President’s Office Takes On New Neutral Tones, but Keeps Its Familiar Shape
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: August 31, 2010
...The makeover was not done at taxpayer expense. The White House said costs were covered by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, through a contribution from the committee that paid for Mr. Obama’s inauguration.
The administration will not disclose how much the redesign cost, except to say the price was “in line with” what Mr. Obama’s two most recent predecessors had spent. (President Bill Clinton’s Oval Office had a bright blue rug and couches striped in candy cane white and red.)
Still, given the hard economic times facing the nation, Mr. Obama is bound to face questions, chief among them, Why now?
When he arrived for work at the White House in January of last year, the president said he thought the office was fine and saw no need for new furnishings.
And when he unveiled his budget the next month, Mr. Obama cautioned that the government would have to make hard choices about spending.
“There are times where you can afford to redecorate your house,” the president said then, “and there are times where you need to focus on rebuilding its foundation.”