September 2, 2010
TRENDING: Oval Office makeover widely criticized
Posted: September 2nd, 2010 02:18 PM ET
From CNN's Shawna Shepherd and Dan Lothian
The makeover of the Oval Office has been widely panned in press reports and on the blogosphere for being too casual.
Washington (CNN) – The makeover of the Oval Office has been widely panned in press reports and on the blogosphere for being too casual and for its bland color palate but White House press secretary Robert Gibbs doesn't expect President Obama to weigh in anytime soon.
Related:The Oval Office gets a makeover
"I have not heard him give a review on the reviews," Gibbs said, when asked what the president thought about his new office at Thursday's press briefing.
A design team swooped in and in less than 10 days – while the president and First Family were away on Martha's Vineyard – transformed the president's office from a traditional and somewhat formal setting to a more modern family-style room.
There's a new signature oval rug, leather desk chair, two overstuffed light brown couches, a walnut and mica coffee table with modern lines, two blue ceramic lamps and blue accent pillows on the couch, reupholstered furniture, and handmade striped wallpaper.
But history did not go out the door in this redesign. The president held onto the historic Resolute desk, paintings, and other art work he added when he came into office.
Usually every president puts his personal stamp on the Oval Office with a redesign early in the administration. Up until now, President Obama has been working in an office designed for then-President George W. Bush, complete with formal cream floral couches, traditional furniture, off-white walls and a sunburst oval rug.
Obama's newly designed rug was produced and donated by Scott Group Custom Carpets, the same company that designed the former President Bill Clinton's Oval Office rug. Obama's rug is wheat-colored with accents of cream and blue. Lining the border are historical quotes that were handpicked by President Obama, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and four former presidents.
In an apparent effort to head off criticism, the White House pointed out that all of the materials and furniture came from U.S.-based companies, and that taxpayers won't foot the bill.
These kinds of projects have always been funded by the White House Historical Association, with money from the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
The White House would not reveal the final price tag, but said it is comparable to what the two former presidents spent on their Oval Office makeovers.
Filed under: White House
