee table book about White House hospitality history, or one perhaps centered on the design projects she has completed while first lady” and that just before the Trumps moved out of the White House, professional photos were being taken of rugs and other decorative objects.

Changes in White House public spaces are made in consultation with the White House curator and chief usher and an advisory group of specialists, the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. The committee is charged with maintaining the rooms' museum character and adding decorative and fine arts. The first lady traditionally acts as honorary chairwoman of the committee.

The majority of conservation work, preservation and acquisition of new items is funded by the White House Historical Association, a private nonprofit educational institution founded in 1961 by Jacqueline Kennedy to care for and preserve the White House.

First ladies handle design matters in different ways. Pat Nixon acquired many antiques, while Rosalynn Carter added to the art collection. Hillary Clinton restored the Blue Room, and Laura Bush overhauled the Lincoln Bedroom.

“Melania Trump primarily focused on historic preservation and caring for the beauty and historical elements of the spaces,” said Stewart McLaurin, the White House Historical Association’s president.

McLaurin says the association usually funds about $1 million to $2 million worth of White House work a year. It paid for about a dozen projects during the Trump years, including:

Elevator refurbishment. The small elevator to the private quarters was redone, including refinishing and replacing wood and brass fixtures and updating lighting. The cost: $100,000.

Antique chair. A rare 1817 chair, one of the original 24 designed by William King of Georgetown and purchased by President James Monroe, was bought and restored. The cost: $85,000.

Diplomatic Reception Room rug. The Diplomatic Reception Room, where dignitaries are often welcomed, gets a lot of foot traffic. The rug there that featured 50 state seals around the border was looking worn. Melania Trump helped design a new one, made by Stark Carpet, incorporating the 50 state flowers. The cost: $200,000.

Doors. About 30 wooden doors were professionally refinished and doorknobs were polished. The cost: $90,000. “This was not a glamorous project,” McLaurin says. “But it was necessary to keep the house looking at its best.”

Red Room fabric replacement. Years of sunlight had faded the iconic crimson Scalamandré silk walls in the Red Room. McLaurin said, “The entire room was reupholstered to restore the vibrancy of the original red.” The furniture was recovered in red-and-gold silk. The cost: about $300,000.

Upholstery and gilding of the Bellangé Suite. Pierre-Antoine Bellangé in Paris made 53 pieces of furniture in 1817 for what is now the Blue Room. In 1860, nearly all were sold at auction. Jacqueline Kennedy brought some back; since then, others have been added and some replicas have been made. Restoration of the current 21 pieces began during the Obama years and was finished in 2018. The cost: $800,000.

Wall clock. A clock hangs above the door leading to the renovated elevator. The numbers and lettering were created by White House calligraphers, and the center eagle is inspired by the James Monroe china. The piece was commissioned from the Chelsea Clock Co., founded in 1897 in Chelsea, Mass. The cost: $10,000.

Sculpture by Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi’s 1962 bronze sculpture Floor Frame was selected by Melania Trump as the first work of art by an Asian American artist in the White House collection. It was installed in the Rose Garden in November 2020. The cost: $200,000.