Why isn't Melania Trump moving into the White House? Because, let’s face it, the 224 year old house is a dump compared to 725 Fifth Avenue or Mar-a-Lago.
The Trumps could do renovations to bring it up to their standards, but most of the ‘people’s house’ is under the control of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. They do have a lot of lea way in redecorating the West Wing. It would be hard because the budget is set at just a measly $100,000 dollars of the tax payers money at present, but the President can spend more of his own money for improvements – subject of course to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House approval.
The committee is for the most part very accommodating to the new residents.
Kennedy added a swimming pool (although that was before the Committee for the Preservation of the White, which LBJ instigated).
Nixon built a one-lane bowling alley, which Obama was going to replace with a basketball court – but I think the bowling alley is still there.
Jimmy Carter famously installed solar panels, which Ronald Reagan promptly removed – and cranked up the air conditioning so he could have his fire place blazing during the summer of an energy crisis (Was that catty? It was just something I remembered, and it still ticks me off).
George W. and Laura Bush added low-flow faucets and toilets, solar heating, and CFL bulbs. Who would have thunk it? That was actually a responsible thing to do.
The main change the Obama’s brought to the White House was to the dining room, which they opened up to public tours for the first time since 1825. It should be noted that the Obama’s also did not ask the tax payers to pay for the renovation, and instead used private funds.
I think the changes were very tasteful. Here is what the stuffy dinning room looked like before.
And here is what the much room looks like now.
Melania could put her personal touches on the White House,
but 24 carat gold facets are expensive, and it already looks like Melania has abdicated the First Lady duties to her step daughter Ivanka anyway.
I seriously doubt the Trumps will ever consider the White House anything more than a substandard hotel room that they only begrudgingly stay at when they occasionally visit Washington D. C., but it might be interesting to see what they do.