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Obama Chic in Tough Times: How to Decorate the White House on a Budget
Fox News ^ | January 19, 2009 | Jennifer Lawinski

Posted on 01/20/2009 3:34:52 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah

White House decorator Michael Smith says he'll be "utilizing affordable brands" to make the presidential mansion a home for the new first family -- but that doesn't mean Barack and Michelle Obama will have to skimp on style.

High style does not have to break a budget, whether in the White House or in your own house, celebrity designers told FOXNews.com.Call it Main Street Chic.

The Obamas, their daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, and the first lady-to-be's mother, Marian Robinson, will all be moving into their new home Tuesday, soon after the president-elect takes the oath of office. Smith has a budget of $100,000 to decorate the first family's living quarters.

Using furniture and accessories from stores like Target, Kohl's and Ikea, Smith should be able to create a stylish environment for the first family, designers said.

"You have people like Target and Ikea that hire extremely talented designers to design their furniture for them and meld into that design process, making it affordable," said John Gidding, a host of HGTV's Designed to Sell.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bhowhitehouse; michaelsmith; michelleobama; obamafamily
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1 posted on 01/20/2009 3:34:52 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah
Using furniture and accessories from stores like Target, Kohl's and Ikea, Smith should be able to create a stylish environment for the first family, designers said.

The rumors were true.

Looks like we are calling it "Main Street Chic."

2 posted on 01/20/2009 3:36:14 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

The Design on a Dime team on HGTV, is supposed to help, didnt you hear?


3 posted on 01/20/2009 3:36:29 PM PST by GoCards
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

Michael Smith is a flamboyant homosexual. He often does the decorating for the Hillyweird elite.


4 posted on 01/20/2009 3:36:57 PM PST by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: GoCards

Seriously?

If anybody else did this we’d be hearing non-stop ridicule.


5 posted on 01/20/2009 3:38:19 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

Filling the beautiful White House with cheap chinese crap. So classy.


6 posted on 01/20/2009 3:41:23 PM PST by kalee
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

$100,000 to decorate for 4 people? That’s almost as much as my house cost! And don’t they have furniture in their other houses that they could use? When my family moves, we move our stuff, too.


7 posted on 01/20/2009 3:43:55 PM PST by Tax-chick (To oppose the god of this world by lifting up Christ.)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

Watermelon paisley......drapes?

8 posted on 01/20/2009 3:44:23 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . The original point of America was not to be Europe)
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To: kalee
Filling the beautiful White House with cheap chinese crap. So classy.

Exactly what I thought.

Since when does the WH need "decorated" anyway?

I can see it in 100 years (if we last that long) when the pressed wood Obama furniture in the WH warehouse is brought out and pitched because nobody even wants it (no value cheap crap).

9 posted on 01/20/2009 3:46:06 PM PST by SteamShovel (Global Warming, the New Patriotism)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

I’ll play devils advocate on this one, Hey, seriously, if the worst that can happen is this, AND the Obamas are happy with it, I’m all for it.

Just dont get those folks from “Design on a Dime” or the “Cash in the Attic” folks down there...

HAHAHHHA


10 posted on 01/20/2009 3:54:32 PM PST by ChetNavVet (Build It, and they won't come!)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

Why does it need redecorating? Are they going to throw out really nice antique furniture and replace it with Walmart Schlock?


11 posted on 01/20/2009 3:55:54 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Tax-chick
100,000 to decorate for 4 people?

With cheap stuff. Maybe that includes designer fees.

And don’t they have furniture in their other houses that they could use? When my family moves, we move our stuff, too.

That crossed my mind too. Maybe they are keeping the Chicago house.

12 posted on 01/20/2009 3:56:31 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Cicero

I think they are talking about the private quarters.

I hope.


13 posted on 01/20/2009 3:58:15 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Cicero

I think they are talking about the private quarters.

I hope.


14 posted on 01/20/2009 3:58:27 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Tax-chick
"$100,000 to decorate for 4 people?"

That should be plenty considering The White House has an array of furniture in storage that has been reused by all First Families over the years. Chairs and sofas are reupholstered, and The White House has its own collection of art, not to mention their ability to borrow pieces of art from galleries.

15 posted on 01/20/2009 4:04:02 PM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah; Cicero
... to decorate the first family's living quarters.
16 posted on 01/20/2009 4:04:39 PM PST by Tax-chick (To oppose the god of this world by lifting up Christ.)
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To: mass55th; Canticle_of_Deborah
Maybe that includes designer fees.

Aren't the Obamas these Ivy-educated, sophisticated people? Why can't they just buy themselves some beds, a sofa, and a dinner table? Everyday schmucks do it all the time. ("Rooms to Go" is a fine source, especially when they're clearing inventory :-).

Military housing often has surplus furniture sitting around, too. When my mom's best friend and her husband moved into the Commander's quarters at Great Lakes, the sailors told them they couldn't use any of the rooms on the top story, but if they wanted any of the furniture stored there, the sailors would bring it downstairs and clean it up!

17 posted on 01/20/2009 4:08:26 PM PST by Tax-chick (To oppose the god of this world by lifting up Christ.)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEnaAZrYqQI


18 posted on 01/20/2009 4:09:01 PM PST by danamco
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah

How many presidents have had family, other than kids, living in the White House?


19 posted on 01/20/2009 4:18:58 PM PST by CPOSharky (Coming up: Four years of Jimmuh Cartah on crack.)
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To: CPOSharky

Andrew Jackson had his wife’s niece, iirc, as a hostess, since he was a childless widower. I’m sure he’s not the only one with family members other than wife and children living in the White House; people lived with extended family much more commonly in the Old Days.


20 posted on 01/20/2009 4:22:19 PM PST by Tax-chick (To oppose the god of this world by lifting up Christ.)
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