August 31, 2010 11:31 AM

Obama's Oval Office Gets a Makeover

By
Peter Maer
Topics
White House ,
First Family

(Credit: AP)
More than a year and a half into President Obama's term, the Oval Office has been redecorated. Following a longtime tradition, the historic office has special touches reflecting the personal tastes of the occupant.

A new wheat, cream and blue colored rug (oval shaped of course) is at the heart of the makeover. The presidential seal is at the center of the rug, bordered by what the White House describes as "historical quotes of meaning to President Obama." Etched into the weave are five time-honored lines:

  • "The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself" - President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But it Bends Towards Justice" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • "Government of the People, By the People, For the People" - President Abraham Lincoln
  • "No Problem of Human Destiny is Beyond Human Beings" - President John F. Kennedy
  • "The Welfare of Each of Us is Dependent Fundamentally Upon the Welfare of All of Us" - President Theodore Roosevelt

The White House says the rug was produced and donated by the Scott Group, a Grand Rapids, Michigan carpet maker. The same firm made the Oval Office rug used by former President Clinton.

The new Oval Office furniture has a more modern look. The project involved some recycling as two arm-chairs previously used by President George W. Bush were reupholstered using "carmel-colored leather." The big desk chair that President Obama will use during tonight's speech to the nation was made in New York.

(Credit: AP)
New custom-made couches were also made in New York with light brown fabric that was woven in Pennsylvania.

Much of the work was completed while the first family vacationed at Martha's Vineyard. The White House says the non-profit White House Historical Association and a contribution from the Presidential Inaugural Committee helped fund some of the project.

The press office declined comment on the exact cost noting it was "inline with the amount spent by President's Clinton and George W. Bush" on Oval Office redesigns. A statement recalled Mr. Obama's immediate predecessors saw "a comparable level of redesign" with costs deferred by their inaugural committees and the White House Historical Association.

Don't look for the old Oval Office furniture or rug at any rummage sales. A spokesman notes, "They remain the property of the White House and will be placed in a storage facility." Oval Office rugs and other decor often end up in presidential libraries.

Check out more photos of the redecorated Oval Office below:

10 Photos

The New Oval Office

View the Full Gallery »

Peter Maer is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter.


Add a Comment See all 129 Comments
by FineArtFurn September 15, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
Any Comments On The Desk Offering To The Oval Office Are Appreciated We Want Know What You Think
Reply to this comment
by FineArtFurn September 13, 2010 2:35 PM EDT
<div><br><div id="red16">The American Renewal "Yes We Can Desk" Presented To The 44th President Of The United States Of America, President Barack Obama - By Artist, Designer And Builder H. J. Nick And Scottsdale Art Factory</div id="red16"> </div></br>


<div><br><div id="red16">This Is The Concept Proposed Of The New 21st Century Presidential Desk To Be Presented To President Barack Obama For The Newly Redecorated Oval Office In The White House 9/10/2010.</div id="red16"> </div></br></br></br>

<div><br><br><br><b> We Feel President Barack Obama Is A 21st Century President Of Change And American Promise. A Man Who Strongly Believes Along With The American People In Equal Opportunity For All With A "Yes We Can" Attitude.</b> The executive desk should be a reflection of the American peoples ideals, aspirations and tenacity to restore the "American Dream".</div></br>

<div><br>Further we feel the American Presidents desk should reflect the historical past as well as project the power of change now and in the future. These concepts, exhibited through design and symbolism should include; environmental concerns, economic stability, social tolerance and the desire for world peace.</div></br>

<center><div><br><b><div id="red16">We Are Speaking Of The Renewal Of The American Dream Applied Equally To All</b></div id="red16"></center>

<center><div><br><b><div id="red16">In A Non Partisan Spirit We Proudly Present This Desk - At No Cost To The American Tax Payer</div id="red12"></b></center>

As an American family business, we as well as most of our piers and employees have suffered both economically and emotionally during this difficult period in American history. However we continue to hope that the true American dream will be restored to its original promise. That the American entrepreneurial spirit, American manufacture, American small business and the middle class worker will once again be the backbone of this great nation. These dreams are expressed with no political partisan agenda on our part or our staff. It is our sole desire to help promote the resurrection and the restoration of the American promise in the only way we know how, through our American Handmade Craftsmanship.

<center><div><br><div id="red16">This Fine Art Original Desk Is Designed With These Ideals And Concepts In Mind </div id="red16"> </div></br></center>

<div><br><b>These Old Growth Cedar Trees Grew In The Great North Woods Of America. They Have Long Been Rejected and Deemed By Experts As Not Worthy Of Fine Furniture Material Because Of Its Natural Anomalies, Knots And Imperfections. </b> Our company motto has always been "The Impossible Just Takes A Little Longer" or "Yes We Can" and in this spirit we chose this tree. </div></br>

<div><br><b>This Desk Is Hand Crafted And Hand Carved From Approximately 230 Year Old Growth Incense Cedar (Libocedrus decurrens Torr). We In Part Choose These Old Growth Trees Because They Began Their Lives Around The Same Time That America Was Growing And Became Independent in 1776.</b></div></br>

<div><br><b>We Further Chose This Wood Because We Believe That All Peoples Regardless Of Their Anomalies Or Imperfections Are Beautiful In Their Own Way. </b> When these innate qualities are recognized with respect and allowed an opportunity to prosper and grow they will contribute to the betterment of themselves and society as a whole.<b> In the same way we recognized the natural imperfections that make this one of a kind fine art desk extraordinarily beautiful and worthy of its intended status.</b></div></br>

<div><br><b>In A Personal Way, This Unwanted Tree Also Represents The Italian Immigrant Founders Of This Company And Family</b> and how they were perceived, by some. When these adventurous people immigrated to America around 1895 they became hard working proud Americans with a "Yes We Can" attitude. Thus resulting through lineage in the creation of this all American company and this very fine art desk. Proving once again that with determination, hard work, vision and a "Yes We Can" attitude our efforts can take us wherever we may dream. </div></br>

<center><div><br><div id="red16">All Americans Can Make A Silk Purse Out Of A Sows Ear If Allowed A Fair Opportunity.</div id="red16"> </div></br></center>
Reply to this comment
by FineArtFurn September 12, 2010 1:11 PM EDT
New Presidents Desk Presented To White House Interior Designer Michael Smith For Consideration To Replace The Current Resolute Desk In Newly Remolded Oval Office At No Cost To American Tax Payers By Artfactory.com A American Fine Art Custom Furniture Manufacturer Located In Scottsdale Az. See Details At - http://www.artfactory.com/presidential-desk-21st-cen-oval-office-desk-1-p-7372.html



http://www.artfactory.com/presidential-desk-21st-cen-oval-office-desk-1-p-7372.html

The American Renewal "Yes We Can Desk" Presented To The 44th President Of The United States Of America President Barrack Obama - By Artist Designer And Builder H J Nick And Scottsdale Art Factory

This Is The Concept Proposed Of The New 21st Century Presidential Desk To Be Presented To President Barack Obama For The Newly Redecorated Oval Office In The White House 9/10/2010.



We Feel President Barrack Obama Is A 21st Century President Of Change, American Promise, And Strongly Believes Along With The American People In Equal Opportunity For All With An "Yes We Can" Attitude. This executive desk should be reflecting the will of the American peoples ideals and aspirations to restore the "American Dream".

Further we feel the American Presidents desk should reflect the historical past and exude the power of change now and in the future environmentally,economically as well as project the desire for world peace.

We Are Speaking Of The Renewal Of The American Dream Applied Equal To All.

In This Non Partisan Spirit We Proudly Present This Desk - At No Cost To The American Tax Payer.
Even-though we as well as most of our employees see most government policies especially in the past ten years as anti family small business,anti American middle class worker and have suffered greatly economically and emotionally. We continue to hope that the true American dream will be restored to its original promise and respect for the small business and middle class worker. This being expressed with no political partisan expression on our part or our staff we wish to help in our small way to promote the restoration of the American promise in the only way we know how through our American Craftsmanship.
Reply to this comment
by FineArtFurn September 12, 2010 1:08 PM EDT
New Presidents Desk Presented To White House Interior Designer Michael Smith For Consideration To Replace The Current Resolute Desk In Newly Remolded Oval Office At No Cost To American Tax Payers By Artfactory.com A American Fine Art Custom Furniture Manufacturer Located In Scottsdale Az. See Details At - http://www.artfactory.com/presidential-desk-21st-cen-oval-office-desk-1-p-7372.html
Reply to this comment
by rocklandpirate September 3, 2010 10:39 PM EDT
What has he accomplished????
Reply to this comment
by ajvw September 1, 2010 4:37 PM EDT
Martin Luther King did say what the White House attributes to him, but it wasn't original to King, and King never claimed it was. King quoted 19th-century Unitarian minister Theodore Parker, who wrote it in 1853.

Oh well, as Barack Obama once observed, they're "just words!"
Reply to this comment
by tbone416 August 31, 2010 10:21 PM EDT
i wonder if they used some of the 14 million illegals milking the system and sending it home to do the work for cash..
Reply to this comment
by tbone416 August 31, 2010 10:17 PM EDT
It's mind boggling that any president would makeover anything right now...i can barely eat...i couldn't find a job for a year and a half...had to sell everything....and someone has to makeover the whole whitehouse.....i don't get it....does anybody in washington really care about the people...do they think it makes us feel good to know they just blew a guzzilion dollars .....10 out of every 100 americans doesn't have a job....if i were president i for sure wouldn't be spending opm..(other peoples money}like it doesn't matter...and its not about ..well all the president do it...these are hard times and i hope one day ,these people we vote into office will wake up...i am curious to know what it cost...maybe cbs can find out...
Reply to this comment
by erasmus111 August 31, 2010 9:46 PM EDT
There are two doors that have wallpaper on them and the wainscotting on the bottom. They blend right into the wall. I wonder where they go?
Reply to this comment
by joule18 August 31, 2010 8:51 PM EDT
Aside from the cost, etc. the one thing that struck me immediately was BROWN and BORING. He really has NO taste.
Reply to this comment
by jesstastic18801 September 16, 2010 5:39 PM EDT
for your information.....the material on the couches looks brown from far away. but up close it has red white and blue stripes in it. I've seen it up close.....because my mom MADE the material.
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