When AD100 interior designer Michael S. Smith was tapped to decorate the private quarters of the Obama White House, he found himself pondering heady questions such as, How do you get the leader of the free world to agree to red curtains? In his new book, Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House (Rizzoli), Smith offers design enthusiasts and historians alike a close look at his masterful transformation. Today, he joins me to talk about the Obamas' personal style and what it was like to work with the thoughtful couple on the project of a lifetime. 

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