Last updated: December 13, 2025
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Simple Elegance and Vibrant Art: Preserving Floral Design in the Texas White House
Lady Bird Johnson enjoys a field of wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country. 1968.
The Yellow Carnation bedroom in the Texas White House earned its name from the red and yellow carnations adorning the walls. 1968.
In 2009 national park museum staff staged the Gay Carnation bedroom in the Texas White House with furnishings to complement the bright, floral wallpaper.
Clockwise from left: LBJ Library photo by Robert Knudsen, LBJ Library photo by Kevin Smith, NPS photo by Virginia Kilby
Sunlight drifts across a field of blossoms, and the air seems to hum with color — a quiet harmony of beauty and welcome. At first glance, it feels like a stroll through Lady Bird Johnson’s garden, yet the flowers here are printed patterns, not planted varieties. Nearly every room in the Texas White House reflects a midcentury design trend that brought the beauty of nature indoors. In several rooms orange and yellow carnations cluster together like marigolds. Other rooms are wrapped in a dense array of small purple roses and aqua blooms. And in more daring spaces, bold clusters of red, yellow, green, blue, and pink strike a jubilant chord.
The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park curatorial staff tend to this artful collection of floral wallpaper that enlivens the Texas White House. And while the former residence undergoes its current rehabilitation, staff are taking steps to reproduce some of the interior decorating from the 1950s through the 1970s. Floral, patterned wallpapers and matching fabrics were popular during these decades due to a convergence of mass-produced designs, desire to connect with nature, and evolving artistic movements.
The Park initiated a survey of wallpaper conditions in 2021 and prioritized patterns for conservation. Three historic patterns that had been covered by renovations in the 1970s and 1980s were chosen for reproduction: the den and the guest bathroom on the first floor, and one bedroom on the second floor. The Park researched historic wallpaper reproduction methods and determined silk-screening would be the most authentic process, rather than hand-painted or digitally-printed patterns.
Park curatorial staff are working with the Red Disk company based in Buffalo, New York. Red Disk recreates historic wallpaper by hand silk-screening rolls in micro runs using archival materials and methods. Since they specialize in vintage wallpaper, they were well-versed in how to reconstruct the three Texas White House patterns successfully. To match the historic wallpaper, two of the patterns feature five unique colors, and the third pattern features six, each one a separate layer or “pull” of ink in the silk-screening process. For Red Disk, experimenting with the relation of these ink layers to various substrates required multiple iterations. Park staff engaged directly with Red Disk staff throughout the creation process, and this collaboration was mutually inspiring. Both parties worked through creative and technical challenges to uphold the original aesthetic.
Wallpaper is an art, and throughout history it has evolved from an elite luxury to an accessible design element. Lady Bird Johnson saw it as an expression of lifestyle, reflecting her love of nature and Texas heritage. Her penchant for beauty was matched by several midcentury wallpaper artists like Harry Hinson, a key figure in defining and popularizing the classic Americana floral wallpaper aesthetic. She was also familiar with midcentury trendsetters like Margaret Owen, a New York proprietor of fine wallpaper and matching fabrics. Lady Bird included their offerings of simple elegance and vibrant art in her home decorating at the LBJ Ranch.
After this historic home’s rehabilitation is complete, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park will open the doors and invite you to experience the same Southern hospitality and natural beauty that Lady Bird helped create. She cared deeply about the LBj Ranch and its restorative qualities for family and guests. Her style was warm and welcoming, and she once told Architectural Digest, "I like to open the door of a room and have it say, 'Come in and rest.'" ["This Sprawling Texas Ranch was Home to First Lady Lady Bird Johnson." Architectural Digest, April 1986]
