Presidential Taupe

If you have searched for a break for the seemingly unrelenting bad news about the economy, you may have read about the recent design update of the Oval Office. Apparently, even the President needs the occasional remodel.

The designer for the project was California based Michael Smith and has elicited, in the words of the New York Times, "a collective yawn" from the blogosphere. Me? I love earthy neutrals but understand they can veer into boring territory without a shot of color, texture and shading.

The room is decidedly heavy on neutral tones - the New York Times even titled their article The Audacity of Taupe! Since we are often in search of the perfect neutral paint colors in this blog, there may be inspiration here for the average homeowner for a less public space. The interjection of the blue comes from the contemporary lamps from Christopher Spitzmiller and the accent pillows. The modern mica coffee table from Roman Thomas offers another contemporary touch.

The new Oval Office rug made by Scott Group showcases the Presidential Seal off center in a field of beige and includes these quotes on the edge:

• “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.” — President John F. Kennedy
• “The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally on the welfare of all of us.” — President Theodore Roosevelt
• “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” — attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. but actually from abolitionist Theodore Parker (1810-1860)
• “Government of the people, by the people and for the people.” — President Abraham Lincoln (also a paraphrase of an earlier Parker quote)

Inspirational, calming and comfortable. If these qualities in the Oval Office design are conducive to the President doing his best work, then the mission has been accomplished. What do you think?