The Blue Room

Patriotism is front-and-center in this year’s holiday color scheme, with the palette drawing from the colors of the American flag. Red is the dominant color in the Grand Foyer, Cross Hall and East Colonnade, while white is highlighted in the State Dining Room and blue in the East Room — with all three coming together in the Blue Room in homage to the flag.

In the Blue Room, more than 500 feet of blue velvet ribbon is featured on the tree and elsewhere throughout room and is embroidered in gold script with the names of US states and territories.

The embroidered ribbon extends to the Blue Room’s mantel decor as well.

The Cross Hall

Each tree in the Cross Hall is surrounded in a skirt of shiny red Christmas-tree balls. In all, more than 21,000 ornaments were used in the White House decorations.

East Reception Hall

The East Room

This year marks the 51st anniversary of the White House crèche, showcased in the East Room. Its inclusion in the holiday decor spans ten presidential administrations.

Also featured this year in the East Room are several custom designed cityscapes celebrating the nation’s skylines and architecture.

This decorative cityscape sculpture depicts St. Louis’s skyline and famed arch.

More than 11,000 feet of ribbon were used in creation of the white house decorations, and more than 12,000 bows tied.

Tree ornaments in the East Room continue the theme of celebrating the nation’s monuments and architecture.

The Green Room

Garlands and mantel decorations in the Green Room this year contain vegetables and fruits as well as foliage and are intended to remind Americans of their country’s bounty and harvest.

Among the Green Room’s decorations are fruit baskets with artichoke, tomatoes, figs and strawberries.

The Red Room

Under some presidencies, has been used as a music room.  In recent administrations it has been used to host small dinner parties. The portrait hanging above the mantel is of Angelica Singleton Van Buren,daughter-in-law of President Martin Van Buren, and was painted by Henry Inman.

The First lady Melania Trump’s ‘Be Best’ initiative is represented in the Red Room’s decorations.

The ‘Be Best’ initiative was conceived to celebrate children and the ways in which they can excel in their own path.

The China Room

The Diplomatic Reception Room

This year’s decorations in the Diplomatic Room include two Christmas trees flanking the fireplace and a portrait of first U.S. president George Washington.

The Vermeil Room (pronounced vur-MAY) takes its name from the display of a collection of gilded silver – “vermeil” in French –  that was bequeathed to the White House in 1956 by Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle. For formal occasions the room serves as a ladies’ sitting room.

This year framed gold paper silhouettes depiciting early presidents celebrating Christmas hang in the Vermeil Room’s windows.

This year framed gold paper silhouettes depiciting early presidents celebrating Christmas hang in the Vermeil Room’s windows.

The Library

The State Dining Room

The portrait of 16th president Abraham Lincoln showcased in the State Dining Room was painted in 1869 by George Peter Alexander Healy.

The Gingerbread White House

This year the replica is expanded to include the entire span of the National Mall, highlighting the northern exterior of the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Happy Holidays from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

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All photos by Ken Cedeno / Getty Photo Agency