Politics & Government

Norcross Staffer Decorated the White House

Cate Kitchen got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to add holiday cheer to the Oval Office.

Inside the Oval Office, there’s a smaller, cozier office for the President. There is a place setting on the desk, which was John F. Kennedy’s, indicating that President Obama probably has his lunch there on occasion. And directly in front of that desk is a mantle that Coordinator Cate Kitchen decorated for Christmas just days ago.

Kitchen was given the once-in-a-lifetime honor of decorating the White House over the Thanksgiving week, after  at a gathering with her family. And, even more amazing, she was one of just a few out of hundreds of volunteers who were assigned to the group that decorated the West Wing, including the Oval Office, the Situation Room and the First Lady’s Office.

“It was just incredible,” Kitchen said recently, adding that she feels fortunate and humbled by her inside peek in some of the most private parts of the White House. The experience was so magical that she’s been asking herself, “Did that just happen?” for the last few days. 

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Kitchen, who has no decorating experience herself, was paired with someone whom she felt an instant connection to, someone she thinks will become a life-long friend. And, she said, thankfully her partner had a decorating background and a vision: Though the volunteers in the other areas of the White House had specific instructions about what the final product should look like, she and her partner were given more creative freedom.

“But they did tell us, in the Oval Office less is more,” said Kitchen. President Obama told the agency that he wanted simple decorations—nothing fussy. “They said no gold pine cones and no bows!” She said the end result was simple gold and brass-colored decorations that felt very masculine. 

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Since they couldn’t touch any of the antiques or historic gems, the decorators sat on the ground to do their work—which Kitchen said could be intense at times. Yes, she did pick up some tricks for making beautiful cascading ribbon. And she learned to place some ornaments further inside of the tree to give it more dimension. (She decorated the tree inside the Welcome Center a wintery blue and white yesterday, using her newfound skills.) 

While on the dream assignment, Kitchen attended a party hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama, who she said made a stunning entrance in a black dress with a white collar.  Mrs. Obama addressed the crowd and a grand feast ensued, with piles of crab, pork tenderloin and fingerling potatoes. Kitchen swears, it was really that good.

And she got to witness a private moment between the President and Mrs. Obama. While she was in the West Wing, a helicopter pulled in. The Secret Service agent, who had relaxed a little after several days of getting to know them, told her to take a peek out the window. She witnessed the first couple walking arm-in-arm to the helicopter, no flashing cameras or hoards of people surrounding them. “It wasn’t a made-for-camera moment,” said Kitchen, who was touched by seeing them walking sweetly together. 

Editor’s Note: On Sunday, HGTV will air a special about the White House decorating process. Kitchen will likely not be featured because she took on the special task of decorating in the more private West Wing. 


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