KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The White House selected a Knoxville interior designer from more than 3,000 volunteer applicants to help decorate for the holidays this year.
Todd Richesin worked with almost 100 other decorators on the six-day project.
"Amazing is the best way for me to describe my time decorating the White House," Richesin said on his blog, which contains many pictures and descriptions of his experience.
The theme for this year's White House holiday decor is "Simple Gifts" so Richesin worked on items from ornaments and trees to garland and making bows.
He was assigned to help decorate the East Room, but wound up working on decor installation for the Grand Foyer as well.
Richesin also did prep work for items in a variety of other areas including the Oval Office, Red Room, First Lady's Office, Blue Room, Vermeil Room and Diplomatic Reception Room.
Some of the highlights of this year's decorating include:
- The official White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room is a Douglas-fir that stands 18 and a half feet high and is nearly 13 feet wide.
- 1,000 handmade oak leaf roses are in the East Visitor Entrance. The roses were handmade out of dried, oak leaves from the homes and neighborhood parks of volunteers.
- 500 pomegranates, 400 yellow pear gourds, 450 artichokes, 350 purple dipper gourds, 350 green dipper gourds, 400 green pear gourds, 400 orange pear gourds were used to make the wreaths in the East Colonnade.
Richesin owns Knoxville-based Todd Richesin Interiors. He is originally from Sweetwater.
Todd Richesin worked on items from ornaments and trees to garland.
