Were you surprised to see a contemporary coffee table by Roman Thomas in the Oval Office makeover? The New York Times rounds up some reactions from the likes of Ellen Lupton, Arianna Huffington, Miles Redd, Dominique Browning, Deborah Needleman and Stephen Drucker who (I think) said it best: "Decorating is the last subject we need in the national debate right now. Even in the best of times, taste is not a subject that brings people together."
You can read all the reactions and see photos of the Oval Office through the years at The New York Times | The Audacity of Taupe.
Image: ©2010 Doug Mills/The New York Times
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LOL -- the Audacity of Taupe. 4 stars for that headline writer.
while i usually like the infusion of small touches of modern into classic rooms, the coffee table is a huge mistake and ruins the re-do for me. otherwise, it is calm and comfortable. but has mrs. obama actually seen that blocky thing or did barrack sneak it in from his rumpus room in chicago?
"...taste is not a subject that brings people together."
Ahem. I disagree. Why else would there be nine gazillion followers of AT?
"the Audacity of Taupe. 4 stars for that headline writer."
"Audacity of Taupe" is actually a quote from Arianna Huffington.
I think David Gergen said it best:
"(The President) deserves to have the surroundings that make him feel comfortable and in which he works best. I don’t care so much how he lives; I care how he leads."
It's ok. I like the sofas and armchairs. I'm not crazy about the coffee table ("rumpus room," for sure) or the rug. Looking back, I actually liked Laura Bush's rug.
Looks like design by Cosco. Tacky
I was so disappointed when I saw this. The worlds needs less beige, not more.
I'm surprised that they've added wallpaper and all the previous occupants had what looked like white walls. That's a major departure.
those sofas look so frumpy
The coffee table is so, so wrong. The desk, the Resolute, is large, heavy and trunk-like.....the coffee table shouldn't look or feel the same. Maybe an oval shape with legs would look better.
Laura Bush's rug was fabulous, the should have kept it, and used lighter shades for the sofas and chairs. And wallpaper.
Actually I thought the old Bush rug was a bit "I am Ra the sun god"
The coffee table is the only piece of furniture in the room that I like. The rest of the room is so, so traditional.
Looks like a bad hotel lobby, sad.