First Lady Melania Trump has selected an interior designer to begin redecorating the White House, according to Us Weekly (opens in new tab). The interior designer tapped for the position is New York-based designer Tham Kannalikham.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, senior adviser to the first lady, explained to Women's Wear Daily (opens in new tab) why Kannalikham was selected for the coveted role. "Mrs. Trump has a deep appreciation for the historical aspects of the White House," she said, "and with Tham's traditional design and expertise, they are focusing on a seamless integration of elegance and comfort into where the President, the First Lady and [their son] Barron will be spending their family time and calling their home."
The state dining room on the Senate Floor of the White House.
The Laotian-American designer, who started at Ralph Lauren Home, is the owner of her own self-titled design firm called Kannalikham Designs. "I am honored by the opportunity to be working with the First Lady to make the White House feel like home," Kannalikham said in a statement released Thursday.
Kannalikham has been known to work with private clients from all over the world and is a master of keeping a low profile. The designer's company site has a private login only accessible to her clients and features zero photography. The main page is simple (opens in new tab) with just contact information. Kannalikham also keeps a low social media profile with a private Instagram (opens in new tab) account and bare-bones LinkedIn (opens in new tab) page.
It is uncertain how Kannalikham and the First Lady met, but Kannalikham's association with Ralph Lauren may have been another appeal to Melania, who wore a powder blue Ralph Lauren ensemble for the January 20 inauguration.
Melania Trump in the powder blue dress by Ralph Lauren at the 2017 inauguration.
Currently, the first lady remains in New York's Trump Tower, but plans to relocate to the White House at the end of school year and will continue to split her time between the White House and New York, according to US Weekly. The main focus for the White House redecoration will be creating a homey space for Trump's 10-year-old son, Barron. Other White House spaces that will be redecorated will include the Lincoln Bedroom (opens in new tab), the President's Dining Room, the Truman Balcony, the Yellow Oval Room and the Treaty Room on the second floor.
But it may be hard to make over some of the White House's historic rooms. Rooms such as the Lincoln Bedroom and the state dinning room (pictured above) are protected from redecoration (opens in new tab) by the White House Preservation committee. The First Lady would have to seek approval to in order to redecorate those historical rooms.
US President Trump walking across the Cross Hall in the White House.
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