White House DIY

New York Magazine this week reported that Barack and Michelle Obama have decided not to use taxpayers' money to renovate the White House family living quarters. Traditionally new presidents are allotted $100,000 per term by Congress to overhaul the White House personal quarters and the Oval Office. Camille Johnston, director of communications for the First Lady has said that “[they] are not using public funds or accepting donations of goods for redecorating their private quarters.” Also, the Obamas are not using White House Historical Association (a private charity dedicated to maintaining the White House) funds.

It's not clear whether the Obamas will spend more or less than the traditional $100,000 from their private funds, but given Michael S. Smith's past projects it's quite possible that the budget could far exceed $100,000. Smith's client list includes Rupert Murdoch, Steven Spielberg, and former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain—for whom he procured that infamous $87,783 rug while Merrill was being acquired by Bank of America under the guidance of Federal Officials. We'll likely never know the budget as a result of the Obamas’ decision to absorb the cost. While not in the same league as Murdoch, Spielberg, or Thain, the Obama's have been quite comfortable the last few years; the couple reported $4.2 million in household income on their 2007 tax returns.

This won't be the President's first White House project, President Obama has already surprised his daughters with a swing set outside the Oval office and Michelle has been working with White House staff on a vegetable and herb garden on the grounds.

What Washington Will be Drinking

"No nation is drunken where wine is cheap, and none sober where the dearness of wine substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage." ~ Thomas Jefferson

As details about the inauguration and the associated balls and banquets make their way out it's been fascinating to see the diplomacy required to make these selections, and maybe a gaffe or two.

DrVino.com is reporting that Barack Obama's first wines sipped at the inaugural congressional lunch at the Capitol, right after the swearing-in ceremony will include: 2007 Duckhorn Vineyards sauvignon blanc ($30 retail) and 2005 Goldeneye pinot noir ($55 suggested retail). Two hundred dignitaries will toast the new President with 15 magnums of Korbel Natural sparkling wine ($15 retail). Here's where a gaffe occurs as the wine is labeled “California Champagne,” a clear no-no as only wines made in the Champagne region of France should include the word champagne.

The Chicago Tribune has reported that Cooper's Hawk Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine ($13.99 retail) will be served for the official toast to the new first lady at the Illinois State Society's Illinois Inaugural Gala in Washington D.C. on Monday. The winery uses purchased grapes from across the United States including Washington, California, Illinois and Michigan to produce more than 125,000 gallons of wine a year, much of it served at their restaurants.

Other Inauguration Balls:

The Wine Curmudgeon reports that the Hollywood-focused Creative Coalition Ball is sponsored by Pepsi, so it's safe to assume a fair amount of the carbonated stuff, but there will be wine, reported to be from Barefoot ($6.99-$14.99 retail), one of the Gallo lines. Barefoot was selected because it donates money for beach and ocean environmental efforts.

Curmudgeon also noated that a Virginia wine, Barboursville Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve ($24.99 retail), will be served at the Inaugural Conservation Gala held on Jan. 19. The Gala is hosted by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, a lobbying group focused on resource management practices.

The Inauguration Gala at the Russian Cultural Centre will be serving a variety of Russian wines in addition to the expected Vodka, though none were listed on their website.

I Do Solemnly Swear

"In this blessed land, there is always a better tomorrow... Let history say of us, "These were golden years-when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best... Well, with heart and hand, let us stand as one today:...determined that our future shall be worthy of our past" ~ Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Address, 21st day of January 1985

The Wall Street Journal Online had a fantastic slideshow today of the Bible's used for Presidential Swearings' In over the years. It inspired me to pull together a few notable inaugural selections from the WSJ and the web at large. I also enjoyed the images showing how the ceremony has involved over the years including the addition of the First Lady standing with the President, something that didn't seem to occur during those early inaugurations.

George Washington took the Oath of Office as our nation's first President using a Bible borrowed from the St. John's Masonic Lodge. It was opened to Genesis 49:13, apparently hastily, as the passage was not particularly relevant to the occasion, though it does have a bit of a manifest destiny tone to it, "Zebulan shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon." (Image courtesy of the US Senate)


I was unable to find any details on the Bibles used by Adams or Jefferson, though it should be noted that the first Koran used for the swearing in of a member of the US House of Representatives in 2007 belonged to Thomas Jefferson. The House member was Keith Ellison, a Democrat, from Minnesota. (Image courtesy of New York Sun)

Abraham Lincoln used a Bible borrowed from the Clerk of the Supreme Court, again opened at random. For his second oath it was opened deliberately to Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Photo of Lincoln’s first inauguration is from Wikimedia Commons)

Herbert Hoover elected to use a family Bible turned to Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Photo from eyeball-series.org)

Franklin D. Roosevelt used the same family Bible on all four occasions, always turned to I Corninthians 13, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things..." (Photo from Flickr)

Truman can be noted for two deviations from what had been tradition to that point. First he swore on a closed Bible upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945 (image). In 1949 upon re-election he used the same Bible from 1945 as well as a copy of the Gutenberg Bible opened to the 10 Commandments, making him the first President to swear on two Bibles. (Photo from NVR.org)

Dwight Eisenhower again used two Bibles for his swearing in: one given to him by his mother upon his graduation from West Point, the other the Masonic Bible used by George Washington. (Photo from medaloffreedom.com)

President Johnson was sworn in onboard Air Force One following the assassination of President Kennedy. The Bible he used is not known. For his second oath he took it on a closed family Bible. (Photo from the LBJ Presidential Library)

President Nixon continued the tradition of using two Bibles for both ceremonies. Both were family Bibles, ostensibly one from each side of his family. His selection of Isaiah 2:4 was interesting given the time, "And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruningforks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Photo from Flickr)

Jimmy Carter borrowed a page from Dwight Eisenhower and used both a family Bible and the Washington Masonic Bible, this time turned to VI Micah 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." A very telling passage picked by this Sunday school teacher. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)

George H.W. Bush stuck with the modern tradition of using two Bibles; again with a family Bible and the Washington Masonic Bible. The Masonic opened at random and the family Bible opened to Matthew 5, "...Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..." (Photo from Wikipedia)

Bill Clinton used the same Bible given to him by his grandmother for both ceremonies, each time turned to a different passage. The photo is of the first inauguration with Chief Justin Rehnquist delivering the oath. (Photo from Wikipedia)

George W. Bush had planned to use two Bibles, like his father, but due to poor weather at the first inauguration he was unable to use the Washington Masonic Bible and instead used only the family Bible closed (photo). He continued this tradition at his second inauguration. (Photo from Whitehouse.gov)

And finally, Barack Obama, in a nod to Abraham Lincoln, plans to use the Bible he used, originally owned by William Thomas Carroll the then clerk of the Supreme Court. The details about whether the Bible will be opened or closed, or any particular passage have not been disclosed as of the time of this post. (Photo from WSJ)

Fit for a President

"I love to bring people into the oval office...and say, this is where I office."

George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States

With all the pomp and circumstance of an upcoming presidential innauguration on the brain, and the beginning media chatter about an Oval Office redecoration I thought it would be interesting to look back at the history of the Oval Office. I had intended this post to be about the oval office carpets, but the history of the office and its furnishings were just too interesting to ignore. Consider this a history lesson disguised as a design post.

When a new family enters the White House a redecorating effort begins immediately. Transition books are prepared by the chief usher and list available furnishings from the more than 40,000 pieces in the White House collection. Funds for other improvements and additions to the White House come from several sources.

The historic State Floor, with its iconic Blue, Green and Red Rooms, as well as the spaces off the lower Ground Floor Corridor, are public rooms overseen by the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. Additionally Congress has appropriated $1.6 million a year for the repair and restoration of the White House.

The top two floors are the private living quarters. $100,000 of the Congressional appropriation is allocated to maintain the family quarters every four years. Presidents and their families have often paid for things themselves. In addition, the White House Historical Association, a nonprofit educational institution, provides money for preservation. Income comes from two sources, they are a $34 million White House Endowment Trust, which is used to refurbish White House public rooms and conserve collections, and a $6 million White House Acquisition Trust, which is used to acquire fine and decorative arts for the permanent collection.
Until the 1970s, presidents changed little of the decor in the nation's most powerful office.

A shot from above of the oval office during a meeting. It gives a great persepective of the office, and of the carpet. This carpet was designed in part by Laura Bush and was made by Edward Fields of New York at a cost of $61,000 and paid for by private donations.

In 2005 the hardwood floors in the whitehouse were replaced with these alternating American White Oak and Walnut boards. The design mimics a previous wood floor in the office.

The rug featured during the Clinton presidency was made by Scott Group in Grand Rapids, Mich., and given by an anonymous donor. The value of the rug was $38,000. I've had the pleasure of commissioning custom rugs from Scott Group and have visited their work shop (factory does not do it justice). They do most things by hand and have a dedicated staff of artisans who've worked for them for many years.

This pale blue rug with a presidential seal in the middle was made by Hokanson of Houston; the $28,550 cost was paid for by private donations. I think that while the pale blue is certainly calming, a valuable design feature for the office of the leader of the free world, it really lacks the richness and detail of many of the other carpets. It looks a bit too much like cheap wall to wall.

President George H. W. Bush used the same walnut partner's desk he had used when he was vice president.

Here's a picture of President Reagan behind the Resolute Desk on the phone. You can see his terra-cotta colored carpet, with presidential seal and starburst design, a more muted version of the current Bush carpet. The rug was manufactured by Starck Carpet of New York at a cost of $49,625 and paid for by an anonymous donor.

A view of the Oval Office during Jimmy Carter's term in office. He used the Resloute Desk and his office featured a pale yellow rug with the presidential seal and blue and white rosettes.

Gerald Ford kept the Nixon decor.

President Nixon preferred a bold blue and gold color pallette (see the Gerald Ford photo in Technocolor!). The rug, again featuring the Presidential seal and an outside border of stars was otherwise unadorned

A view of LBJ's office including the bank of televisions to watch all the major networks.

Here is a photo of the redecorated LBJ office featuring a pale blue carpet similar to one used during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. The furniture, besides the rocker, has a very 1960s feel.

A picture of the Johnson Oval Office taken in 1964, temporarily using the final Kennedy rug and curtains. The desk is LBJ's and was built for him by the Senate cabinet shop during his long tenure there.

A photo of the new Kennedy Oval Office taken in 1963 while the couple was visiting Dallas. Sadly the president never made it back to the office and it was dismantled after the assassination, before Mrs. Kennedy returned and LBJ took occupancy.

Here is a picture behind the desk in the Oval Office. The footrest under the desk was meant to help with the President's chronic back pain. Also notice the ashtrays on stands at the ends of the sofas, things have certainly changed.

A picture of JFK along with John and Caroline. This was not long after he moved into the White Hous and the office still features the Truman/Eisenhower carpet.

Here's a look at the decor of the office during President Eisenhower's administration. He largely maintained the decor from Truman's tenancy. The carpet utilized sculpting for the seal and border, though this is barely visible in the pictures.

Here is President Truman's office. Unlike many of the President's he must have taken a lot of meetings around the desk judging from the abundance of seating.

Here is a picture of FDR and his secretary in the newly constructed Oval Office. His desk seemed to have more on it than many of the other President's and he opted not to have the two chairs flanking the desk facing the windows (a bit odd in my opinion anyway, though the large desks may make this more comforable in person than in the pictures). The valances mimic those traditionally found in the Original Oval Office during many President's terms in office.

Here is a photo of the old Oval Office following a Christmas Eve fire in 1929.

Here is a picture of the old Oval Office during the Coolidge Presidency. I like the bookcases on either side of the desk, it suggests a well read person sits behind this desk.

A photo of the original Oval Office in 1923. The black ribbon on the chair memorializes President Harding.