Happy President's Day!  We are honoring this day with the infamous White House West Hall Sitting Room's window and its transformation through the years as seen through the eyes of the First Lady - make that Ladies, dating back to 1888.  

Bridesmaids to Jessie Wilson in all their finery before our now renovated window.  The sunburst sheers still adorn the second arch and draperies are inset at the lower portion.  The year is 1913 and our First Lady at the time of the photo was Ellen Wilson.  

The Truman Reconstruction years 1949 - 1952, and our window is being renovated.

A grand welcoming into a new era are the impeccable stylings of Jacqueline Kennedy.  Working closely with historians and curators Jackie's attention to detail and vision is realized to this day and set a new precedent for future First Ladies.

1978 - Rosalyn Carter.  One word comes to mind: Homespun.  Depicting the design of the times where florals ruled and you could even have fabrics matchy-matched to wallpaper.  

2009, or thereabout, Michelle Obama interprets the space into a well-appointed, yet casual family sitting room, and our window receives another makeover.  Ceiling mounted and wall-to-wall draperies with sheers - Yes! This is the treatment I was waiting for and suspect it is also the design that many households are still recreating.

Four years later, and we have our update!

It was 2016 when we first started searching for our window through the eyes of Melania Trump. Unfortunately, we were not able to come up with a picture of her in the sitting room by our window, but we did locate these family photos that were taken in 2017. It appears the window treatment was not updated from Obama’s design, but the furnishings and artwork were replaced with more traditional styling.

“Our Window”

A few of our former First Ladies set the world on trend with their fashion and, notably, their decor choices.  "Our Window" as we lovingly called it throughout this BLOG,  is located in the second floor private residence of the White House.  Why did we choose this particular window above all others?  It gives us a glimpse into the many diverse personalities of our former First Ladies in their living space.  

I take great pleasure in the history of window treatments and how they evolve through the years, and individual tastes.  If you love the decorating history of the White House, we found a great source through Whitehouse Museum.org and give them photo credit along with Architectural Digest for the images we've used.

We leave you with this quote from President John Adams:

“I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessings on THIS HOUSE and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none, but Honest and Wise Men ever Rule under This Roof.”

President Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved into the newly constructed White House in November of 1800.  FDR had the above John Adams quote carved on the fireplace of the White House State Dining Room.

Thank you so much for joining us!