I Know this is Superficial, BUT...

[liberalmuse]

Who here thinks President Obama should redecorate the Oval Office ASAP? It's fucking HIDEOUS!

It looks like Bush let all the members of his administration take turns pissing all over the floors and walls. And that rug! Bush as the "Sun King" my ass! Dear god, it looks like Bush spent many a day thumbing through Barbara's early 1960's "Better Homes and Gardens" magazines.

Everytime I see pictures of President Obama and Rahm in the Oval office, I get this awful image of them both in heavily perfumed powdered wigs and stratigically placed beauty patches, sipping tea from fine bone china with delicate handpainted roses, exchanging bits of gossip. That shit keeps me up at night. In other words, it's a room that Sen. Lindsay Graham would be perfectly comfortable in. 'Nuff said!

I know the Obama's are planning to get a puppy around April so they should keep the rug. The puppy will need something to train on. After that, it would be gracious of them to ship it to Bush. At the Hague (hint, hint). Those cement floors can get pretty cold during the long winters.

[BlooInBloo]

1. It *is* kinda old grandma-ish.

Not that I have anything against old grandmas.

[Lex]

2. It's too beige and bland.

It needs really rich deep blues, burgandy, gold. Crisp white trim and baseboards.

[liberalmuse]

4. Agreed! Thank you!

President Obama needs something less bland. Maybe more earthy and soulful. That decor does not fit him in the least.

[firedupdem]

3. He's probably been too busy to think about it. I hope they do

change the scenery!

On Edit: Wait until he does change it, pigs will sqeeeeel like a mofo! He isn't supposed to be in there let alone changing stuff on the tax payers dime!

[Sequoia]

5. Harvest Gold was the choice of color back in the 1960s.

Avocado Green washing machines and fridges. You're right it is downright awful. I'd like to see the paint taking off the wood and restored to well...wood! I'd say lace curtins but that might be too girly for that office. I bet those floor are wood so stip off the carpet and bring back the wood floor with a couple of rugs thrown around.

[liberalmuse]

7. I think President Obama could handle lace curtains...

but I'm picturing heavy velvet, deep blue curtains. Either way, your taste is better than Bush's. I read somewhere where he made Laura order that rug especially woven. I guess he has a thing for sunbursts and fake halos (you remember those silly pics of the Bush "halos", don't you?). It looks as though he aspired for Louis the XVI, but ended up being just a notch above Elvis.

[Sequoia]

33. Ha, a notch above Elvis.

I bet he wanted those velvet paintings but Laura put her foot down on that one. I like deep blue curtains with braided gold sashes. Throw in some Ethan Allen type furniture and "Corthinan" (wink) leather chairs with brass fittings. Oh, and books all around too.

[lisa58]

6. me - anyone know why he didn't?

[Clio the Leo]

13. That's something that's not usually done until well into the term. NT

[Doctor_Horrible]

8. I got you some shallow right here - in a recent In Style mag, the set dressers from Gossip Girl

redid the Oval Office and it was MUCH better than Dubyas version....

So... I just busted out with Gossip Girl and Oval Office in the same sentence. What do I win???? :bounce:

[liberalmuse]

10. Your prize is...

two hearts! I've seen only 1 episode of "Gossip Girl", but I am intrigued. I will have to check that out.

[Doctor_Horrible]

11. here's the link...

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20248206_20251426_20563714,00.html

[liberalmuse]

14. Oh Hell, that's much better! n/t

[Doctor_Horrible]

20. I know, right??? thanks for the hearts! I really did get a prize!! :) yippie

[Clio the Leo]

21. Oh I LOVE the first pic but....

.... someone might want to inform the designer that the Resulute desk HAS to stay. lol






(with John Conyers kids)

(I cant find the flippin' picture of Barack at the desk! Poop! Here's this one instead.)

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. He ought to let it go, leave it like they do when they go into a bankrupt

business for re-organization. Don't fix any of that stuff.

[liberalmuse]

17. He probably will.

He seems to be occupied by more serious matters at present. He's said the plates need to go, and that's fine with me. I collect decorative plates and have a serious porcelain fetish, but I have to agree with him.

[Clio the Leo]

12. More of Laura's blah color scheme.

While she did a good job with the Lincoln Bedroom, the rest of the house (that she had a hand in) is just blah blah blah.

The rug HAS to go on principle alone.

[liberalmuse]

18. Yep. Bush commissioned it.

And that is reason enough to use it as a puppy pad.

[Clio the Leo]

22. No, there needs to be a ceremonial burning.

Complete with priests and shamanas and the whole nine. We need to exorcise the bad spirits.

[jenmito]

15. It looks MUCH better with Bush out of it. That's what made it ugly. n/t

[soothsayer]

16. i think they get to pick out a rug. there's an old thread showing the rugs.

clinton had a pretty blue one i think.

[Clio the Leo]

23. Yep, here's the Oval in all of its historical glory...

http://1observatorycircle.com/west-wing/oval-office-history.htm

[camera obscura]

19. It would send a bad message right now. Can you imagine the wingnuts jumping on them for redecorating

during an economic crisis? "Just another example of liberals wasting money"... blah blah blah.

[Clio the Leo]

24. It would be privately funded, but you're right...

... the critics would conveniently ignore that part.

[gmoney]

25. I'm guessing they have cool furniture from Chicago

Shit, they could spend $900 at Ikea and redo the place top to bottom.

[1620rock]

26. I agree it looks fine...for now. No need for a repuke firestorm over this.

[monmouth]

31. The wingnuts had a problem with the POTUS taking his wife to a

"fancy" restaurant on Valentine's Day. What a hoot that thread was. And then, then, she had the nerve to walk out of the place with a doggie bag. Poor souls....Hahaha...

[dalaigh lllama]

27. Well, after looking at all the other ways the room has been decorated

I have to say I like this one the best of all of them. I think it looks warm and welcoming. Some of the presidential seals in the rugs and drapes in past decors scream "I'm the president" in your face. At least this one is more muted. And yellow/gold is very in right now, anyway.

I think Obama should do like Eisenhower and not change the main furnishings as a symbolic gesture. BUT he should redo all the pictures and accessories to give his personal touch to the room. IIRC, W has some stupid cowboy pix on the wall -- and the plates do have to go.

[Avalux]

28. The blue chairs....

They are still there. Absolutely hideous. :puke:

Someone needs to redecorate stat - and put some pics of the girls on the credenza behind the desk!

[Lars39]

29. Just noticed the lamps...good grief.

I think Ma Bush decorated the place.

[salguine]

30. How 'bout this?

[jillan]

32. Didn't I hear that Michelle was ordering some furniture from Potterybarn?

OR was that just for their private residence?

Personally, I think he should leave it alone. It would send a bad message right now.

[Marrah_G]

34. How about NOT spending money to replace already beautiful things during a financial crisis

THAT is the sort of shit that just drives me out of my mind.

He would be a hypocrite if he went around saying what a crisis we are in and then spent a fortune to replace perfectly good furnishings.