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You are visiting: Home » Decorating/DIY » Decorate Your Home » The World’s Most Famous Office Gets a Makeover

The World’s Most Famous Office Gets a Makeover

by Lindsay Ballard on September 2, 2010 48 Comments

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.  🙂

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

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Comments

  1. Emily@remodelingthislife says

    September 2, 2010 at 9:14 am

    I am in love with the striped chairs in the before photo. I’d be more than happy to sit in either room, depending on who I was sitting with 😉

    Reply
  2. Teresa says

    September 2, 2010 at 10:23 am

    I LOVE the fabric on the couches. It makes them look loved. But I am not a fan of the new rug. I think the blue was such a beautiful complement to the wood floors. Take a little bit from Bush and a little bit from Obama and you would have a perfect oval office!

    Reply
  3. Julie says

    September 2, 2010 at 10:29 am

    I’m not a fan. I think it looks a little too blah and beige. I’d punch it up a notch with some red. The table? It’s horrible. There’s my two cents. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Susan says

    September 2, 2010 at 10:57 am

    I really don’t like it. It is very boring and not nearly enough color and contrast for me. I know it’s a working office, but I would love something to look at other than beige, brown, and more beige. Personally, I like the look of Barbara Bush’s design better. The new coffee table is *hideous*!

    Reply
  5. Heidi says

    September 2, 2010 at 11:14 am

    Not a fan, in general. I do like the striped wallpaper. I like both of the rugs, but the stripes on the old rug with the stripes on the wall & floor would have been too much, I suppose. I think the couches look too casual–they look like they belong in my living room, not THE office of the leader of the free world! I don’t think they’re stately enough. They belong in a study next door, not in the Oval Office.

    And that coffee table is UGLY. Sticks out like a big, sore, ugly thumb. Gads.

    Reply
  6. the BLAH BLAH BLAHger says

    September 2, 2010 at 12:53 pm

    I like how bright and fresh it is, but it feels a little too modern to me. What they should have done was consult with the set designer from the West Wing – ha!

    (PS – I can only imagine the internal monologue that you’re having based on the political comments!)

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 2, 2010 at 1:36 pm

      hahaha I’m deleting ugly comments from both sides of the aisle. I was hopeful that people would stay tactful, but I was wrong. My little decorating blog is no place for nasty comments.

      And really…do they want to get me started? 😉

      Reply
  7. Phoenix Peacock says

    September 2, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    I like the comfort factor and a little less pompous, but the fabric choice is pretty awful – very used 70s-ish. the table doesn’t go with the room. and the chairs look cheap and uncomfy.

    Reply
  8. Kristen@TheFrugalGirl says

    September 2, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    I like it all ok except for that coffee table. I HATE that. lol

    Reply
  9. Katie says

    September 2, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    Yikes! The coffee table! I don’t like the lamps either. I don’t like it. But, on the bright side, I am very happy to see the American flag still in there. 😉

    Reply
  10. Audrey says

    September 2, 2010 at 1:56 pm

    Really?
    It is too boring!
    I’d keep 3 things in that room…the 2 brown leather chairs and the American Flag.

    Reply
  11. PeaceLoveTerri says

    September 2, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    I don’t see why anyone would make such a deal about an office makeover. When it comes down to it, Mr. President is the only one who enjoys it. Why would anyone not want to take their space and make it their own? I couldn’t imagine receiving criticism each time I wanted to redecorate my living room. {No way was this directed to you. More the media aspect. LOL}

    Reply
  12. Stephanie O. says

    September 2, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    I really like the striped wallpaper and the chairs that have been recovered. And, the darker rug is very nice as I didn’t like the striped one used previously…Surprisingly, I don’t think the coffee table is too horrible. But, the couches ugh…Look like they came out of someone’s basement who has a lot of teenagers that hang out there each weekend…

    Overall, I like it…nice updated look.

    Reply
  13. Kitt says

    September 2, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    Love your highlight of this topic! Both rooms look great- I like the new couches, especially the slope of the arms, but the fabric somehow doesn’t work for me. Perhaps the texture clashes with the heather color of the run, perhaps just a touch too comfy for the Oval Office. I mean, should it get more formal than that office?

    I do like the lamps and the quotes, and LOVE the leather chairs. They are just formal enough, understated but classic, and very welcoming with that honey texture- they must feel like a dream, but someone will still sit upright in them (at attention, but comfortable- perfect).

    In the old office, I love how Laura showed off the floor- it is a work of art and shouldn’t be covered up!

    I can appreciate the touch of modernism in the coffee table, but it wouldn’t have been my choice. Still looks nice, though. You never know, it could have been a personal piece or something.

    Reply
  14. Bobbinoggin says

    September 2, 2010 at 4:02 pm

    I guess we all have an opinion, don’t we? 🙂 I love the new coffee table. I think the subtle pattern of it evens out its modern frame. However, I can’t stand the fabric chosen for the sofas’ new upholstery. It reminds me of a couch and two side chairs I grew up with in the early 1980s. It reminds me of… a weimaraner. 😐

    Reply
  15. Chrissy says

    September 2, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    Oh, that coffee table is just plain horrible. I can’t imagine any space that would look good in. And the sofas look way too casual for the Commander-in-Chief’s office!!! Other than that, I think it looks okay …

    Reply
  16. Erin says

    September 2, 2010 at 6:06 pm

    The coffee table is horrendous. The rest I can get behind, separately, but not together.

    Reply
  17. Becky says

    September 2, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    With the exception of the coffee table, I like the new decor more than the old. I really like the leather chairs, and I actually think the brown/beige color on the couches is nice.

    Reply
  18. KATIE says

    September 3, 2010 at 10:13 am

    At least the new coffee table is more to the right size of the sofas. I HATE when coffee tables are small and placed with a huge sofa. I think it is OK wouldn’t be my choices but everyone has their own style.

    Reply
  19. Ang says

    September 3, 2010 at 10:19 am

    The more I look at it the more I like it, but it does need more color to complement the dark blue. Coffee table, least fav.

    Reply
  20. Stefanie says

    September 3, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    I don’t understand the big to-do over the new decor. I agree that it’s a little bland, but considering how much stress the President is under on a daily basis, I would guess this was done on purpose so that the room is a calm, neutral, comfortable spot to conduct business. I know I wouldn’t want to work in a formal, overly decorated room. Plus, I give the Prez kudos for mostly repurposing what was already in the room. Good job, Obama and Mr. Smith!

    Reply
  21. Kelly says

    September 3, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Oh, where to begin? Really, the only change I like (or could deal with) is the striped wallpaper. I am not the biggest wallpaper fan, but this one kind of fits. I actually prefer the old office in most other ways. The modern coffee table is absolutely awful, and those couches look like something I would have in a kids’ play room, not the Oval Office. I don’t like the new leather chairs–they’re almost too matchy-matchy. All in all, I definitely prefer the old decor, although there are a few things I would have changed there, too (bigger coffee table!).

    Reply
  22. melanie says

    September 3, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    Love the before. I actually thought the before was the after and the after was before…was disappointed when I realized I got them mixed them up. It really is all about personal taste…and if they love it…good for them. For me…with all the designers that could have been at my disposal…and he came up with this??!! Very disappointing.

    Reply
  23. Cindy says

    September 3, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    I thnk we are forgetting that this is NOT the President’s personal space, it is his office, and represents the leader of the largest country in the free world. The central pieces look too much like a family room, not a place for casual meetings with heads of state and other diplomats. PLEASE let the room reflect not only the President but our country’s position as a world leader. This design would be better upstairs in the family quarters.

    Reply
  24. sarah may says

    September 3, 2010 at 9:23 pm

    I really like the wall paper and the leather chairs. I think the couches are way too casual though and kind of HATE the coffee table. My favorite is always the presidential desk though…all that dark wood and beautiful carvings!!

    Reply
  25. Kindredmamma says

    September 4, 2010 at 12:32 am

    I prefer the Bush office. I loved the striped chairs and the carpet. I think the more splashes of blue make it nice. As for Obama’s like you, I enjoy the wallpaper, but that is about it. That coffee table is awful.

    Reply
    • Kindredmamma says

      September 4, 2010 at 12:33 am

      I should note, that it is HIS office, so if that’s what HE likes… well then, Hail to the Chief!

      Reply
  26. Mary Ormsby says

    September 4, 2010 at 1:03 am

    Hello, you’ve been tagged on my blog-please come check it out.
    http://www.jamfiescreations1.blogspot.com

    Reply
  27. laurie says

    September 4, 2010 at 1:49 am

    I don’t know, I’m kind of torn. Michelle has such great style and I was thinking she’d choose something a little more hip and youthful. The room does look very cosy, and if you’re going to spend as much time in there as the President, it may as well be comfortable, right? This seems to reflect his personality more so than Michelle’s which I guess is a good thing. The couches from the Bush office look a little too fuddy-duddy to me. My grandma had a similar couch and it wasn’t at all comfortable.

    It’s almost a shame to cover that amazing hardwood floor at all. I love the idea of the Obama rug (as far as the quotes go), but I wish it had more punches of blue. Laura Bush chose a really beautiful rug that highlighted the beautiful grain of the wood. Too bad they didn’t mix those two concepts together; I’m sure it would have been gorgeous.

    BTW, didn’t Laura Bush also chose some sort of “sundail” rug? I seem to remember everyone loved it – even President Clinton when he was there on a visit.

    Reply
  28. Margo Morgan says

    September 4, 2010 at 8:55 am

    The couches aren’t President Bush’s reupholstered, they are new/different couches.

    Reply
  29. Betts says

    September 4, 2010 at 11:46 am

    I really like the change! I think it is a warmer look and people can and will feel more relaxed. The coffee table and the lamps could go. I think all and all it’s a much more comfortable look.

    Reply
  30. Sylvia says

    September 4, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    This will most likely be deleted but… not only is the room boring but the rug is historically inaccurate. According to the Washington Post a quote attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is actually from Theodore Parker, a New England abolitionist. Dr. King frequently used this quote and gave Parker the credit. Additionally, there may be an error in the Roosevelt quote, as well. It makes no difference which political party occupies the White House mistakes like these are unacceptable. As a teacher, I am appalled.

    Reply
  31. Ginny says

    September 5, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    I must really love stripes because I love those striped chairs in Bush’s, but I love the striped wall paper in Obama’s.

    At first thought, I like Bush’s room better. However after really looking, I like the updated one. Mainly the walls though. If you took things from both, it would be really cool. I like how you can see the amazing flooring better in the old office. In both, the tables don’t look right to me at all.

    Reply
  32. jan says

    September 5, 2010 at 7:33 pm

    I think we forget that this room can have as many as ten or fifteen men sitting around discussing something. They have to have someplace to put their coffee cups and briefing books. The sofas have to be hard wearing. But that said I like the fact that they painted the woodwork and the wainscoting a different color than the wall. That has been a pet peeve of mine for years. They could lose the modern lamps and coffee table, though.

    Reply
  33. Duo London Escorts says

    September 6, 2010 at 7:29 am

    Wow that office looks so rich and classic.It is good to see President Obama’s Oval office.Those sofas are really very nice and I like very much.

    Reply
  34. Metody says

    September 6, 2010 at 11:17 am

    I love the leather chairs, and I absolutely love that mica table – but not in that room. I think it looks a bit strange among all those rich wooden antiques. Maybe if there’d been some wood paneling on the sides that echoed the color and form of the older furniture, and just the top was mica? It looks too sleek and modern in the room.

    The Bush carpet was beautiful, but it would have looked too busy with the striped walls and couches that didn’t just vanish into it.

    I hate the color on the couches. Hooray, oatmeal from one angle, mustardy looking from the other. Blaaaaaargh.

    On the whole, I think it’s a great room, though. It’s awfully neutral right now, but it won’t clash with anyone’s outfits, and it’ll always leave the focus to the people in it – and it’ll be restful to sit in when there’s only one or two people there.

    Reply
  35. Amber @ Two Nuts in a Shell says

    September 6, 2010 at 10:55 pm

    I have to say I like Bush’s office better. Those blue striped chairs are just gorgeous and they seem to brighten up the room (along with the couches’ fabrics). I feel like Obama’s version is sort of…bland? Just feels more like heavy sticky caramel and I like the fluffy blue cotton candy better (how’s that for describing presidential decor??).

    Reply
  36. Jen says

    September 7, 2010 at 6:52 am

    It’s ugly!! But the story about the incorrect quote on the rug was worth a giggle! Nice to know even the “big guys” make mistakes once in a while! 🙂

    Reply
  37. Anna says

    September 7, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    I actually like the Obama’s office better EXCEPT for the coffee table. Not a fan. Love the couches and the blue lamps. Bush’s ofice looks more like a formal sitting room at my grandma’s house to me than an office where I’d be comfortable spending a lot of time. And if Obama does really use it more day to day, and that kind of decor helps him feel comfortable and relaxed, more power to him. His job no doubt comes with a lot of stress 🙂

    Reply
  38. Robbie says

    September 7, 2010 at 3:43 pm

    I love the couches, like the coffee table, but not a fan of the wall paper

    Reply
  39. Wendy P says

    September 7, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    It is tacky. Not Presidential. It looks like someone’s basement armchair quarterback hangout.

    I agree that if this is the Obama’s style, they should have it in their private quarters, not where photo ops are taken with world leaders.

    Reply
  40. Kristin says

    September 7, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    Whew. A lotta hate going on over that coffee table. Too funny. The room is a bit on the vanilla side, but he’s the President. He can’t go too crazy I would imagine.

    Reply
  41. Jen @ Just for Rachel says

    September 7, 2010 at 9:17 pm

    I like the Bush room better, except I really do like the walls in Obama’s, they look quite classy. Obama coffee table is hideous, he should have gotten rid of the end tables instead of the coffee table. Is anyone really going to eat that fruit? I like the Obama rug better too.

    Reply
  42. Condo Blues says

    September 8, 2010 at 3:14 pm

    I’d like the Obama coffee table in my house but not in the Oval Office with it’s Georgian style architecture. I appreciate wanting a more casual and modern feel but you really shouldn’t choose something that works against the formal bones of the room. I like the striped wallpaper but overall I think the room is a little too beige. And the sofas? The 1970’s called they want them back. If the less busy Obama rug was paired with the size of the Bush rug it’d be perfect.

    Reply
  43. Courtney says

    September 10, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    I don’t like it. At first glance, I thought the after photo was the before! It’s mainly the couches and the coffee table. Eek. It’s too modern for the space with a throw back to the 70s with those couches. The Bush Oval Office seemed like a good mix of comfort and formality.

    Reply
  44. Libby says

    September 12, 2010 at 12:53 pm

    Sorry if this is a double post.

    i love the new couches, me thinks they are sexy. Also love and agree with your statement about the smaller rug . Why would you cover those floors?

    Reply
  45. Joanna says

    September 26, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    On the Obama office, I HATE the coffee table and lamps! Monstrous. I do really like the wallpaper and new rug, although wishing the rug was a little smaller to show off those floors. The new couches are pretty hideous too – like a cheap courderoy suit. Love the leather chairs though. Would have liked to have seen couches in something like linen, with more traditional lines.

    Reply
  46. erin says

    September 27, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    I am not a fan of the rug, the upholstery on the couches or the coffee table. The chairs are fine, but I did like the previous chairs more. The only “plus” is the wallpaper.

    Reply

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About Makely

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.


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