Melania Trump has revealed her plans for redecorating the White House when she and Donald Trump move in on Inauguration Day Monday. In an interview with Fox News, she stated that the residence will look just like it did when they left it four years ago, with only 'a little bit of changes. Not much.'
During her first tenure, Melania focused on 'redecorating a dozen rooms in the private residence, as the existing style was outdated and not to my taste,' she wrote in her memoir. She worked with designer Tham Kannalikham to refurnish rooms including the Yellow Oval Room, the Queens' Bedroom and the Center Hall, and even designed a new rug for one of the main family rooms.
Donald Trump also left his mark with his infamous 'Diet Coke' button—a red button on the Oval Office desk that, when pressed, summoned his favourite beverage on a silver tray. The nearly 100 nonpolitical residence staff will have about five hours on January 20 to move the Bidens out and the Trumps in, a process that has been planned for months.
Moving trucks were already spotted at the White House last week, unloading packing materials, and at Mar-a-Lago as the Trumps prepare for the move north. Kate Andersen Brower, author of The Residence, noted that the transition will be easier because the staff know the Trumps from his first term: 'There aren't any mysteries about what they would like to have for breakfast, how they operate, what kind of shampoo they use.'
By the time the Trumps enter 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, their clothes will be in their closet, their preferred shampoo in the bathroom, their favourite foods in the kitchen, and family photos displayed. Furniture will be rearranged to their liking, with the staff having already returned the building to its 2021 state.
