Yes, Trump’s White House re-design is an abomination
It was not in disrepair. Now it looks like a bordello:
Huffington Post spoke with some designers about Trump’s big redecoration project:
“My first impression was that the redesign completely ignored the architecture it sits inside,” said interior designer Sarah Boardman. “The White House is a blend of Palladian and Georgian neoclassical design, with beautifully restrained Irish influences, soft curves, elegant proportions and detailed plasterwork that already provide all the ornament the room needs.”
She noted that past presidents have generally honored that foundation, even if they opted for slightly bolder carpets or richer fabrics.
“This redesign goes in the opposite direction,” Boardman said. “The gold isn’t integrated into the architecture ― it’s layered on top of it. The appliqués and ornaments look like they were purchased in bulk and installed everywhere instead of being thoughtfully selected. It has far more in common with French Baroque and Rococo, the Versailles ‘let them eat cake’ era, than anything in the White House’s actual design lineage.”
Trump knows nothing of American history and cares even less. This is about him and what it shows is his terrible taste.
Interior designer Kelley Wagner ― who has posted many TikTok critiques of the current president’s design choices ― also drew comparisons to Louis XIV’s Versailles and even the lavish interiors shown in images of Vladimir Putin’s purported residence.
“Both the Sun King’s Versailles and Putin’s home are ‘palaces,’ and were not designed to be public spaces,” she said. “It’s my belief that President Trump has a personal affinity for these motifs because he believes they convey opulence and power.”
They’re being polite here:
What makes the Versailles-esque approach particularly jarring, designers said, is how sharply it contrasts with the building it occupies, both symbolically and visually. Wagner noted that the Rococo-style gold appliqués now covering the space feel fundamentally mismatched.
“The sinewy motifs are at odds with the neoclassical style, which focuses more on geometric shapes,” she said. “Additionally, the direct application of these pieces onto the wallpaper, marble fireplace surround and the gold leafing of existing elements is a bit unconventional.”
No it’s not. Cheney our the McMansions on the Real Housewives of New Jersey and you’ll see that same hideous, busy gold and mirrors crapola all over the walls and the floors. I’m sure there are many homes just like it in Palm Beach as well. (One of the designers actually compares it to the grotesque tastelessness of the “Queen of Versailles” Jackie Siegel which is pretty apt.)
Fine. But this house doesn’t belong to this asshole and he has no right to do any of it. In fact, the whole thing should be taken over by a historical society and the president should only be allowed to redecorate the residence. It’s a public building.
Interior designer Diana Lombard believes Trump’s use of ornate, high-shine gold ultimately creates the opposite effect of what he likely intended. “Gold in a plated, high-shine finish tinges much more yellow than a true antique brass and ends up looking showy as opposed to distinguished,” she said. “Real brass, on the other hand, has depth, variation and subtlety. It’s a more nuanced, sophisticated gold that develops a natural patina over time and, in my opinion, more accurately represents craftsmanship and true luxury, and by extension signifies wealth much more than plated gold.”
Several experts noted that the gold in Trump’s Oval Office appears to skew almost green in photos, likely because of the lighting choices. That, too, makes the specific shade and finish feel out of place in the White House’s architectural context.
“When it sits next to the authentic gold-leaf frames of portraits like Washington or Franklin, the contrast is stark,” Boardman added. “One is historic craft ― the other is imitation. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for that aesthetic in certain settings. But this room and this architecture is not it. Because he left the existing wallpaper from his first administration, the gold clashes and the TV set lighting ramps up the canned gold.”
[…]
“As some have pointed out, some of the gold decals look mighty similar to cheap polyurethane decorations you can buy for as little as $1 on Chinese e-commerce website Alibaba,” Segalovich said.
And that says everything about the design, doesn’t it?
I think this does illustrate something important about Trump’s appeal, however. He was born rich and never knew a moment of want. He’s anything but a self-made man. But the fact is that the way he lives in this over-the-top baroque style that hasn’t been in fashion since the 19th century is exactly how his voters think rich people live. If they came into money most of them would decorate exactly the same way. It’s why “The Apprentice” was so popular.
He’s basically a cartoon and he’s turned the White House into a cartoon as well.
Here’s a more tasteful, genuinely American approach: