#Biden oval office decor archive#

Portraits have lined the walls of the Oval Office since its conception. President Carter making good use of the Oval Office’s couches ( National Archives)

#Biden oval office decor archive#

For President Biden’s seating arrangements, decorators dug into the White House furniture archive to use couches first featured in President George W. The newfound space generated by FDR’s designers opened up room for couches and chairs, which have provided some the most iconic photos of the office. Had the desk positioned in the center of room, which allowed crowds to more easily congregate behind the president. Presidents Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover all The Resolute Desk was positioned in the middle of the Oval Office from the Taft to Hoover administrations ( Library of Congress) President Biden has opted for a dark blue rug with the Presidential Seal woven into the middle - the same rug used during the Clinton Administration.įranklin Delano Roosevelt was the first president to move the Resolute Desk from the middle of the room to the rear, allowing more space for aides, guests, and in some cases, children to inhabit the office more comfortably. Since the Kennedy renovation, almost every president has brought in their own custom rug and drape combination to stamp their own personal style on the office. The Kennedys chose to break with tradition and installed an iconic bright red rug with white curtains. It was only until the 1961 renovation of the White House, spearheaded by Jackie Kennedy, that the Oval Office’s color scheme matched that of the American flag. Surprisingly, the drape-rug color scheme was an unpatriotic blue-green from the Taft administration all the way to the 1960s. The most common changes to the office from administration to administration involve the rug and drapes that provide the iconic framing of the Resolute Desk. JFK’s Oval Office featured a bright red rug and white drapes ( John F.

Wyeth won the competition and gave the office the distinctive oval shape it is known for today. The modern Oval Office was established in 1909 when President Taft invited submissions from architects to design the permanent office of the executive. The decoration of the Oval Office can represent the personality of a president, their political role models, and the ambitions of their time in office - as well as their favorite color schemes. However, some of the most interesting and historically relevant changes that occur have little to do with policy and more to do with interior design. From cabinet secretaries to ambassadors, personnel changes tend to dominate the headlines when administrations turn over. Whenever a new president enters the White House, big changes follow.