Pres. Biden Reveals How Decor Is Chosen For Oval Office In The White House

Just like all the different rooms in The White House have their special meanings, every piece of furniture and decor in the Oval Office is carefully and thoughtfully selected. Some items are permanent while others are brought in as personal choices by each president. In a tour of the Oval and White House, President Joe Biden revealed to Architectural Digest how the decor for his tenure was chosen (via YouTube). His brother James and historian and presidential biographer Jon Meacham were instrumental in the process.

"On Inauguration Day, the outgoing president has to be out by noon or 10 o'clock in the morning. Incoming can't come in till 4 o'clock so you can decide what furniture and what decorations you want in the Oval Office," said President Biden in the YouTube video. "In suburban Maryland, there is a facility that is a replica in terms of dimensions of the Oval Office, and so you go out there and pick the rugs and furniture you want and see what it looks like." During this process, he chose the big blue rug that covers the entire floor while his brother helped with the rest, like his work desk, the portraits on the wall, and some new busts.

President Biden chose the Oval Office rug because he loves the color blue, but there's much more to the piece. Designed by Kaki Hockersmith, an interior designer from Little Rock, Arkansas, the royal blue rug was actually there 20 years ago. It was created during President Bill Clinton's tenure and taken out during that of President Bush. 

For his desk, they chose the Resolute Desk, which has been used by other recent presidents. President Biden and his grandson Beau recreated the photo of John F. Kennedy Jr. with his son peeking out from underneath the desk and it is now displayed in the office. Two other special photos on display are one with his daughter on her wedding day and one with President Obama and President Biden's mother walking onto the stage when Obama was declared president.

Jon Meacham asked President Biden for one word to explain America and he chose "possibilities." From this, they decided on five portraits to go on the fireplace wall, of Roosevelt, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Hamilton. One of the most iconic White House decor ideas, this gallery wall of inspirational art was another significant change because other presidents usually had just one or two of these portraits. Gallery walls are a great way to create a focal point in a room, and this does it successfully because the content and layout of the paintings maintain a very strong presence in the Oval.