Obama's Oval Office Gets a Makeover
AP
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.
AP
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:
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<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>
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.
Oh well, as Barack Obama once observed, they're "just words!"