As visitors saw today when public tours of the White House resumed, Melania Trump goes "humble" for her first Christmas back, as at least one interior designer puts it, a stark difference from the fashion-forward decor that dominated the home in Decembers past.
The First Family leaned into a traditional take on Christmas, based on details and images released from the White House. This year, it's all about gold-adorned trees, wreaths with velvet bows and a 120-pound gingerbread house. Mrs. Trump also used her "Home Is Where the Heart Is" theme to highlight Gold Star Families, the foster care system, and the coming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In the meantime, Trump is bringing myriad changes to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. — from installing a patio in the Rose Garden to making room for a ballroom by demolishing the East Wing. In the case of the latter, tours of the White House had been temporarily suspended until today. Tens of thousands were expected to stream in and see the decorations. Usually, visitors entered through the East Wing. They will now go through the North Portico entrance until changes are completed.
Cozy Salazar, founder of the Coral Gables, Florida-based interior design firm Cozy Salazar Interiors, said she believes in the "irony" of an old-fashioned Christmas in a new-fangled White House. It's as if the First Family is saying, "We may be doing this, but we still care about tradition. Our focus is still on patriotism, family, even if we want a flashy ballroom," she said.
"We all know the administration is bold," she added. "In a way, it’s a sense of, 'We got the message and we want to bring people together. Let's all go where we can agree and with what matters — family, tradition and focusing on what matters to everybody.'"
Keith Baltimore, interior designer and head of his namesake Port Washington, New York-based Baltimore Design Group, the traditional red-and-green theme reflects the times. "As an interior designer, we’re finding that interiors are getting warmer," he said. "Interiors are getting less severe, less white and more deeper tones and a sense of warmth. This feels that way. It feels almost candlelit and humble."
It's still grander than what the average person could afford to do in their own residence, said Matthew Costello, chief education officer at the Washington, D.C.-based research nonprofit White House Historical Association. This year, a total of 51 Christmas trees, 75 wreaths, 700 feet of garland and 25,000 feet of ribbon decorate the East, Green and Red Rooms and the State Dining Room.
"[The] White House is a place that has all different kinds of traditions. People are going to put up their trees and lights. It reminds you that, even though the White House is the office, it is a home. It’s still used by First Families," Costello said. "The other side is that it’s become so much bigger. It has become so many trees, lights, wreaths — so much more than what anyone else can do for their own home."
French designer Hervé Pierre worked on the holiday decor. His vision certainly differed from the "Time-Honored Traditions" theme in 2017, with halls blanketed in faux snow, and "American Treasures" in 2018 with ruby-red trees.
With any stylist, Baltimore said, the client has to be at the center of the conversation. In this case, the holidays at the White House need to reflect the tastes of the country as a whole.
"When you’re looking at the White House, you have to think of the sentiment of the United States, not just the people living there," he said.