First lady Melania Trump used a gathering of presidential-site leaders to outline White House restoration and design projects completed during her time in the executive residence. Her remarks focused on preserving historic interiors while adapting presidential spaces for current use.
Trump spoke from the White House Rose Garden during the 2026 White House Historical Association Presidential Sites Summit, which brought together more than 200 leaders from presidential sites around the country as the nation approaches its America 250 commemoration.
She described the White House as an “architectural autobiography of America” and argued that design choices can shape how visitors connect with the country’s history. The White House release framed the work as part of a broader effort to preserve what is often called the People’s House.
Among the projects cited were the design and construction of the White House Tennis Pavilion, renovations of the Queens’ Bedroom and Queens’ Bathroom, conservation of a historic Zuber wall covering in the President’s Dining Room and restoration of the Rose Garden in 2020.
Trump said the dining-room wall covering was designed by French artist Jean-Julien Deltil, made by Jean Zuber and Co. in 1852 and originally acquired by the Astor family. It had later been concealed behind another wall treatment before being uncovered and conserved, she said.
The tennis pavilion was designed with the Trust for the National Mall, Executive Residence and National Park Service. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House, Commission of Fine Arts and National Capital Planning Commission approved the project in 2018.
Completed in 2020, the pavilion incorporates Doric columns, fanlight windows, limestone cladding and a copper roof intended to complement the White House’s neoclassical architecture. It later received the 2025 Palladio Award and John Russell Pope Award, according to the White House.
Other projects listed in the release included work on the East Room floor, State Entrance and Hall marble floors, president’s elevator, White House bowling alley and Children’s Garden.
Trump said her preservation work also extended to Camp David. She told summit participants that design should do more than improve appearance, saying it can support collaboration, dignity and a sense of connection to institutions and history.
The remarks did not announce a new construction project, funding commitment or preservation schedule. They served as a review of completed work and a statement of the first lady’s approach to the stewardship of presidential spaces.
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