Melania Trump has tapped interior designer Tham Kannalikham to redecorate the living quarters at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
“Mrs. Trump has a deep appreciation for the historical aspects of the White House 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,” Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, senior adviser to the First Lady, told WWD.
Kannalikham also confirmed the news, stating that she’s “honored by the opportunity to be working with the First Lady to make the White House feel like home.”
And it looks like Kannalikham will have plenty of time to work. Wolkoff tells Us Weekly that Trump, 46, will be moving to D.C. and settling into the White House at the end of the school year, splitting her time between New York and D.C. in the meantime. “Mrs. Trump is honored to serve this country and is taking the role and responsibilities of First Lady very seriously,” she said. “It has only been a short time since the inauguration and the First Lady is going to go about her role in a pragmatic and thoughtful way that is unique and authentic to her.”
A source told Us Weekly that could mean staying put in New York. “They will ultimately do what’s best for Barron,” the source says in the new issue, citing Donald and Melania Trump’s 10-year-old son as a major factor in the decision. .
Other spaces expected to get a major makeover include the Lincoln Bedroom, the President’s Dining Room, the Truman Balcony, the Yellow Oval Room and the Treaty Room on the second floor, according to WWD.