Each time a new president moves into the White House, the decor also undergoes a regime change, as the incoming First Family puts its personal stamp on the best-known residence in the United States.
Jacqueline Kennedy famously enlisted Dorothy Mae 'Sister' Parish to redo the White House’s family quarters and focused on adding antiques that she thought worthy of the space, including wallpaper panels depicting scenes from the American Revolution. Working with her friend California designer Ted Graber, Nancy Reagan gave the executive mansion a bit of her over-the-top Hollywood style, bringing in hand-painted Chinese wallpaper and a rich colour palette, particularly her signature scarlet. The Reagans also reintroduced a large number of antiques that previous residents had removed to a warehouse, such as a French Empire sofa purchased by President James Monroe in 1817 and mid-19th century Currier and Ives lithographs.
See how five designers would decorate the executive mansion for both candidates
Current First Lady Michelle Obama — with a little help from designer Michael S Smith and White House curator William Allman — has put a decidedly modern stamp on the home, adding art by Robert Rauschenberg, Anni and Josef Albers and Alma Thomas.
Come January, of course, a new First Family will occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. With that in mind, we’ve asked five leading American interior designers to imagine taking on the project of redecorating both a Hillary Clinton and a Donald Trump White House, bearing in mind the candidates’ sensibilities. Their schemes run the creative gamut, incorporating everything from a Trump throne room to a neutral-toned space in which Clinton can kick back and relax (while winning a lively game of Scrabble against First Gentleman Bill Clinton). It will be interesting to watch how the White House’s character actually evolves — whoever ends up living there next.
As originally featured on Introspective, the 1stdibs magazine (September 2016)
INFORMATION
Writer: Leah Borne. Illustration: Mita Corsini Bland. Courtesy of Introspective, the 1stdibs magazine
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressingPart of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationshipAnnouncing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craftThe heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
-
Sotheby’s is auctioning a rare Frank Lloyd Wright lamp – and it could fetch $5 millionThe architect's ‘Double-Pedestal’ lamp, which was designed for the Dana House in 1903, is hitting the auction block 13 May at Sotheby's.
-
This Colorado ski chalet combines Rocky Mountains warmth with European design nousWood and stone meet artisanal and antique pieces in this high-spec, high-design mountain retreat
-
Hilltop hideaway: Colony creates tranquil interiors for a Catskills retreatPerched between two mountain ranges, this Catskills retreat marries bold, angular architecture with interiors that offer warmth and texture
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk SpaceFurniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
-
Brooklyn furniture studio Stillmade unveils its first collaborative design seriesStillmade brings to life the designs of four New Yorkers – Pat Kim, Danny Kaplan, Michele Quan and Mignogna Studio
-
Blue Green Works's lighting champions a new aesthetic in American designManhattan-based design studio Blue Green Works fuses sensuality and masculinity to create mellow, mood-enhancing lighting with visual impact
-
Blue Green Works introduces alluring new lighting collectionInspired by iconography, American design studio Blue Green Works introduces five new lighting ranges
-
Exclusive peek at artfully curated home in Jean Nouvel’s 53 West 53RR Interiors' latest furnishing project – 61A at 53 West 53 – highlights art, architecture and city views inside Jean Nouvel's monumental New York skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan
