Two of my favorite subjects – politics and decor – recently collided when the final images of President Obama’s updated Oval Office were released.

Photo Credit: Doug Miller/New York Times

The critics are split on their opinions of the new decor.  It certainly seems to be a fairly big change from that of President Bush’s office (seen below).

Photo Credit: Ron Edmonds/Associated Press

My first thought was that it is a major SnoreFest.  I mean, how beige can you get?  I’ve always enjoyed the formality of the Oval Office decor that most presidents (or their wives) choose.  When Laura Bush designed a smaller rug that showed-off the gorgeous hardwood floors beneath it, I thought it was the bees knees.

But upon further consideration, I’m actually really loving the Obama redo.  Further investigation reveals that it’s really a very subtle change – the large furniture pieces have simply been re-upholstered and the historical pieces have all remained in place.  It’s been said that the Obama Oval Office is more of a working office than that of his predecessors, so the slightly more casual fabrics now reflect the office’s use.  I would personally be happier working in a more comfortable environment than a more ostentatious one, much like I prefer to eat in our casual breakfast room than our more formal dining room.  Although casual, the office is still beautiful enough to be a great photo op for visiting dignitaries.

Photo Credit: Doug Miller/New York Times

Some of my favorite updates are the addition of the gold striped wallpaper and the arm chairs recovered in that delicious leather.  The designer, Michael Smith, added midnight blue lamps for a splash of color in the otherwise beige room.  I also love that the new rug features quotes from some of the nation’s most inspiring leaders.

What I could do without is the mica coffee table.  I think it’s too modern for the rest of the room.  Perhaps I should offer up my Britney Spears coffee table as a replacement?

A commentary-free video of Obama’s new Oval Office can be seen here.  All decor updates were provided by private donations (as with all White House decor updates), so no taxpayer funds were used to make the changes.

All politics aside, what do you think of Michael Smith’s room design?  If you were the President and his senior staff, what style of workspace would you prefer?

P.S. Any comments of a political nature will be deleted.  Focus on the decor, people.  My little blog is not the place for ranting about one party or another.  🙂

Thank you for such the wonderful response to Emma’s nursery! It’s truly my favorite room in the house, and I’ve been known to go sit in there with the door shut just to be in the calm surroundings. I hope they help her stay calm, too!

There were a bunch of questions left in on that post, so I will answer the most frequently asked ones here. If you have a question that I don’t answer, leave it in the comments below and I’ll answer it there!

How did you frame the family heirlooms?

This is actually such an easy project!  I bought some frames on mega sale at Michael’s that would fit the dimensions of each little vignette I put together.  I took the class out of the frames and covered the glass in a layer of batting and then fabric (for mine I used linen).  I pulled the fabric tight and secured it to the back of the frame with my glue gun (of course).

Once I positioned each baby item where I wanted it in the frame, I used t-pins to just pin it onto the fabric and batting.  If you work with it, you’ll be able to figure out a way to pin it so that the pins won’t show.  For example, I pinned the dress from the inside.

If you have any pieces that flop over when you hold the frame up, you can use a little bit of double-stick tape or scrapbooking adhesive squares.  For my heavy toddler shoes, I actually glued them to the fabric on the soles.  Of course, I wouldn’t do that with something worth millions of dollars, but I didn’t mind doing it with these things.

If you want your items behind glass, shadow boxes are going to be your best option unless your items are extremely thin.  I considered this route but it was going to be a) a lot more expensive to buy large shadow boxes and b) I worried about the frames sticking out from the wall so much that I’d bump my head when I was changing the baby on the table.

Where did you hang the bird chandelier?

Well, I still haven’t hung the bird chandelier.  My original thought was to hang it in the corner near the rocking chair and lamp.  Now that I see the room completed, I don’t think that’s where I want it.

I’m going to live with the room for a few weeks to see if a spot presents itself.  If not, then it won’t be going up.  I’m one of those people who’s always on the borderline of overdoing it (ha!), so I’m trying to edit myself.

In the meantime, the chandelier is hanging on the closet rod is Zack’s huge walk-in closet.  He actually loves it there and comments on how beautiful his closet is every morning when he’s getting dressed.  The part of me that’s having a hard time knowing that he only has a few more weeks as an only child doesn’t want to take something away from him to give to the baby (Please tell me that the Mommy Guilt gets easier!).

We’ll see how it all shakes out.

What paint colors did you use?

I literally painted something like 10 samples on the walls before I found the perfect colors.  In the end, I chose two Sherwin Williams colors – the top white/cream is Dover White and the bottom beige/brown is Wool Skein.

The changing table, which used to be a natural wood, and peg shelf are spray painted with Valspar Porcelain.  The rocking chair is hand-painted Dover White.

It just so happened that the new crib, the Ikea bookcase, and the antique mantle turned bedcrown were the perfect shades of antique white to fit into the room.  When you are doing a room with soft colors like mine, just remember that every paint and fabric color doesn’t have to be an exact match.  The subtle color differences add a lot of depth to what could be a very boring room.

Let me know below if you have any other questions!

********************

Now, it’s time to announce the winner of the Cutting Edge Stencils giveaway!  Congrats to commenter #27…

…Jen at With Grace & Lace!  Congrats!  I’ll email you shortly so that you can get the details worked out with Cutting Edge Stencils.  Thanks to everyone who entered!