The Obamas may soon be moving to a new place in the historic D.C. neighbourhood of Kalorama, but for the past eight years, they've called the White House home. Though 42 other presidents have lived there with their families, each one has been allowed to decorate the private chambers according to personal tastes. The Obamas were no different.
Through a collaboration with interior decorator Michael S. Smith, First Lady Michelle Obama put together living spaces that paid homage to the historic building and reflected the change the Obama administration has stood for. Smith, a Los Angeles-based decorator, told Architectural Digest, “Mrs. Obama often talks about bringing new voices into the national conversation, and that idea informed many of the decisions we made. We selected artists and designers who would never have appeared in the White House before.”
In addition to creating spaces with a worldly and inclusive feel, the Obamas, of course, wanted the private chambers to be a laid-back environment in which their two young daughters could grow up. Striking a balance between history and progress, elegance and comfort may seem like an impossible task, but if anyone could pull it off, it was the Obamas. With help from Smith and the White House's curator, William Allman, they did just that. See for yourself here.
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