Michelle Obama's Office Is the Coolest Hangout In the White House
Did you know that the President's wife has an office? Neither did Politico, until last week, when someone probably wondered aloud, at a staff meeting, "Where does the First Lady go when she's not shopping or doing other lady things?" And no one knew the answer, so they decided to investigate. They discovered that in addition to soliciting signatures for Barack's birthday cards and taking vacations down in the Gulf, FLOTUS specializes in home decor. The design experts at Politico have seen the First Lady's East Wing Office and say, "One thing's for sure: The space is a far cry from the President's Oval Office." Let's explore Politico's findings, because what could be more important right now than the First Lady's competence as an interior decorator?
Obama, who redecorated the space last summer, has gone for something more casual than the gold tones of the Oval Office: an off-white, overstuffed, living-room-type couch -- with floral and other printed pillows -- along with two brown-and-cream-patterned chairs. The space is painted a warm, cozy peach color, and the windows feature plantation-style shutters rather than curtains or blinds.
Michelle chose "warm, cozy" things because she is the cool Obama, the Obama who has friends and doesn't have to beg strangers to sign her birthday card. That's why she also has a round, 10-person table instead of a desk. She simply can't get enough seating in that office to fit all of her friends!
Over the past year, artwork has gone up on the walls, too. There's a vibrant Mark Rothko on loan from the National Gallery of Art, as well as "On the Way," a colorful piece by Jacob Lawrence, from The Phillips Collection, which shows African-American men and women moving through the streets.
She is so progressive, that First Lady, with her abstract paintings and crazy art from The Future, a place where black people can freely walk the streets. She also apparently keeps a copy of Jacques Cousteau's The Ocean World on her bookshelf, in case she gets bored and decides to take up scuba diving. And it's a good thing Politico found this out for us because really, who would look fiercer in a wet suit than our FLOTUS? [ Politico ]