A Free (And Chic!) New Way To Display Flowers
Make A Can Opener Work Like New Again
Unlike his predecessors, President Obama made a few small adjustments to the Oval Office, rather than taking on a pricey redecoration. Photo: Getty Images
It's been a year full of surprises since Obama's official inauguration (he's a lefty!), but our favorite, of course, is our President's cool and crisp decorating style.
After announcing that he would not bother with a decorating overhaul for the Oval Office, Obama has stayed true to his promise -- albeit a few small changes. (Most of his predecessors redecorated to meet their tastes.)
Although we'd love to say goodbye to Bush's sunburst rug, Obama chose to keep this traditional piece as the focal point of the office.
What he is bidding farewell to: Bush's china. According to the Associated Press, "A collection of decorative plates from the Bush years made a quick departure -- plates just weren't his style, Obama said."
A recent photo taken of the Oval Office shows some of the President's simple changes, like a bowl of apples on the coffee table. Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
Another addition? Family gallery displayed throughout the office. The table behind Obama's desk is full of gallery -- a wedding shot, photographs of his girls as toddlers, a framed picture from the day he announced he was running for president and more. They're all gallery that Obama has said remind him "why I'm doing what I'm doing."
Family gallery remind the President why he's working so hard. Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
Something else Obama may be doing? Offering an apology with his penholder -- a gift from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Many Britons took offense when Winston Churchill's bust was returned to the British and replaced with one of Martin Luther King Jr. The penholder, given to Obama during Brown's March visit, is crafted from wood taken from the HMS Gannet, the sister ship to the Resolute, a British naval vessel from which the presidential desk was crafted.
Bush's Texas landscape paintings were also replaced last year. President Obama replaced them with four pieces of pottery by contemporary Native American artists, all on loan from the National Museum of the American Indian.
On loan from the National Museum of American History's patent collection: Models of Samuel Morse's 1849 telegraph register, John Peer's 1874 gear-cutting machine and Henry Williams' 1877 feathering paddlewheel for steamboats. Not surprising for a man who values innovation.
President Obama picked out new display items, including pieces of Native American pottery and interesting inventions. Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
According to the Associated Press, White House curator William Allman said the patent models fit Obama's personality -- his "interest in American history, his interest in technology and his interest in the creative spirit."
A creative spirit with a love for fruit, that is. Last on the list of Oval Office changes was the removal of floral centerpieces in lieu of a large bowl full of apples. It's allegedly a big hit for visitors, and more importantly, Michelle Obama, who has been a vocal proponent of healthy eating.
Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
Reader comments (Page 5 of 13)
After reading this thread its clear some of you have no idea what you are talking about.
Reply1st. It was CLINTON (DEMOCRAT), that decided we should allow people to buy homes they can’t afford by signing/endorsing SUB PRIME mortgages. So if you think that Bush had anything to do with that. And you that lost your homes….. congratulations YOU WERE STUPID!!
2nd, How does Obama stimulate the economy??? Oh by raising taxes on the wealthy aka YOUR BOSS??? So now your boss needs to cut jobs double up responsibilities and still make his bottom line, because he has to pay out more in taxes. Thanks Obama, real smart. Maybe you cut taxes so there is more money left to the people and in return they stimulate the economy with the residual income. And all by putting us into a debt of 1.2 TRILLION!! due to his spending. At this rate the NEXT president will bankrupt the United States and let me guess…. Your going to blame him and not Obama.
Finally, The war. Well ya… I expect nothing less of my President then to reply to a terrorist group that just killed / murdered thousands MOTHERS, FATHERS and CHILDREN of AMERICANS on our soil. Apparently none of you who criticize this action had any loved ones or knew of anyone that died that day.
SEPT 11 2001 / THAT IS THE DATE IN CASE YOU FORGOT!!
I just regret not hitting them harder!
Stand behind your President, BUT ADMIT WHEN HES GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
history shows that all great democracys imploded from within. so goes the usa. corruption, immoral actions, self interest and unabashed greed. grassroot citizens are going to slip into poverty. they are the ones that will have to pay for all this garbage. it really does not matter who is president. all contenders are there to enhance themselves. on the other hand, congress is the real culprit. vote them out, limit term, limit their perks ( check out what they get for free) here are some of the real problems. no national language, illegal aliens, dependence on foreign oil, crime, cost of living for the entire citizenship. supporting nations that do not honor our flag, policeing the world. it's not just obama, its the whole shebang!!!
ReplyAMEN DENNIS! People should be required to take a class and a test before they are allowed to vote. Every ignorant idiot that believes manipulative commercials is allowed to go to the polls and cast their very important vote based on an assinine phrase like "change?!" without knowing any facts about history or what administrations have really done and their impact on our country.
ReplyGet Educated people before you vote nexxt time-it is your responsibility. Don't believe what political commercials and well scripted speeches say. do your own research and vote based on facts and the truth. Have some integrity for God's sake!!!
Why should he? Did Bush? Did any President? Do you have a working brain cell?
Replywho really cares about these people????????? certainly not me!
ReplyThis president Is not a leader In any sense of the word! Get a grip, he's out for himself..
ReplyIf this so called revamping of the health care was so great-he would use It for himself~ right?
No I will be soooooooo very happy the day people wake up and see what a real fraud he Is.....
The Oval Office has never looked so tacky. I am laughing at all of the people telling others to "focus on the real issues" when they elected this guy for the most ignorant of reasons. (i.e. looks, skin color, etc.) Luckily this loser will be a one termer. ;)
ReplyIt will be better if he's only a half-termer.
Cut the man some slack, he's trying the best he can with the "effed-up" mess that Bush left us in! At least he's helped clean up America's reputation in the world.
Replyyou claim to hate him so much,yet when anything pops up about him on the net, you take your time to read it then make negative comments...that makes no sense. If you can do a better job,why dont you run for president.
I know this is painful for you, but after one year in office, this "mess" is now Obama owned.
In one year, Obama has managed to triple the deficit, escalate the war on terror (even though he doesn't want to refer to them as terrorists) and has single handedly dismantled our national security. Sorry, but this is now an Obama disaster. These next three years will be painful to live through.
The headline-link that I clicked to get to this article was, "Obama Making the Oval Office His Own." Hasn't this guy been in office for a year now? And he's just now getting around to putting his family's picture on the credenza? This is the sort of fluff that should have disappeared by Feb '09 at the latest. Maybe next month we'll see an article about how impressed he is with Air Force One.
ReplyNow that reality has become the census identifying Black in latino as Negro its shows how Low rent the Obama family is - decorating the Oval Office with No Historical significance but with picture frames from Target, presidential china replaced with Chinet plastic untencils allowing one to eat finger food only out of KFC buckets with properly spaced waste baskets with the presidential seal to spit out your watermelon seeds....
ReplyTo all blinded Conservatives.
ReplyAdmit it: Now is a Black President.
And get prepared because tomorrow you will be a Hispanic one.
And who knows if in future it will be Asian.
Sorry, but America has changed whether you like it or not.
And the world is changing: its only a matter of years till the leadership of the world is in hands of China or India. Unless the US decides to destroy our planet with pollution before.
Stop thinking like your grandfathers and start thinking about your kids. I can garantee you that they will see people and not ethnicities. Start learning spanish! Start learning about the Asian cultures! You can't stop this train. Sorry :)
The interconnection of this world will lead them to that.
Anyone can tell you drank the kool aid.
A little over a year ago the American people choped holes in their boat in the middle of the ocean, has your boat sunk yet, or are you still bailing out water
ReplyWhere is he keeping his muslim prayer rug?
ReplyIn your backyard!
Wow what a great story , he is really a great leader??
Reply1) Insults the UK by sending the bust of back of their greatest leader of all time.
2) Don't here to many references to Martin Luther King in his speeches or policy, OH that's right Dr. King was a registered Republican. The RNC had images of him at their convention but no where to be found at DNC convention hmmm.
3) Did see any pics of his brother who lives on a few dollars a month and lives in a hut, or his aunt who lives in public housing on east coast .
I could go on but anyone who doesn'.t get it noe never will.
What no 8 x 10 glossy photos of Bill Ayers, Rev Wright, Vann Jones, Chairman Mao, Sol Alinsky, Tony Resco ?? I'm sure they are somewhere in the family album. Does anyone give a s--t what he is doing with the Oval office? He is never there anyway- he always traveling on his continuous Messiah Crusade.
ReplyThe oval office, as well as the country, has been defiled by the presence of Obama. He is trying his best to "fundamentally change" everything about America. His wife's most famous statement is that she was never proud of her country until Hubbie Hussein was elected.
Barry & Weezie will be packing up all the WH decorations and heading back to Chicago early in Jan 2013.
For all you haters.....PLEASE remember that my President Obama inherited ALL these problems BEFORE he was elected!!! Anybody that took this job this year would have had the haters of the world giving negative comments....just like the ones I read everyday. What we need to look at is how did we get to were we are?......we got here because we are a nation that forgot our spending limits because we were keeping up with the Jones', we forgot to take the time to really see what our elected leaders were REALLY doing and make them accountable to us the taxpayers....we the PEOPLE. It is very easy to say Obama is not doing a good job BUT who could do the job he is doing....don't take the easy way out! What public job would you take on?? Stop talking about it and be about it! This man has been disrespected, the women he loves has been disrepected and his children have be disrespected. If YOU are without fault then throw a stone but remember there are NO PERFECT people.... just God is PERFECT. Instead of trying to bring him down lets all work together and help him make this a better nation!
Reply