Melania Trump’s decorator quietly picks up where she left off

First lady Melania Trump returned to the White House in January with a new look, but when it comes to interior design, she’s staying the course.

Tham Kannalikham, a New York-based interior designer with a passion for historic preservation, worked with the Trumps on the interiors of the People’s House during their first term. She recently confirmed by email that she is back on the job.

“We are privileged to help create a home while contributing to the history of the White House for a second time,” Kannalikham wrote. She called the experience “humbling and inspiring.” The Laotian American designer keeps a low profile — even her website is accessible only with a password — and only agreed to answer questions by email. She has rarely shared specific details of the work she has done with the Trumps.

She said her top priority over the past few weeks has been to restore the Oval Office and the private quarters upstairs to pretty much what they were during President Donald Trump’s first term. That task was made somewhat easier by the fact that the Bidens didn’t change much upstairs during their time in the White House, she wrote.

Former first lady Jill Biden “retained much of the design intact, with only a few select pieces of artwork and furnishings swapped out,” Kannalikham said. The Bidens never formally selected a designer to work with them throughout the White House, although Los Angeles designer Mark D. Sikes did overhaul Jill Biden’s East Wing office in shades of blue and white.

On Inauguration Day, White House staff helped Kannalikham and her design team of two return the Oval Office to its 2017 look. They hauled in Ronald Reagan’s terra-cotta rug, a design with sunbursts radiating from a four-foot presidential seal. Flags from the armed services have been put back behind the Resolute Desk, the same desk used by Trump and Joe Biden and many others before them. One thing they didn’t have to change: the Bill Clinton-era gold Scalamandré swagged silk curtains that Kannalikham resurrected during Trump’s first term that remained in place during the Biden years. That saved the team from having to do a time-consuming drapery installation.

The Oval Office continues to evolve. A row of nine historic gilded decorative pieces from the White House collection was recently placed on the mantel, glistening in the background during Tuesday’s meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. William G. Allman, former White House curator and a co-author of “Furnishing the White House: The Decorative Arts Collection,” identified the items. The five pieces at the center are English gilded silver received in the Dwight D. Eisenhower years; the tall gilded bronze urns were purchased in 1817 during the James Monroe administration; and the two 1815 gilded bronze French figural baskets were a gift during Richard M. Nixon’s presidency. Other recent changes: hanging Charles Willson Peale’s 1776 portrait of George Washington over the mantel and adding two elaborate gilded mirrors to the growing Oval Office gallery wall.

Kannalikham also settled the family into the private quarters upstairs, “moving furnishings, mattresses, artwork, and rugs back to align with the previous design direction,” she said in an email.

Kannalikham added that preparing for the Jan. 20 transition required extensive planning and coordination with the first lady and with White House residence staff, including the chief usher, the curator and the chief flower designer, as well as the Secret Service. They provided the staff with detailed layouts and gave last-minute guidance. “This time, the transition feels distinctly different,” Kannalikham wrote. She said that having navigated “the intricate protocols and traditions” during their previous collaboration allowed them to work more efficiently with the residence team. Things went so well that she was able to break away and attend the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

“The relationship between a first lady and a decorator is so important. I can’t think of a better combination,” said Anita McBride, former chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush and a co-author of “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.” “There is a big advantage to them having worked together already. There is already a basis of trust and familiarity with the White House.” McBride said that should help move things ahead quickly.

During the first term, Melania Trump and Kannalikham declined to give interviews about the work they did on the White House’s private quarters, although photos in the 2022 White House official guidebook (“The White House: An Historic Guide,” published by the White House Historical Association) showed that they had updated the upstairs Yellow Oval Room with dusty-rose-colored deeply fringed sofas and a new beribboned custom floral rug. At that point, the layout had been retained by the Bidens. “My understanding is that [Jill Biden] felt that there was nothing that needed to be done up there,” McBride said, adding that the Bushes, Obamas and Trumps had all made changes that left the rooms in good shape.

During Trump’s first term, the first lady undertook a number of projects in the public spaces, most of which were funded by the nonprofit White House Historical Association. Those included replacing sun-damaged silk fabrics in the Red Room; restoring a rare 1817 chair purchased by Monroe; and creating a new rug for the Diplomatic Reception Room featuring the official flowers of the 50 states.

Melania Trump also oversaw exterior projects that included a controversial renovation of the White House Rose Garden and the design and building of a classically inspired tennis pavilion.

Kannalikham wrote that the first lady will approach future projects with “thoughtful planning and a deep respect for history.” Melania Trump’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Jura Koncius covered home design and White House interiors for the Washington Post for 47 years.