How Will The White House Look Under Trump?
How will the White House look under Trump? Leah Borne of 1stdibs.com's Introspective Magazine consults five designers from the US for their expert proposals incorporating Trump's signature opulence and penchant for gold accents
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. Before the fateful election day, we ran a feature pondering how the White House's most famous rooms would look under either Clinton or Trump. Two months later we prepare for a Trump presidency and once more wonder: what will Trump do with the White House interiors? Will everything be made of gold? What will happen to Michelle's much-loved vegetable garden? What influence will Melania have? What will come of the fact that 'Melania wants a room with the most perfect lighting scenario' to become a dedicated "glam room"? Where is the line between opulent and ridiculous? With just days to go before the inauguration, it won't be long until we find out...
The Yellow Oval Room by David Netto
Ormolu, malachite-covered pilasters and a Louis XV throne-like desk chair - not to mention a Donald-style wig set between two blue-and-white porcelain ginger jars - are the (executive) order of the day in the space formerly known as the Yellow Oval Room, as reconceived and recolored here by David Netto for a future President Trump.
'Donald Trump loves things very shiny and 1980s, the decade that made him. I'm talking mirrors and brass. He would have serious withdrawal going from his black-glass-clad Trump Tower to the austerity of a whitewashed Georgian, so I think some floor-to-ceiling windows are a must. Since Trump likes to be associated with kings, he might replace all the door hardware with P.E. Guerin ormolu in the Louis XV style, like the bathrooms at the Ritz. The Oval Office could be turned into a mirrored throne room so Trump could check out his coif while establishing our new world order.'
The West Sitting Hall by Betsy Burnham
Betsy Burnham of Burnham __design (burnhamdesign.com) offers her view of how Trump would transform the West Sitting Hall. The room, which was particularly appreciated by Eleanor Roosevelt, is used by first families as a living space
'This would be a stretch for me in many ways, because my __design sensibility is anything but opulent and I know that's what the Trumps love. I think it would be my job as their designer to introduce them to a new type of luxury - one that's subtle, textural and refined. Think cashmere and linen, a sophisticated, neutral color palette, gorgeous wood finishes and simple, clean-lined antiques. And the modern art collection they could have - incredible!'
The Yellow Oval Room by Alexandra Loew
'Trump has said he would do little to change the White House, and I agree. I would seek to keep it classy and steer things away from the temptation for gilding. (Some japanning, in lieu?)
'For Trump, I'd surf the line between traditional and bombastic. A seemingly traditional toile de Jouy on the windows, for example, by Sheila Bridges, which lampoons the stereotypes of the African-American experience. (She calls it Harlem Toile.) I imagine Trump holding forth in a Throne chair by Carlo Bugatti. Ingo Maurer's Porca Miseria! chandelier is customized with Barro Negro pottery from Oaxaca, and an Aztec design is featured on the border of a rug by Jules Leleu. The furniture is by American greats of 1970s vintage, Warren Platner and Vladimir Kagan. The silver service is by William Spratling and produced by Taxco, a Mexico-based workshop. 'And I would fill Ettore Sottsass's Shiva vase with jonquils, to remind Trump of Hillary Clinton.'
The Oval Office by Robert Couturier
Robert Couturier took his inspiration for a Trump Oval Office - complete with rich orange hues, mirrored surfaces and the sweeping curves of a serpentine sofa by Vladimir Kagan and a coffee table by Mattia Bonetti - from a living room he created for an apartment on New York's Fifth Avenue.
'Since Donald Trump is not a classic presidential character, he should have a non-classic office. I'd suggest orange-paneled walls, similar to ones I used in a grand Fifth Avenue apartment several years back, and fill the room with show-stopping works by Vladimir Kagan (the sofa), Mattia Bonetti (the coffee table) and Willy Rizzo (the mirrored credenza). In all likelihood, the Oval Office would only be for show, since Trump seems to do most of his work from his bed, tweeting at 3am. With its sinuous lines and shiny surfaces, this scheme feels rich, which is an image that Trump wants to project. Rich and orange.'
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