Very soon, President-elect Donald Trump will be moving into the White House, which means, among other things, that it’s almost time to redecorate!
The members of every First Family are given their own renovation budget—usually, $100,000—although they often spend their own money or accept private donations to allow for more extensive changes.
What if, this time, they decided to make history with the first-ever entirely vegan room in the White House? What if they created a beautifully designed space completely free of fur, feathers, silk, hides, and all other animal byproducts?
It would be incredible!
The Gray House
First Families have been choosing new decor for the White House ever since a fire set by the British during the War of 1812 destroyed the original furnishings. Although many people believe that this was the reason the mansion’s gray sandstone exterior was first painted white—a feat that requires 570 gallons of paint—in truth, the exterior was always kept whitewashed to protect the porous sandstone from freezing. The whitewash was finally replaced with brighter white lead paint in 1818.
Oh That Jackie O!
Although every First Family makes changes to its new home, the interior design process wasn’t part of the public consciousness until Valentine’s Day, 1962, when Jacqueline Kennedy unveiled the results of her very extensive and historic redecoration of the White House on television.
The scope of her redecorating project forever changed how the public saw the White House. One principle that guided her restoration—according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum—was that the White House has a “living” character that should reflect the different administrations that pass through it.
The next administration will govern in a time when increasing numbers of consumers (and designers) reject the use of dead, tortured animals in fashion. Just imagine the impact that the unveiling of an entirely cruelty-free room would have on the public!
Moving-Day Drama
Time is short!
Every January, between the exiting president’s departure and the new president’s arrival after the inaugural parade, there’s a hectic five-hour window for the White House chief usher and an army of household staff, carpenters, painters, decorators, and movers to unpack the First Family’s belongings and put everything away. To ensure a smooth transition, former Chief Usher Gary J. Walters used to sleep on a cot in the White House basement for a week prior to Inauguration .
Inauguration Day
As soon as Donald Trump walks into the White House after the inaugural parade, he and his family will be given a tour. Then the planning will start. The new First Family will be asked which rooms they want to use and how they’d like to decorate. They will be shown books of furniture and art that the White House keeps in storage and will be immediately asked to start making choices—all before they’ve slept a single night in their new home.
Beautiful Interior Design Doesn’t Have to Be Cruel
Every year, more than a billion animals are killed for the leather and home-goods industries. Most of us don’t stop to think about that fact and aren’t even aware of the horrific truth.
In the past, our decorative options were limited. These days, modern science and compassionate choices have given us a variety of cruelty-free alternatives that are as luxurious as they are humane and more than beautiful enough for the most famous 132-room mansion in the nation.
A Petition to Change History
Politicians don’t often listen to the voices of nonhuman animals, but they listen to what citizens have to say! Ask Donald Trump to create a cruelty-free room in the White House—a room that will set an example for animal welfare in our country and around the .
Together, we can make history.
Please sign and share this petition. We have a small window of opportunity to make a huge difference for animal welfare.
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A PETA advocate, Deborah DiMare is a leader in cruelty-free and vegan design and design therapy. She’s the founder of the ultra-luxury design firm DiMare Design. She‘s also the principal of Ddigz.com, a budget-friendly, online interior-design service, and the founder of CertifiedCrueltyFree.net, which offers a cruelty-free certification course and a trademarked cruelty-free symbol for qualifying products.
Deborah has been a featured designer on TLC and appeared on NBC’s Today Show. She also lectures and writes articles on humane design and design therapy. She resides in Miami with her daughters and her dog, Lucca, whose favorite pastime is being a beach bum.
