Melania Trump masterminded plenty of interior changes during her time in the White House, like the many First Ladies who came before her. While every presidency has its own unique style, none have so divided opinion when it came to décor choices as Melania and ex-President Donald Trump. Naturally, Christmas at the White House is always a grand affair and Melania's festive themes have raised eyebrows over the years. Click or scroll through to see how the Trumps and past presidential couples left their mark on America's most famous home...
Melania began her reign as FLOTUS by decorating the White House with a rather striking theme. Named 'Time-Honored Traditions', the scheme was supposed to mark and pay respect to 200 years of holiday traditions at the White House. Melania was reported to have said: “The President, Barron, and I are very excited for our first Christmas in the White House... As with many families across the country, holiday traditions are very important to us. I hope when visiting the People’s House this year, visitors will get a sense of being home for the holidays."
Melania did her own 'all white' take on historic themes, starting with the State Floor of the White House, the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall which riffed on the very first decorating theme dating back to 1961. Called the 'Nutcracker Suite', these social spaces were lavishly decked out in white frosted trees with a tightly controlled dusting of fake snow. When Melania officially unveiled the decorations with performances from the iconic ballet, Twitter users commented that she looked 'awkward' and lacked any 'joy'.
Following Jill Biden's tweet showcasing this year's decorations, many were quick to draw comparisons with Melania's 2018 offerings. Opting for a patriotic 'American Treasures' theme, red played a significant role in Melania's most divisive décor yet. Reportedly 14,000 red ornaments were hung from 29 trees, but it was the 40 red topiary trees that lined the East Colonnade that caused much debate on social media, with some likening them to 'blood' or 'murder trees', car wash brushes and even a scene from The Handmaid's Tale. But the former First Lady was quick to defend her decision, reportedly telling reporters: “We are in the 21st century and everybody has a different taste. I think they look fantastic. In real life, they look even more beautiful.”
But it was not just Melania's choice of trees that caused controversy. That same year she came under fire for wearing red gloves and a coat indoors while seemingly decorating one of the many White House Christmas trees. Many commented on social media that it was odd to wear both items indoors while Marie Claire suggested it made her 'unrelatable'.
2019's theme was 'The Spirit of America' and took on a more homespun feel. The East Colonnade was decorated with a timeline of American design and architecture from the country’s early days, from saltbox houses through to modern skyscrapers, all flanked with white star decorations.
The East Room continued the theme with patriotic red, white and blue ornaments adorning the two trees that flanked the manger, while other highlights included decorations adorned with Melania's 'Be Best' logo. There was also a gingerbread version of the White House created for the 30,000 guests to see. With Jill Biden's 2021 decorations coming under fire for being 'dull', the same certainly could not be said for Melania's.
As has reportedly been the tradition since 1966, the First Lady greets the tree as it arrives by horse-drawn carriage to the North Portico of the White House, where it then goes on to be erected in the Blue Room on the State Floor. Keeping with the tradition of the First Lady receiving the official White House Christmas tree, Melania cuts a somewhat lonely figure here, following the 2020 election results.
In stark contrast to previous years, 2020's 'America the Beautiful' theme was much more minimal. Decorations include a toy train dubbed 'the White House Express' and the infamous hallway was decked out in a more natural theme. After reportedly being caught on tape in 2018 saying "Who gives a f**** about Christmas...", perhaps the First Lady was glad to finally hang up her White House Christmas hat.
The current First Lady, Dr Jill Biden recently unveiled the White House decorations for 2021. Classic in design they include 41 trees, 78,750 lights, 10,000 ornaments and 6,000 feet of ribbon. Inspired by gestures of goodwill that have raised people's spirits during the pandemic, this year's theme is 'Gifts from the Heart', pictured here in the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall. One thing is for sure, the Bidens' taste in decorations is much less provocative than Melania's!
In addition to Christmas, Melania masterminded plenty of interior changes during her time in the White House, like the many First Ladies who came before her. The official residence and workplace of the president of the United States has gone through many dramatic facelifts over the years. Let’s take a look at how this iconic building has evolved, from the Kennedys opulent overhaul to the Trumps’ controversial tennis pavilion.
The White House got its first luxe makeover during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. By the time the seventh POTUS left office in 1837, his administration had spent $45,000, a huge sum of money, beautifying the interiors. Shown here is the East Room in 1837.
The White House was updated again in the late 1840s under President James K. Polk, who, together with First Lady Sarah Polk decorated what was then known as the Washington Parlor with rich crimson curtains, wallpaper and furnishings, creating the illustrious Red Room.
Lincoln's successor Andrew Johnson was granted $132,000 to overhaul the tired interiors, and President Ulysses S. Grant picked up where he left off, giving the White House an extravagant High Victorian Makeover. The refreshed East Room is shown here in 1873.
In 1909, President William Howard Taft added what is arguably the White House's most famous room, the Oval Office, opting for a green color scheme. Since then, every president has put his particular mark on the space.
A hugely complex reconstruction project was completed in 1952, but it wasn't without its critics, who included former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She described the remodeled interiors as “stark”. This image shows the reconstructed State Dining Room.
The Green Room was adorned with gorgeous moss-green silk wallpaper and several pieces of antique furniture upholstered in white and cream, as well as a late 18th century Axminster carpet featuring a neo-classical design. Other spaces decorated by Mrs Kennedy include the Yellow Oval Room.
In 1962, the First Lady delighted the American public with a televised tour of the restored White House. The TV special, which was broadcast on Valentine's Day, was a ratings smash, garnering 80 million viewers, and went on to win an Emmy and Peabody Award.
First Lady Pat Nixon was just as passionate as Jacqueline Kennedy about preserving the historical character of the White House. She worked with curator Clement Conger to restore several rooms, improving on the work of her predecessor. This photo of the finished Green Room was taken in 1971.
Maintenance work was carried out during the Reagan and Bush Senior years, but no major renovations were undertaken. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton decorated several rooms and restored the Lincoln Sitting Room, which is shown here in the 1990s.
The Green Room, Cabinet Room and White House Theater were spruced up by First Lady Laura Bush in the early 2000s. A history buff, the First Lady redecorated the Lincoln Bedroom in suitably authentic style, plumping for fixtures and furniture typical of the 1860s.
In order to retain their historical integrity, First Lady Michelle Obama was careful not to alter the State Rooms too drastically and opted for a less is more approach when she tackled the State Dining Room in 2015. The softly sophisticated makeover cost $590,000.
From assuming office in January 2017, President Donald Trump spent $3.4 million “to bring back the luster and glory of the White House”, which he described as “a real dump” back in August 2017.
The 45th US president, who preferred to spend his leisure time at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida or his New Jersey golf club, didn't waste any time redecorating the Oval Office. The first thing he changed when he assumed office was the “stained” wallpaper, opting for a gray damask print.
The former POTUS re-instated the gold curtains used by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, swapped the mid-century modern furniture for Bush Junior's gold-hued sofas. He also brought back the golden rug designed by First Lady Nancy Reagan.
The Roosevelt Room had a Trump makeover, too. Displaying his penchant for all things shiny and gold, the one-time leader of the free world adorned the room with two imposing gilded eagles, snapped up from a Maryland antique shop.
Parts of the West Wing were also refreshed. The Lobby was given a corporate, business hotel feel – its neutral walls and gray patterned carpet wouldn't look out of place in one of the former president's hotels.
Trump's love of gold was especially apparent in April 2020 when he hosted the first state dinner of his presidency, a lavish affair in honor of President Emmanuel Macron of France. The gold and crème color scheme was selected by then First Lady Melania Trump.
While Melania was well-known for her contributions to Christmas at the White House that’s not the only way Melania left her mark on the presidential estate...
During her time as First Lady, Melania Trump carried on the tradition of improving and refreshing the White House. On her penultimate day in the role, she posted a statement covering the changes and thanking the various White House officials – and private donors – who helped make her vision a reality. She said: “The projects that I have overseen during the last four years are ones which I believe will not only preserve the house’s heritage but enhance the experience of its beauty and solemnity for generations to come."
From replacing the faded wallpaper in the Red Room to freshening up the drapes in the Green Room, Melania worked with the White House curatorial team on a number of projects. “In 2018, we completed the first full renovation of the Queen’s Bathroom since the 1950s,” she said. "Our goal of updating and restoring 'The President’s Elevator', which is used by the First Family, visiting dignitaries, and White House staff, was accomplished in the same year." She also replaced the rug in the Diplomatic Room (pictured), adding a border of 50 flowers to represent each state.
But Melania’s plans for the White House went beyond the cosmetic – she wanted to make structural renovations and so turned her attention to some big-scale projects. "In 2019 we embarked on a several months-long restoration of the East Room floor, which brought to life the true magnificence of this historic space. This was done in tandem with work performed on the marble floors of the State Entrance and Hallway."
Melania Trump was also keen to restore the White House's very own basement bowling alley – a space dating back to the Nixon administration – which was drastically modernized in 1994 under the Clinton administration. The work was paid for by the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and involved reinstating the original wooden lanes, updated the electrical wiring and some machinery and touching up the interior design.
Melania also carried out a radical revamp of the Rose Garden, but it was not well received by all. Michael Beschloss, NBC’s presidential historian, took to Twitter on 7 August 2021 to bemoan Melania’s changes to the iconic garden, which are pictured here. He tweeted: “Evisceration of White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and here was the grim result—decades of American history made to disappear”. The tweet quickly went viral and it wasn’t long before the former First Lady hit back.
Prior to Melania’s alterations, the Rose Garden, captured here in 2008, featured a large flower bed of vibrant red and yellow blooms, lined with trees. She replaced these original features, which had been in situ since the 60s when Jackie Kennedy oversaw the design, with a paved walkway and icy white and pastel flowers. Carried out during the first wave of the pandemic, critics at the time branded the renovation as insensitive when it was unveiled in August 2020.
In the newly ignited controversy, Melania hit back at Michael Beschloss’s criticism of her renovations to the grounds, taking to Twitter to share a picture of the garden in bloom, alongside a fiery rebuttal: “@BeschlossDC has proven his ignorance by showing a picture of the Rose Garden in its infancy. The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses. His misleading information is dishonorable”.
Alongside her overhaul of the planting scheme, one of the former First Lady’s boldest additions to the Rose Garden was the Isamu Noguchi's Floor Frame sculpture, unveiled in November 2020. Bought by the White House Historical Association for $125,000 at a Sotheby's auction, it was gifted to become part of the residence's expansive art collection and sits at the east terrace. Melania tweeted: "The art piece is humble in scale, complements the authority of the Oval Office, & represents the important contributions of Asian American artists.”
As well as her controversial overhaul of the Rose Garden, Melania made other major changes to the White House grounds. From breaking ground in October 2019 to completion in 2020, the Tennis Pavilion was a passion project for Melania, who raised private donations to pay for the build. "History continues to unfold at the @WhiteHouse & I am pleased to announce the completion of the tennis pavilion. Preserving this historic landmark is vital & I want to thank all who helped complete this project," she tweeted.
Before leaving the White House, Melania urged Jill Biden to carry on with a few of her pet projects. In her last official statement, she said: “The restoration and conservation of the priceless Zuber wallpaper in the Family Dining Room, perhaps the most ambitious project of the Administration, remains to be completed, and will be, I hope, admired by all who see its beauty.”
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