Donald and Melania Trump have one unexpected passion that brings them together. While the president, 79, and the first lady, 55, reportedly rarely indulge in private time beyond what’s expected, it seems they have one thing in common.
A source recently told People that the couple shares a love for interior design. “Donald has his own vision for his homes and clubs, and over the years has designed and selected a lot of the furnishings and finishings himself at Mar-a-Lago and the golf clubs,” the insider explained.
“He and Melania have that in common. They both love interior design.” This shared interest was evident over the holidays. The Trumps rang in 2026 at a lavish New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, sharing a midnight kiss as fireworks lit the Florida sky.
“Melania was happy and enjoying the night while the president looked bored and tired, but was nice to the guests and wishing them well,” the insider told the publication.
Donald Trump’s love of interior design is more than a hobby. He has demolished the White House’s East Wing to make way for a $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a project he personally oversees.
Over the holiday season, he even visited Arc Stone & Tile, a local marble store in Lake Worth Beach, Fla., to explore materials for the project. At a December 2025 Hanukkah reception, Trump praised a federal judge for allowing construction to move forward, calling the ruling an act of “courage.”
Meanwhile, Melania's flair for design didn’t begin with interior decorating, it was cultivated years earlier in one of Slovenia’s most demanding fields, architecture.
Studying at the University of Ljubljana, she honed a disciplined eye for structure, proportion, and aesthetics. Those skills later translated seamlessly into her jewelry line, Melania Timepieces & Fashion Jewelry, where she personally oversaw every step, from sketches to finished pieces.
“I’m very involved in everything that I do,” she explained in a 2012 interview with Jetset Magazine, emphasizing the same hands-on approach she now brings to her interior design projects.
Melania drew inspiration from her surroundings, from her homes in Palm Beach and New York to her own carefully curated jewelry collection. “I want women to look chic when they’re on the go. When they play with their children, when they are wives at home…so something they can really afford and they spoil themselves with is what I wanted to create,” she told Palm Beach Daily News.
While her jewelry venture has since closed, the influence of that chapter lingers. Melania’s architecture background and jewelry design experience continue to inform her approach to aesthetics, allowing her and Donald to bond over interior design projects that range from Mar-a-Lago to the White House.