apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I prefer Jackie's choice of Chandelier, the inside-mounted draperies show off the woodwork at the windows, and those scarlet bergeres add a great punches of color to play off the yellow.

The Reagan Yellow Room with it's peach accents appears bland and pale in comparison...

I've seen pics of Jackie's NYC apartment...the 'non-public' rooms looked Grey Gardens-ish.

The Regan's have a much more attractive photo but the Kennedy design is more my style. "class class class"

I prefer the right. While the left room screams "spaaaace," I find the (appearance of?) darker yellow and tight furniture grouping on the right pic more appealing.

I was surprised that I actually preferred the Reagan version, as everything looks more cohesive and cozy. I'm not feeling the oddly spaced furniture in Jackie's.

The right photograph seems cluttered with too many random flower arrangements. I prefer the other one.

I prefer the furniture arrangement on the right, but it's too cluttered with knickknacks & frou-frou. The left has more interest and variation in color, but the couch is drifting in the middle of the room with nothing to anchor it to the rest of the seating group - that area rug is too small.

neither

I don't think this is a fair comparison because the pictures are taken at a different angle. But, given what we have to work with here, I immediately liked the one on the left better, even from the small pics at the top.

I like the Regan's set-up, but don't like any of the things they have in the room.

I agree with Pixie, it's difficult to provide a fair evaluation because the comparison pictures are taken from opposite ends of the same room. The comparison pictures should have been taken from the same position in the room.

i don't prefer one over the other; i lke certain elements of each. i prefer the color & furniture placement of the Regan's but like the airiness of the Kennedy's, and the chandelier...

where are all the barcelona chairs?
i want a president that has a eames lounge!

"I prefer the furniture arrangement on the right"

If you'll look closely, you'll notice that the furniture arrangement is nearly identical in both photos - it's the viewpoint that is different.

The first photo was taken at the entrance to the room opposite the windows and the second was taken from behind the desk facing the fireplace.

"I like the Regan's set-up, but don't like any of the things they have in the room."

You'll notice that the major pieces in the room: the oval carpet, sofas, desk and sofa-table are the same pieces - I'd be willing to bet that they are still there today.

I prefer the Reagans' color scheme. Bright red with pale yellow just doesn't work for me.

the Reagan's version much less cozy, more "Palace" or "Grand Hotel" than home...

better comparison photos on the whitehouse website...

The left version, but only after Stephane Boudin of Jansen got through with the Yellow Oval Room; Sister Parish's earlier version for the Kennedys was too uptight—the curtains in particular are too tight-ass. I have seen a fantastic picture of the Yellow Oval Room where Jackie placed a white furry carpet in front of the fireplace and made the furniture arrangement less formal (this was the Boudin period). That's the picture you should show. Then it would be no contest.

I'm not really crazy about either. I think they both look kinda stuffy!

This is exactly the same placement of furniture seen from a different angle. Same chairs, slightly different upholstry, The Reagan's have two small tables on the sides of the desk and the chairs are positioned facing outwardly... The pictures can not compare at all since one has a warm film and the other has a cool film. So I personally can not judge to pick one or the other.

just noticed the rocking chair in the Kennedy version, that sure changes the tone of the room...

they're both fugly

Is this a serious question? They're almost identical! Just different vantage points.

Before knowing, I immediately preferred the yellow, Reagan, version. Now, there is no question that Jackie Kennedy had more class in her fingertip than the arriviste Nancy Reagan, but remember, she hired decorators. Now, though Cindy McCain is an elegant icewoman, there is no question that the Jackie mantle will rightly be assumed by Michelle Obama.

Thanks for including my posts on the White House decorating over the last 150 years. One of the things I liked the most about doing the research was that when all is said and done, the beauty of the building is what is important, regardless of the politics of the inhabitants. And, that all the first ladies were smart enough to hire good decorators!

i can't decide!

The peach accents on the right: blech. That whole room just seems too... frou-frou to me.
The red chairs in the left room are part of what sold me on it. The room feels warm, but not... squishy?

This is certainly the only time I'd vote Reagan. The Kennedy room looks too stuffy; the Reagan room feels so much more inviting.

A little bit of me just died while I wrote that...