This year, in celebration of Holiday LIGHTS' 10th anniversary, the historic mansion at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens looks positively presidential, opulently dressed in holiday finery.
Laura Dowling, who was chief floral designer at the White House from 2009 to 2015, created a spectacular Christmas celebration with trees, tablescapes, wreaths and topiaries. Aptly called “Gifts of the Garden,” the exhibits conjure up the color and magic of Cheekwood’s 13 diverse gardens with baubles, luxurious ribbons, and symbols of nature, such as: B. delicate, glittering butterfly ornaments.
Laura, a former policy analyst and communications strategist for the Nature Conservancy on Capitol Hill, took her first trip to Paris in 2000, which forever changed her career path. She visited the studio of Christian Tortu, a renowned French florist, and knew she wanted to seriously pursue her love of floral design.
The Cheekwood mansion reflects her French-inspired sensibility. With a creative team of up to 16 designers, she worked 10 to 12 hours a day for almost two weeks to bring her vision to life. The floral designer and author created nine rooms in the mansion and decorated dozens of trees with thousands of ornaments, a variety of lights and miles of ribbon.
“Of course,” Laura jokes, “I’m a fan of minimalist design.”
Nfocus Met Laura after a talk and book signing at Cheekwood for her latest book, Designing Christmas, Practical Tips for Festive Decor.
I find it so fascinating and brave that you went from being a political analyst in Washington to becoming a designer. Can you tell me something about it?
For me, design has always been in the background. I mentioned that I come from a creative family and have always been into crafting. I love interior design, old houses. That's why, despite my day job, I was constantly hosting dinner parties or reading design books. So I don't think there was such a gap, but it sounds like a striking contrast between one and the other. And I always viewed writing as a very creative way to summarize thoughts or arguments. It was like making a bouquet of flowers. So when I talk to people, I talk about how to use what you've done before and then layer the design on top of that
Could you recap the story you told? [during the lecture] about how you got the White House job.
I worked part-time as a florist in my kitchen and organized small events and parties for friends as well as small weddings. I think it was in the spring of 2009, shortly after the Obamas took office. My husband found an article about the florist retiring and somehow got the idea that I should apply for the job. So I sent a cover letter and resume talking about how flowers could be used as a means of communication in the context of the White House and what that would mean, how it would help translate ideas and historical or symbolic themes.
Much to my surprise, I heard a response and they said, “You're a semifinalist.” And then I had to create a full portfolio of photos and a larger application.
The final three of us were invited to a four-hour time competition where we had to design a state dinner tableau, an Oval Office piece and a Blue Room design.
Shortly afterwards I found out that I had won the competition and would be starting soon. I remember thinking about how excited I was, how overjoyed I was, what an honor, and then at the same time trying to imagine that I would be hosting a state dinner for 500 people from my kitchen table. So that required a little adjustment.
Who came up with the theme for the Cheekwood Mansion: “Gifts of the Garden”?
That was my idea. There really is an ideal formula for working on issues in the White House. You want a theme that is sophisticated and comprehensive, but also allows you to decorate each room differently. Different, but related.
What inspired you about Cheekwood? What was the first thing you did?
I had seen Cheekwood before when I was here for a lecture a few years ago. I knew I wanted to come back when it was decorated for the holidays to get a feel for how the decor fit into the space. I wanted to get a better feel for the architecture and colors. I think if I developed a sense of place, scale and proportion early on, which immediately inspired me, that could lead to ideas for themes and colors. Start with the overarching theme of “Gifts of the Garden” and then break it down into room-by-room themes.
One challenge when decorating for the holidays is that you want to do the pretty stuff – the tree, the mantel, everything – but have those sentimental ornaments and decorations that you've had for years. Maybe they are worn out or the colors don't match. How do you incorporate these into your theme?
I think it can happen in different ways. I know I have sentimental ornaments that were part of our 18th century home. A previous owner had these incredible handmade Italian examples, almost like old postcards or something, with velvet trim from the 1940s. And I love using them every year. I will hang them on the tree for an Italian theme, but they also mix with a French theme. I think you could choose things that are meaningful and incorporate them that way, or you could have a special little tree and put it in a sentimental place.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Holiday LIGHTS runs through January 5 and also includes an in-villa photography exhibit titled “White House Holidays with the First Ladies: Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama.” Highlighting your decoration themes.