Jill Biden.Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty
One year into living in the White House,Dr. Jill Bidenis settling in and redesigning her East Wing office — with some help from interior designer Mark Sikes.
The first lady’s officetoldThe Washington Postin a recent statement that Biden “spends a great deal of time in her East Wing office, and is looking forward to personalizing the space to more reflect her working style, where she can hold larger meetings and host guests.”
The White House said that “In line with prior practice, this project will be funded through donations to theWhite House Historical Association.”
Perhaps sensitive to the optics of such work, the first lady’s office also noted that while some of her predecessors " immediately come in and make changes to the areas where they spend the most time, Dr. Biden had not focused on this to date, between her travel across the country, teaching, and her issue portfolio."
Sikes reacted to the news on Instagram, sharing a photo of the first lady and writing that it was “an honor of a lifetime and I am both humbled and thrilled.”
“To create beauty has always been my passion and I’ve also come to realize it’s my purpose,” Sikes wrote. “Thank you to The First Lady, her team and to those who came before her and those still to come.”
Sikes describes his projects as “timeless,” noting on his website that he “known for all-American sensibilitiesand a fresh take on classical aesthetics.” The author of the booksBeautifulandMoreBeautiful, the designer often turns to a traditional blue-and-white theme when designing.
In theirfirst interview as president and first lady, last year,Joe Bidenand his wife spoke with PEOPLE about how the White House had already begun to feel like home.
“The residence staff has been so great, trying to make it feel like home for us. We have family pictures all around, our books, some furniture we brought from home,” Dr. Biden said at the time.
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Since then, the first lady has undertaken a few design projects at the White House, including the traditionalholiday decorations, themed around “Gifts from the Heart.”
source: people.com
