Since its founding in 2004, Amber Marie + Company has become a trusted name throughout Tulsa. For more than two decades, Amber Marie and her mother have infused homes, storefronts, and gathering spaces with a signature style rooted in warmth, intention, and a deep love for their community. So when Amber was selected as one of just 145 decorators—chosen from more than 12,000 applicants nationwide—to help decorate the White House for Christmas, the moment felt full circle for her and her team.
“This opportunity really belongs to Tulsa as much as it does to me,” Amber says. “Our community is the reason Amber Marie + Company has been able to grow, thrive, and be trusted with something as personal as decorating someone’s home.”
Each year, the White House invites decorators from across the country to apply for the honor of volunteering during its annual Christmas transformation. Applicants submit examples of their work, accompanied by a personal narrative explaining why the opportunity holds significance for them.
For Amber, that story is rooted in family. Her lineage reflects a legacy of service to both country and community. Her grandfather immigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia, built a local business, and became known for decorating windows throughout the community. Her father and uncle continued that tradition of service, with her father serving in Vietnam. These multigenerational ties fostered a lasting connection for Amber and her family to Tulsa and to the American people.
“It felt like a way I could serve my country using the gifts I’ve been given,” Amber says. “Decorating is how I know how to contribute.”
After applying in the summer, Amber learned in October that she had been selected. She completed background checks, finalized travel arrangements, and prepared for an intense week of early mornings and long nights.
Just before sunrise on the first day, Amber and the other volunteers boarded buses to an off-site facility to prepare décor. When the time came, they transported thousands of decorations to the White House. Boxes labeled “Blue Room,” “Red Room,” and “Grand Foyer” were carried up the iconic front steps—each one another piece of a beloved national tradition taking shape.
Amber was assigned to the Blue Room, home to the official Gold Star Tree honoring families who have lost loved ones in military service. Representing every U.S. state and territory, it is among the most iconic installations in the White House.
“You don’t think about who the other volunteers will be until you’re there,” Amber says. Her team included participants from Alaska, Florida, Missouri, the Caribbean, and Oklahoma, several of whom were members of Gold Star families. As the group took in the significance of the tree, the experience became deeply moving.
“There were tears. There were hugs,” she recalls. “That tree meant something deeply personal to all of us working on it.”
Inside the White House, every detail was handled with care. Volunteers worked alongside designers and under the watchful eyes of historians, archivists, and the Secret Service to ensure that nothing, from furniture to floors, was disturbed.
“It really drives home that this isn’t just a building,” Amber says. “It’s the People’s House.”
This year’s Christmas theme, Home Is Where the Heart Is, resonated deeply with Amber. Since 2004, she and her mother have built Amber Marie + Company around the belief that the home is central to family life and the broader community. A home is where memories are made and people come together—it should feel welcoming, meaningful, and full of life.
Reflecting on the experience, Amber says it has only deepened her appreciation for Tulsa.
“This city shows up for its small businesses,” she says. “That support is part of how opportunities like this become possible.”
“This opportunity really belongs to Tulsa as much as it does to me,” Amber says. “Our community is the reason Amber Marie + Company has been able to grow, thrive, and be trusted with something as personal as decorating someone’s home.”