Designing History

Reviews / Votes

"Smith's modern designs for the White House made history, just as the Obamas' presence was, in itself, trailblazing. Further, all changes to the White House's private residences were added to the 250-year-long history in every room-a place where layers of wallpaper tell a story of past administrations." - OPRAH.COM

"Michelle Obama provides the foreword to this insider's look at interior designer Michael S. Smith's decoration of the Obama White House. Created for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, the book documents Smith's collaboration with the Obamas. With 230 photographs, behind-the-scenes stories, and archival material, Designing History places the Obama White House within the context of the building's storied past and its evolution over the past two centuries." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"In 2008, designer Michael S. Smith got the commission of a lifetime: designing the interiors for the Obama White House. In this book, the designer takes readers inside the process of decorating for the First Family and shares the illustrious history of interior design in the People's House. Oh, and there's a foreword by Michelle Obama." -HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

"The decorator Michael Smith, who has transformed interiors for the Obamas, Rupert Murdoch and Cindy Crawford, is spilling paint in a new book." -NEW YORK TIMES

"Decorators often lament the fact that once a room is redone, nobody remembers their work. 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, Desiree Rogers-became a personal mission. 'It was important to kind of take a moment and not just let history flow by,' he says. The result is Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House, a monograph out now from Rizzoli that situates the Obamas' friendly, unpretentious decor within the snow globe of White House style." -WSJ. MAGAZINE

"Smith offers readers an inside look at his work ushering in a new era of decor at the historic residence." -IN STYLE

"...by far the most comprehensive illustrated record of the executive mansion and Smith's deep dive into the history of the white house, as he helped the Obamas update the stolid mansion with a more contemporary and open aesthetic, easing the burdens of a young family living in the White House."
- TOWN & COUNTRY

"Smith shares everything from the advice he got from Nancy Reagan to the secret code his staff used to refer to the Obamas." -BUSINESSOFHOME.COM

"'Designing History,' the new publication by Michael S Smith, is about the world's most famous house and its continuous design legacy. But it is much more than a document on decorating the White House, the mansion which continues to fascinate and inspire all Americans. It is about a relationship forged between a client and a decorator, a connection crucial to the success of any project. 'Designing History' provides a glimpse into the private lives of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during their eight years in office (2009-17). The text and wonderful photographs bring to life the spaces hosted their legacy and achievements - being the first African American president in US history, the Affordable Care Act, or the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals - through the decor they chose to live in." -DANIELLAONDESIGN.COM

"Created for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, Designing History documents Michael Smith's extraordinary collaboration with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama."-LOVE HAPPENS

"In Designing History, Smith catalogs his collaboration with the First Family with behind-the-scenes photos, design schemes, room renderings, and more, documenting the artists and craftspeople integral in the reimagining of the home. Interestingly, the White House's storied decorative past-as Smith, a self-described student of history, discovered through letters written by Mary Todd Lincoln, archival records of Jackie Kennedy, and present-day calls with Nancy Reagan, a friend-helped inform the Obama-era design plans." -ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST.COM

"Reading this book was a joy. I spent the better part of a day and a half reading its 300+ pages and hated that it came to an end. I was hungry for even more."-COTE DE TEXAS

"...full of behind-the-scenes insight...takes readers room by room through Smith's overhaul of the former First Family's private residence." -WASHINGTONIAN

"But the book chronicles much more than the Smith's reservedly-polished interiors for the first family; it's an important historical volume highlighting the fabled rooms and furnishings of America's most famous mansion. Written and produced in conjunction with legendary design editor Margaret Russell, this is a book to savor slowly to fully appreciate the arc of the White House from past to present. And if you're looking for inspiration, you'll be thrilled to see story boards of the paint colors, fabrics and wallpapers, and furniture designs."
- INTERIORDESIGNMASTERCLASS.COM

"Written alongside journalist Margaret Russell, the book provides a detailed history of the White House's layout and contents." - CNN

"Through photography, archival materials and behind-the-scenes stories, this book documents the history of the White House and designer Michael Smith's collaboration with the Obamas to decorate and update the residence to reflect the First Family's youthful spirit." -COTTAGES & GARDENS

"Despite the pressure that inevitably comes with redesigning the White House, interior designer Michael S. Smith's priority for the Obama family's tenure at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, as with any residential project, was to create a home for the family to thrive. In Designing History, Smith catalogs his collaboration with the first family with behind-the-scenes photos, design schemes, room renderings, and more, documenting the artists, craftspeople, and historical findings integral in the reimagining of the home." - ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST.COM