How the White House's decor has changed over the years

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Talia LakritzJul 28, 2020, 03:45 IST
How the White House's decor has changed over the years

The Oval Office in 1990 and 2011.Susan Biddle/White House/File/AP, Pete Souza/Getty Images

  • The Oval Office has been expanded, renovated, and redecorated several times throughout US history.
  • The Blue Room has had varying designs of blue wallpaper and blue curtains.
  • Truman renovated the State Dining Room in the 1950s, and Jacqueline Kennedy restored it in the 1960s.

Melania Trump announced on July 27 that she will oversee a renovation of the White House Rose Garden. She joins a long tradition of presidents and first ladies who have redecorated the White House while in office.

The White House has 132 rooms, and each new president gets $100,000 to redecorate them. After 45 presidents, the historic building has gone through many different looks and color schemes.

We traced the histories of three significant White House rooms — the Oval Office, the Blue Room, and the State Dining Room — to see how their designs have changed over the years.

Here's what the White House's decor looked like then and now.

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The White House has 132 rooms.

The White House has 132 rooms.
The White House. David Evison/Shutterstock

There are also 35 bathrooms.

The Oval Office is the president's formal work space.

The Oval Office is the president's formal work space.
President Donald Trump signs a bill into law in the Oval Office. Ron Sachs/Pool/Getty Images

The office's oval shape was inspired by the shape of the Blue Room on the first floor.

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It was completed in 1909 under William Taft.

It was completed in 1909 under William Taft.
President Taft in the Oval Office. B.M. Clinedinst/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

The Oval Office was designed by architect Nathan C. Wyeth.

A fire destroyed much of the West Wing in 1929, so Herbert Hoover restored and expanded it in 1930.

A fire destroyed much of the West Wing in 1929, so Herbert Hoover restored and expanded it in 1930.
Construction on the new Oval Office, 1930. Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing Collection

Among Hoover's upgrades was the Oval Office's first telephone.

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FDR redesigned and moved the Oval Office in 1934.

FDR redesigned and moved the Oval Office in 1934.
The Oval Office, 1934. Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress

Roosevelt expanded the West Wing to accommodate more staff. The Oval Office was moved to the southeast corner of the White House, which had initially been a laundry drying yard.

He also added details like a ceiling medallion of the Presidential Seal.

He also added details like a ceiling medallion of the Presidential Seal.
The ceiling of the Oval Office. Obama White House/Flickr
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First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had the Resolute Desk restored in 1963.

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had the Resolute Desk restored in 1963.
The Oval Office, 1963. Harold Sellers/JFK Library

The Resolute desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, and it has been used by seven presidents to this day.

Gerald Ford added his own touch with a burgundy color scheme and striped couches in 1975.

Gerald Ford added his own touch with a burgundy color scheme and striped couches in 1975.
The Oval Office, 1975. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

The striped sofas were on trend in the '70s.

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George H.W. Bush's Oval Office redecoration included a new rug with a gold Presidential Seal, new drapes, a coffee table, and two tall armchairs.

George H.W. Bush's Oval Office redecoration included a new rug with a gold Presidential Seal, new drapes, a coffee table, and two tall armchairs.
The Oval Office, 1990. Susan Biddle/White House/File/AP

The armchairs on either side of the Resolute Desk, dating back to Hoover's time in the White House, were reupholstered in blue.

George W. Bush preferred neutral tones for the rug and curtains.

George W. Bush preferred neutral tones for the rug and curtains.
The Oval Office, 2001. Mark Wilson/Newsmakers/Getty Images

The new gold rug featured a sunbeam design.

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Bill Clinton had a new blue rug installed.

Bill Clinton had a new blue rug installed.
The Oval Office, 1993. J.Scott Applewhite/File/AP

The rug was made by The Scott Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Barack Obama added red curtains, striped wallpaper, and a new rug also made by The Scott Group.

Barack Obama added red curtains, striped wallpaper, and a new rug also made by The Scott Group.
The Oval Office, 2011. Pete Souza/Getty Images

The rug featured the Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.''

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Donald Trump replaced the striped wallpaper with a subtle white pattern.

Donald Trump replaced the striped wallpaper with a subtle white pattern.
The Oval Office, 2017. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

He also reinstalled Clinton's draperies.

The Blue Room is where presidents receive guests.

The Blue Room is where presidents receive guests.
President Donald Trump in the Blue Room in 2017. Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images

The oval shape dates back to George Washington's practice of holding levees, formal greeting receptions inspired by English court.

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the Blue Room as his temporary office while the Oval Office was being remodeled in 1934.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the Blue Room as his temporary office while the Oval Office was being remodeled in 1934.
The Blue Room, 1934. AP

By 1940, Roosevelt cleared out and returned to the Oval Office.

In 1963, The Blue Room displayed various antiques and paintings.

In 1963, The Blue Room displayed various antiques and paintings.
The Blue Room, 1963. AP

It also featured striped wallpaper.

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Heavy blue curtains covered the windows in the 1970s.

Heavy blue curtains covered the windows in the 1970s.
The Blue Room, 1970s. Harvey Meston/Getty Images

The striped wallpaper was replaced with dark blue.

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton unveiled a renovated Blue Room in 1995.

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton unveiled a renovated Blue Room in 1995.
The Blue Room, 1995. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The room was remodeled after the Committee for the Preservation of the White House recommended that it be refurbished.

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Most notably, the blue wallpaper was replaced with yellow wallpaper.

Most notably, the blue wallpaper was replaced with yellow wallpaper.
The Blue Room, 2001. Eric Draper/White House/Getty Images

The Blue Room isn't just for ceremonial greetings — in 2001, George W. Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair there before addressing the nation in the wake of September 11.

The Blue Room is particularly festive during the holidays.

The Blue Room is particularly festive during the holidays.
The Blue Room, 2009. J. Scott Applewhite/File/AP

For the Obamas' first Christmas in the White House in 2009, the Blue Room was adorned with an 18-foot high Douglas fir illuminated with LED lights.

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The State Dining Room is where the White House hosts state and holiday dinners.

The State Dining Room is where the White House hosts state and holiday dinners.
The State Dining Room, 2017. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The menu is usually chosen by the first lady.

The State Dining Room was green during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency in 1904.

The State Dining Room was green during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency in 1904.
The State Dining Room, 1904. Library of Congress

Roosevelt expanded the State Dining Room during the 1902 White House renovation and added a moose head to the walls.

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The design stayed more or less the same until the entire White House was renovated under Truman in 1952.

The design stayed more or less the same until the entire White House was renovated under Truman in 1952.
The State Dining Room, circa 1948. Library of Congress

The renovation cost $5.7 million then, which would be nearly $53 million today.

Jacqueline Kennedy restored much of the White House, including the State Dining Room, in the early 1960s.

Jacqueline Kennedy restored much of the White House, including the State Dining Room, in the early 1960s.
The State Dining Room, 1962. AP

She conducted a tour of the newly-restored White House that was watched by more than 80 million Americans on television in 1962.

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During the Reagan presidency, the State Dining Room was decorated with yellow drapes and red tablecloths.

During the Reagan presidency, the State Dining Room was decorated with yellow drapes and red tablecloths.
The State Dining Room, 1987. Ron Edmonds/AP

Back when Bill Clinton was the governor of Arkansas, he spoke at the White House in 1987.

The State Dining Room was decorated with pink flowers to welcome Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2006.

The State Dining Room was decorated with pink flowers to welcome Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2006.
The State Dining Room, 2006. Shealah Craighead/White House via Getty Images

It featured a cream-colored carpet and matching curtains.

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A funky purple tablecloth with green chair cushions brightened up the State Dining Room in 2012 when David Cameron visited the White House.

A funky purple tablecloth with green chair cushions brightened up the State Dining Room in 2012 when David Cameron visited the White House.
The State Dining Room, 2012. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The tables were set were in honor of David Cameron's visit to the White House.

It can transform into a performance space with mood lighting.

It can transform into a performance space with mood lighting.
The State Dining Room, 2015. Alex Wong/Getty Images

At a post-state dinner reception for the Prime Minister of Japan in 2015, the State Dining Room was dramatically lit in purple.

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The State Dining Room now features gold-hued curtains.

The State Dining Room now features gold-hued curtains.
The State Dining Room, 2017. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Donald Trump is the first president since the 1920s to not host a state dinner during his first year in office, but he hosted other events and meetings in the space.

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