apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I like his style - a sort of Relaxed Classic.

Nice, but deep down I was really hoping for Nate Berkus. I just love everything about him, from his design aesthetic to the fact that he now dates Brian Atwood!

I think he is an appropriate choice, he understands architecturally and historically appropriate. I am glad to hear he is shopping at everyday retail stores, implying that they are being budget conscious (still exponentially more than the rest of us can afford right now, but better than hearing they are shopping for couture furnishings). From the Domino website, it looks like he doesn't do a bed with out a canopy!

What happens to the furniture and decor from the previous administration? I'm sure some pieces stay, but what about things that are being replaced? Surely the Bush's don't get to take their bed home to Texas with them.

"From the Domino website, it looks like he doesn't do a bed with out a canopy!"

Did you miss the bed with the beautiful Suzani coverlet in front of that fabulous 12-panel Coromandel Screen? (slide 4)

Masel tov.

Wow good for him. I remember when he was just starting out. The whole celebrity list who cares but the White House and for the Obamas very cool.

While I love his designs, word is is that he is an a**hole of epic proportions. Personally, I think Darryl Carter's modern, clean interpretation of traditional decor would have been a wonderful choice, a breath of fresh air in what has been a very stale environment for many many decades.

I've never had a canopied bed but I'd like to know how easy are they to remove, clean, and put back on the posters? I'd imagine they get dusty pretty easily.

First5times,

The upstairs private family rooms usually referred to as "the residence" is what is being redecorated ( although Laura Bush did redecorate the Cinema and Lincoln bedroom in the last 8 years). The main 2 floors with the rooms that most of us recognized were just restored by Laura Bush and some changes were made, but as a rule they are kept pretty "museumish". Those rooms are maintained and funded by the White House Historical Society. The private family residence is treated like a normal family home and is on the top 2 floors of the main building. There are many bedrooms, bathrooms, sitting rooms, a family kitchen and dining room, as well as the "Lincoln" bedroom. Most of the furniture in this part of the White House is personal furniture of the President and his family. It will be moved out on Jan 20th and the Obama's personal furniture and things will be moved in. The Obamas also have access to art and furniture from the White House private collection kept in storage in a warehouse in Maryland, as well as art and furniture from the national gallery of art etc. Even the books in the library will be changed out by the Library of Congress to the taste of the Obamas. Also, the main rug with the Presidential seal, drapes, sofas, and art in the Oval Office will be changed. Each president gets to design the colors and style of the rug and matching drapes. This also will be changed precisely at 12 on January 20th so that when Bush leaves his things are still there, and when President Obama returns all his things are there.

BLAH!!

HATE his work -- bland, boring and pretentious. Yuck.

What a disappointment!!

I too was hoping for Darryl Carter!

So far, the only Obama pick I agree with is the Labradoodle (so that means they'll get the Portuguese Water Dog).

reacenyc, thanks for the info! After last weeks momentous meeting of all the living presidents, and Bill Clinton's remark about the existing oval office rug, I was just wondering whether Obama would be keeping it! If it goes away, I wonder where it goes -- maybe Bill can get it cheap! ;^)

Zzzzzzzz. Bland, boring and pretentious about sums it up - though I'd add cluttered and leaden to the list of design sins on display in those examples at domino.

Which is actually quite a combination, when you think about it. It takes some kind of skill to make bland pretentious, but Michael S. Smith manages to do it.

SherryBinNH,

There is no word on where GWB's Oval Office rug is going, but if tradition continues it will end up in the replica Oval Office that will be in GWB's Presidential Library at SMU in Dallas. Both Clinton's and GHWB's rugs are in their libraries. The cost of the new rug is usually picked up by an anonymous donor, ( GWB's was $62,000 and designed by Laura Bush.) As with most things given to a sitting president, by either anonymous or known giver, the Office of Management and Budget must set a value, and the first family must pay for that if they choose to keep it in their private home.

I agree that his work is boring, but pretentious? I don't think so. His design seems to produce normal looking, functional rooms. A pretentious designer is the type who views people as annoying interferences to the designer's grand vision. Because God forbid anything in a well-designed room be comfortable to sit or sleep on.

Yikes. The painting in the upper left looks like an original Brice Marden. I think it was featured in the whitney biennial. Definitely not accessible to the average homeowner, but excellent taste!

I was hoping it was going to be Genevieve Gorder.

You can't please all of the people all of the time, can you? Fortunately, life goes on.

I wish them and him the best. Not my taste, but I'm sure his work speaks to Barry and Michelle, and that's all the matters with their private residence. Of course, much of the chic, trendy, & chi-chi I see on AT is not my taste. But, it's still very interesting and inspirational. Even if the inspiration is sometimes about what not to do. It's all good!

I wasn't very familiar with his work before, though I'd heard his name. I like his style, but I particularly like the fact that he blends in items from stores any of us can shop in, like Anthropologie, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. I posted some of my fave MS rooms on my blog tonight, with some personal thoughts on how they might fit into the Residence.

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2009/01/presidentially-yours-new-designer-comes.html