What were the most significant White House restoration projects undertaken during Melania Trump's term as First Lady?

1. Rose Garden redux: the signature, and controversy

Melania Trump’s 2020 Rose Garden redesign is repeatedly described as her most notable project, credited by White House materials and design reporting as an effort to restore a Bunny Mellon–inspired aesthetic; critics and some later work called attention to the garden’s hardscape and plant choices and to the later 2025 paving work overseen by the National Park Service ^{[1] [7]}. The White House archive notes the Noguchi sculpture “Floor Frame” was installed in the restored Rose Garden in 2020 and presented it as part of a broader “honoring American craftsmanship” theme ^[3]. Subsequent administrations began additional changes to that same area, and news outlets reported that the space remained contentious in public debate ^{[1] [8]}.

2. Interior conservation: Red, Green and Blue rooms, and the Diplomatic Reception Room

Reporting and institutional histories list multiple interior conservation projects Melania Trump oversaw: refreshed wall fabric in the Red Room, repurposed draperies in the Green Room, restored furniture in the Blue Room, and a new rug design for the Diplomatic Reception Room ^{[2] [9] [3]}. The White House Historical Association frames these as standard first-lady work—museum-quality preservation and cyclical refurbishment funded in part by its nonprofit mechanisms ^{[10] [2]}. Coverage emphasizes continuity with prior first ladies’ decorating roles, while noting such projects are routine parts of stewarding the public rooms ^[10].

3. Functional restorations: bathrooms, elevator, bowling alley and tennis pavilion

Melania’s White House statement lists completed and ongoing functional restorations: a full renovation of the Queen’s Bathroom ^[11], updating “The President’s Elevator” ^[11], and a 2019 bowling-alley renovation; the statement also mentions a tennis pavilion and other grounds work completed during her prior administration ^[3]. These projects are presented by the White House as aimed at structural preservation and modernizing high-use features; independent reporting catalogs many of the same items as part of the typical upkeep and selective aesthetic decisions of a first lady ^[2].

4. Funding and institutional context: who pays, who decides

The White House Historical Association and private donors are repeatedly cited as funding mechanisms for room refurbishments and art acquisitions, and reporting emphasizes that first ladies typically work with curators, the historical association, and White House staff to choose projects and allocate funds ^{[2] [10]}. Coverage notes the association typically authorizes $1 million–$1.5 million annually for such projects, situating Melania’s undertakings within an established model of private funding for public-house preservation ^[2].

5. The 2025 ballroom and East Wing demolition — a different, larger-scale project with reported distancing

Beginning in 2025, major coverage centers on President Trump’s privately funded plan to replace parts of the East Wing with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom; outlets document a rapid demolition of the East Wing and describe political and permitting controversy around the timetable and approvals ^{[4] [12]}. Several reports say Melania was either silent or privately raised concerns and distanced herself from the ballroom demolition, with People and local reporting noting she “privately raised concerns” and stayed quiet as crews worked ^{[6] [5]}. The White House messaging promoted the ballroom as a legacy project, while critics and preservation experts questioned process and design choices ^{[13] [4]}.

6. What’s widely agreed, and where accounts diverge

Sources consistently credit Melania with the Rose Garden redesign, interior fabric and furniture work, and a set of functional restorations ^{[3] [2] [7]}. Where sources diverge is on the ballroom/East Wing matter: official White House materials and pro-administration pieces describe the ballroom as visionary and privately funded ^[13], while independent outlets and preservation experts flagged permitting questions, rapid demolition, and public criticism; reporting also documents Melania’s reported distance or private concerns about that specific project ^{[4] [6] [5]}.

7. Limitations of available reporting

Available sources document the projects listed above but do not provide a complete accounting of every maintenance or minor restoration item across Melania Trump’s tenure; detailed budgets, line-by-line donor lists for each project, and internal decision memos are not included in the provided reporting (not found in current reporting). Where claims conflict—particularly over the extent of Melania’s support for the 2025 ballroom/East Wing work—sources show competing narratives from White House statements, pro-administration posts, and independent press reporting ^{[13] [4] [6]}.

If you want, I can compile a chronology of the projects with dates and the primary source for each item (White House statement, press profiles, or independent reporting) drawn from these same sources.