The Red Room

The red room is one of the most used and at the same time, the most decorative rooms in the White House. It is used for both private and public events, including official dinners, receptions, and formal parties, such as the one here between the Obama and Bush families. It was originally designed as a room to serve breakfast, but it changed functions over time. In the past, it was used as a reading room, as a place for entertainment and music, and for gentlemanly meetings with brandy and cigars. Its interior decor is inspired by Empire and Grecian styles. The most prominent painting in the red room is the portrait of Angelica Singleton, the wife of the son of the Eight President of the United States Martin Van Buren, who was a hostess of the White House. The red room also features paintings that show various picturesque landscapes of the United States.

The Oval Office 

The Oval office is the official workspace of the President of the United States - it is here where he makes the most important decisions. It is also a symbol of Presidential power and majesty, and a place to greet important guests. It is designed in oval shape so the guests can take part in greeting ceremonies. Each president, after moving in, gets to decorate his room according to his requirements and style. The most famous piece of furniture in the Oval Office is the Resolute Desk. It is made from the wood from a British navy ship called the H.M.S. Resolute. It was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. Since then, the desk has been used by almost every president. The artworks in the white room are chosen by the presidents themselves. The painting on the left is the Avenue in the Rain by Childe Hassam, 1917, which depicts a street in New York adorned with flags and banners - a memory of the support of the Allied war effort during World War I. The painting on the right is a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, which is a tribute to science and scientific discoveries. On the opposite side of the office, we can see the portraits of American Presidents. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is at the centre. Around it, clockwise from top left, President George Washington, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, President Thomas Jefferson and President Abraham Lincoln. The famous grandfather clock, made at the end of the 18th century, is one of the most constant features of the Oval Office, and has appeared in hundreds of famous photos with world leaders. He is a silent witness of all the historic decisions that were taken there.