President Barack Obama will be faced with a myriad of decisions -- the war, the economy, the health care system, and of course, what color to paint the master suite at the White House. Sure, scouring paint chips may not be the very first thing on the agenda, but the First Family will want to start pondering ways to make the most high-profile residence in America feel like home.
Traditionally, the president has been allotted $100,000 for redecorating the White House's living quarters and the Oval Office. But President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are avoiding that potential public relations disaster. The first family "are not using public funds or accepting donations of goods for redecorating their private quarters," according to a representative of the First Lady.
Even though the Obamas hired big name interior decorator Michael S. Smith, who has worked with Steven Spielberg and Cindy Crawford, to help make the White House feel like home, they'll be paying his fees out of their own pockets, not the public coffers. (The Obamas reported an income of over $4 million in 2007, so those are deep pockets.)
The final bill may not hurt too much, though -- First Lady Michelle Obama has said she intends to decorate her daughters' rooms with furnishings from Pottery Barn. Obama's 71-year-old mother-in-law Marian Robinson will also be moving into the White House, at least temporarily, to care for the first daughters. We venture to guess she'll have an opinion on the decor too!
"[The Obamas] will have to think about the space right away because there is no protocol for how to use the various rooms of the residence," says
Kaki Hockersmith, the Little Rock-based designer who did the Clinton's White House residence redesign and was a frequent house guest while the renovations were going on. The First Family gets to choose which room they want for the master, and which can be kids' rooms, guest rooms, play rooms, or mixed-use spaces. They can also create new spaces, such as the casual eat-in kitchen Hockersmith helped the Clintons add on the second floor.
So how much of the nation's most prestigious address is up for grabs? "The whole house is for the family to use," Hockersmith says, but there are some limits as to what can be changed. The ground floor and first floor of the White House are the "state" floors, where the business happens and official guests are received. The second and third floors are where the First Family lives. "The family can do what they want with the top two floors, but the first two floors are maintained by the Committee for the Preservation of the White House," says Hockersmith, who is also an active committee member.
When the Clintons moved to the White House, there hadn't been a child living there since Amy Carter. "The White House can have sort of an institutional feeling and they wanted to make the house as homey as possible for Chelsea," she says. Hockersmith suspects the Obamas would do the same with daughters Malia, 10 and Sasha, 7.
As you might expect, the décor of the White House is traditional and somewhat formal. There are antiques throughout (especially on the second floor), but also pieces of furniture left from other administrations, and the First Family is free to use them (or recover them) or bring in their own stuff. Each family can put their own stamp on the space, so for example, if they wanted to do Mid-Century Modern in some of the spaces, they could.
Of all the spaces, the third floor is the most casual and Hockersmith imagines either family would make good use of it. The most popular hangout for most first families is the solarium because it has a comfortable feel, there is plenty of light, and it has a great view of the Mall. There are many fun nooks on the third floor as well, such as a small room with a balcony. "The Johnson girls used it as a stage and put on little plays," she says. It's easy to envision the Obama girls coming up with their own little performances for their parents.
The White House also has amazing grounds, Hockersmith says, including a pool with a grilling station, tennis courts, and beautiful gardens. There is even a secret children's garden where lots of previous First Family children have done handprints. The Obama girls might like a playhouse or a play structure, she says.
Let's face it: The basics of creating a house that has the vibe of home is a big deal whether you live in a red state, a blue state, or at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After all, signing bills and commanding the Armed Forces should at least buy you a comfortable chair and a paint color that makes you feel happy.
Interested in home decorating? Learn more about
home staging or how to pretty up your property with curb appeal.
