Domino magazine has just announced that Los Angeles-based designer Michael S. Smith will be the new White House decorator. I was reading Michael Smith’s chronicle of designing the Obama White House, feeling serene, marinating in a luxurious world of wine-colored swatches and … MSS: I make it a practice not to question positive hyperbole. Michael S. Smith, who designed the Obama White House interiors, says he considered sleeping on the White House basement floor in lead up to … Then, as Barack, Michelle, and young Sasha and Malia experienced an exhilarating adjustment, the designer's priority was there comfort: "I was intent on creating, as quickly as possible, a place that was warm and friendly, a place where they could retreat in privacy during the accelerated schedule that greets any new administration," he recalls. Michael S. Smith, the ELLE Decor A-List designer, took time out of his busy schedule to talk to articles editor Charles Curkin about his new book Designing History (Rizzoli), out in September, which tells the story of how he decorated the White House private residence for the Obama family in 2008 and 2009.. ELLE Decor: Your new book is a good, long read—not your typical coffee table book. ([email protected]) MSS: We thought a serious subject warranted a serious examination. This story originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of ELLE Decor. White House Designer Michael Smith Talks Obamas and Industry Secrets Michael Smith Inc. is not just any interior design firm; it's THE interior design firm. Domino visited Michael Smith at home. "The White House is so multilayered—it was like examining the rings in a cross section of an ancient tree as I strove to understand the history of the building, as well as the intent and impact of each president and first family over the decades," Smith recalls. ED: During your first meeting, Mrs. Obama mentioned that her daughters, Malia and Sasha—10 and 7 years old at the time—wanted “pops of color.” Do you have to change modes when designing for children? ED: A friend of yours, real estate agent Katherine Malkin, who was close with Desirée Rogers, the White House social secretary from 2009 to 2010, wrote you a letter of recommendation for the job. Designer Michael S. Smith is really good at his job, the former president says. With an international profile of residential, hospitality and commercial clients, Smith’s style is a seamless blend of European classicism and American modernism—always fresh, always evolving, always underscored by the belief that everyone should live with things they love. WATCH: Here are a few of his interiors by Joao Canziani, courtesy of Domino … B ehind an automatic metal gate that looks like a Donald Judd version of a white picket fence, the Nineties, modernist, Los Angeles home of Michael S Smith rises like a concrete citadel. ", The Most-Liked Celebrity Homes on Instagram, 50 Backyard Ideas to Turn Your Space Into Paradise, 26 Plants You Should Always Grow Side-By-Side, What It's Really Like to Buy Your First Home, Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/author/michael-d-smith ", But most important, she recalls, as the best design does, Smith's work made the space feel like home. Michael S. Smith on Capturing the Romance of NYC, Inside the Family Residence in The White House. Self-Care. The book, out today from Rizzoli, is written by Smith and Margaret Russell, the former editor of Architectural Digest, which published the first ever photographs of the Obama White House after Smith completed its interiors. Mr. Smith's clients include Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Brian Grazer, and Rupert Murdoch. One last time: An exclusive peek into Obama’s White House. You are interested in: Michael s smith white house photos. Leer en Español. It was an extraordinarily nerve-racking time. Smith … (Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed.) He showcased modern art and design in these rooms and in the work he did on the Oval … The Go-To Interior Decorator to the Obamas Talks Modernizing the White House. Anything permanent and age-specific in a child’s room is a bad idea. From the most intimate residence to the grandest hotel, Michael S Smith’s private design projects are elegant, luxurious and sophisticated collaborations among remarkable talents. To conjure this particular feeling in the country's most famous house, the Obamas turned to noted designer Michael S. Smith, who helped the young family strike a balance between comfort and formality in a home that both effused history and provided the canvas to continue it. But she was very definitive and factual, so I knew it was for real. "Home," Obama continues, "was a specific place, with specific people and specific memories. ED: When Rogers called to say that the Obamas were considering you for the position, you were sunbathing on a beach somewhere. 44 Pictures Of The Obamas In The White House, A Day In The Life Of A White House Florist, All Michelle Obama Wants To Do Is Go To Target. Michael S. Smith, Interior Designer for the Obama White House Date 9/9/20 Duration 52 minutes Every administration brings their own personality to the White House, particularly when it comes to the look and feel of the upstairs family quarters. I needed to create within this very large national landmark a space that was homey and tucked-in. House Beautiful participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Michael S. Smith is considered one of the most original and respected talents in the design industry today. Michael S. Smith, the ELLE Decor A-List designer, took time out of his busy schedule to talk to articles editor Charles Curkin about his new book Designing History (Rizzoli), out in September, which tells the story of how he decorated the White House private residence for the Obama family in 2008 and 2009. Infertility. What they want at 5 years old, for example, will be different by the time they’re 8. "Michael brought in the tools of modernity," Michelle Obama recalls. 'It was important to kind of take a moment and not just let history flow by,' he says. Michael Smith gives us the inside scoop on his tenure with the Obamas. What Moving Day at the White House Is Really Like, According to Designer Michael S. Smith. Created for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, Designing History d Michael S. Smith (interior designer) Michael Sean Smith (born 1963) is an American interior designer based in Los Angeles. "A little recessed lighting here, a dimmer there. Smith was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House from 2008-2016 and is responsible for the 2010 makeover of … MSS: Mrs. Obama was very clear: The number one issue was that they would be transplanting their young children from a place where they were super comfortable. SUBSCRIBE, 85+ Small Bathroom Ideas That Are Big on Style, The Inside Launches Holiday and Tabletop Lines, This House Is a Lesson in Universal Design, 31 Cool and Sophisticated Boys’ Bedroom Ideas, Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. MSS: In a movie, you always think those kinds of calls are fake. Despite months of prep, Smith wasn't allowed to access the White House until 11 a.m. on Inauguration day, when a "carefully-choreographed chaos" began to transition the new First Family to the home. ED: What were some other challenges you faced? We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. And, like that, the Monet painting hanging outside my bedroom door and the Degas sculpture in our dining room became newly vibrant, newly alive. Every item on this page was curated by an ELLE Decor editor. Through its chapters, Smith tells his story of meeting, working with, and getting to know the Obamas—and creating a design that was a reflection of the family and would serve as a backdrop to living history. A couple of walkabouts, however, and the faded mid-20th-century charms that initially caught the designer's attention in a newspaper ad began to appear merely forlorn. Internationally renowned decorator Michael S Smith is a longtime member of the AD100 and was named Designer of the Year by Elle Decor.In 2010, Smith was appointed by President Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. If you find that some photos violates copyright or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. Michael Smith shares what it was like redecorating the White House in new book. Tuesday 01 September 2020 22:18. comments. "We may have been a long way from a little bungalow on Euclid Avenue, but we weren’t far from home at all," says the former First Lady in the closing line of her foreword. "Growing up, home was the second floor of a tidy brick bungalow on Euclid Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago," says former first lady Michelle Obama in the foreword to Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House, a new book showcasing the Obamas' home life in the People's House. Internationally renowned decorator Michael S Smith is a longtime member of the AD100 and was named Designer of the Year by Elle Decor.In 2010, Smith was appointed by President Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House offers an up-close-and-personal look at the former First Family's home life. His impressive r é sum é includes projects with Cindy Crawford, Steven Spielberg, and Shonda Rhimes, to name a few. Obama White House decorator’s new book offers a peek behind the scenes. MSS: It’s pretty nice for him to say. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Reese Witherspoon's Home is Filled with Pattern, The Cuomo Family’s Home Is Rooted in Tradition, See Inside Sandra Lee's Sprawling Westchester Home, All the Homes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Color Is the Star of Sophia Bush’s Luxe Bathrooms, Sophia Bush's Built-In Closets Are So Good, See Inside Sophia Bush's Charming Hollywood Home, Harry & Meghan Step Back from Senior Royal Roles, Take a Tour of Sophia Bush’s Luxe Kitchen, See How Sophia Bush Preserved an LA Bungalow, Designing History by Michael S. Smith, Rizzoli New York, 2020: Michael Mundy. 'It's the new severity,' jokes the designer, whose deft blend of Old World charm and California casual has attracted an A-list clientele including Steven Spielberg, George Clooney and Michelle Obama. Menu. Up Next in Living. By Steele Marcoux. Michael S. Smith's house in Bel Air was simple in its first incarnation, a 1950s low-slung ranch that reputedly was built for a member of the oil-rich Doheny clan. Michael S. Smith is pulling back the curtain on his time as decorator in chief for President Barack Obama with the release of Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House (Rizzoli). ELLE Decor: Your new book is a good, long read—not your typical coffee table book. There were Sister Parish's (and later Stéphane Boudin) famous designs for the Kennedys; Mark Hampton redesigned the Oval Office and executive residence for George H.W. Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. CONDITION:Brand new.The long-awaited insider's look at one of the design milestones of the twenty-first century: Michael S Smith's celebrated decoration of the Obama White House, featuring a foreword by Michelle Obama. ED: You chose works by great American artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Ruscha for the private quarters. The selection of Michael S. Smith as the next White House decorator has prompted a flurry of interest in the Santa Monica designer s work. MSS: Designing in the White House is like building a model ship in a bottle. ED: What did you first take into account when starting to design rooms at the White House? White House Designer Michael S. Smith By Nancy Robinson Sep 13, 2012 Sep 13, 2012 Updated Apr 12, 2020; 1 of 3 Michael S. Smith. The Obamas' "decorator in chief" offers insight on Inauguration Day and how the White House is prepped for the incoming President of the United States. Did she forget anything? MSS: I was asked to suggest state gifts for the Obamas to give to visiting dignitaries. "What I know now is that home isn’t somewhere you go—it’s something you create. The process, the scheduling, the security: It’s a lot of labor required to make very small movements. Charles Curkin is ELLE Decor's Articles Editor, covering everything related to the architecture, interior design, real estate, and travel industries, and has previously written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review. New York. https://www.housebeautiful.com/.../obama-white-house-michael-s-smith-book Portfolio. By: Camille Freestone. Seeking out the perfect object, work of art or antique, Michael creates environments that … LivingSeptember 3, 2020. Bush and his family, and Ted Graber, a Billy Haines protégé, oversaw the famously red private quarters for Nancy and Ronald Reagan. Los Angeles designer Michael S. Smith has just published his sixth book "Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House." What other unexpected jobs were you given? Michael S. Smith is an interior designer who, most famously, was the White House decorator for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. He was really good at this”? Hadley Keller is a writer and editor based in New York, covering design, interiors, and culture. Interior design by Michael S. Smith from Elements of Style. The book also reveals Smith's thorough research into the house's history—and his subsequent dedication for creating designs that would fit the Obama family and hold up to this illustrious past. MSS: These obviously weren’t the typical kids’ rooms, but the big thing was to be as thoughtful and investigative as possible, knowing that their interests will change quickly. The call came during Thanksgiving break, so I was on vacation. Art made the spaces feel more 21st-century. It would be great if one aspect of my character was that I was good at my job, though I hope people have other things to add. How did the call go? Interior designer Michael S Smith on how he worked with the Obamas to streamline the decor and mix ‘high-end with humble’ at the White House By Jessica Doyle 29 August 2020 • 8:00am For Michael S. Smith, documenting his design of the Obama White House—and processing the eight years he shuttled back and forth to Washington, D.C., for the first family after an introduction from Obama’s social secretary, Desirée Rogers—became a personal mission. When it comes to interior design, Michael Smith is no stranger to high-profile clients. Malia and Sasha's bedrooms, meanwhile, were colorful, fun, and full of personality—spaces that felt truly theirs, despite their location in the People's House. From 2008 to 2016 Smith worked to make the private quarters and many other spaces in the White House a home for the young Obama family with two daughters. ED: As a decorator, you were also tasked with designing the presidential china. A big contemporary painting is really wonderful, and the walls can accommodate one. View this item and discover similar for sale at 1stDibs - 'Michael S. Smith Houses hardcover, October 21, 2008 by Michael S. Smith (Author), Christine Pittel (Author) Creating your dream house, a … How the Obamas Re-Invented Entertaining at the White House. “Here lies Michael S. Smith. In the Obamas' bedroom, Smith took this one step further, endeavoring to create "a refuge" where the First Couple could escape at the end of long days or exhausting travel. Renowned interior designer Michael S. Smith is no stranger to designing high-profile celebrity residences and office spaces, but he could have never guessed it would all prepare him for the project of a lifetime: decorating The White House for one of our nation's most historic administrations. ELLE Decor participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. ED: Upon meeting you, then president-elect Barack Obama commented on your demeanor, saying, “I suspect you must be really good at this.” Is that line a contender for your epitaph? That concept holds throughout Smith's designs for the entire house: Despite the undoubtedly daunting setting, the interiors come off as welcoming and, though formal, decidedly comfortable. But more than that, it was a specific feeling." Jan 15, 2021. Indeed, while parts of the building have remained untouched throughout history, each resident has left their mark on it in different ways—and often tapped the country's best designers to do so. Scroll down for a recent Q&A I did with him. President Barack Obama presents designer Michael S. Smith with a birthday gift in the Oval Office. Art on loan from the best institutions in the country and historic furniture bought and used by presidents past is softened by plush fabrics and muted tones—and humanized by personal touches throughout. So creating the girls’ rooms was the big agenda item. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Decorated by Michael S Smith for the Obamas, the White House’s private quarters are as worldly and relaxed as the family that calls them home. The renowned decorator reveals what it was like to update “the people’s house” in his new book, “Designing History: The Extraordinary Art and Style of the Obama White House.”. MSS: What’s surprising about the White House interiors is that the rooms are super tall. By Mayer Ru s. Photography by Michael Mund y. January 13, 2017. She stated that you move at the speed of lightning, stand by your convictions, and are socially responsible and a genius. Smith's partner James Costos was President Obama's United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, splitting their time between this Palm Springs home and the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. What did they bring to those spaces? Ron Sachs. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, A Look at Chip and Joanna Gaines's Love Story, Inside the Redesign of the Iconic Colony Hotel, Leanne Ford Is Now Giving Consults on The Expert, Tiffany Brooks Has a Fun Holiday Decor Tradition, Kim Kardashian West Shows Off Her Halloween Decor, Shop Magnolia Home's New Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper, Joanna Gaines Shares Her Fave Kitchen Color Combos, You Can Rent Jasmine Roth's House on Airbnb, The One Thing That Makes a Room "Just Look Right".
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