The Oval Office is nearly as familiar an image as the president himself. But the first lady’s work space is the opposite: rarely photographed or mentioned by the press. Yet it’s a busy, highly trafficked part of the White House, where Michelle Obama makes phone calls, holds meetings, hosts visitors and conducts interviews. As she garners ever more attention for her initiatives, world travels and social engagements, we find ourselves wondering: What does her East Wing office look like?
With the help of White House aides, who shared details about the space and provided photos, POLITICO has assembled a peek at where FLOTUS gets her work done. One thing’s for sure: The work space is a far cry from the Oval Office.
The first lady, 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. In lieu of a personal desk, Obama asked that a round, 10-person table be brought in, so that her staff can gather for meetings.
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.
About 10 photographs of the Obama family are scattered along a wall of bookshelves. (The public got a rare glimpse of those shelves when Obama taped her first live online chat about her childhood obesity initiative for AOL. “Welcome to my White House office,” she said, sitting in front of books including Sylvia Porter’s “Money Book” and Jacques Cousteau’s “The Ocean World,” as well as family portraits in silver frames and a bowl of apples.)
The office is also decorated with a photo of a military family — a gift she received while in Fort Bragg — and a poster from the Kids Inaugural Concert that took place in the days before her husband was sworn in.
About 10 photographs of the Obama family are scattered along a wall of bookshelves. (The public got a rare glimpse of those shelves when Obama taped her first live online chat about her childhood obesity initiative for AOL. “Welcome to my White House office,” she said, sitting in front of books including Sylvia Porter’s “Money Book” and Jacques Cousteau’s “The Ocean World,” as well as family portraits in silver frames and a bowl of apples.)
The office is also decorated with a photo of a military family — a gift she received while in Fort Bragg — and a poster from the Kids Inaugural Concert that took place in the days before her husband was sworn in.
Much like her predecessor, Laura Bush, Obama splits her time between the office and her workspace in the residence, which overlooks the Rose Garden and the Oval Office. According to the National First Ladies Library, Rosalynn Carter also made use of her East Wing office, though first ladies including Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Betty Ford and Jackie Kennedy preferred to work in the residence.
As for Hillary Clinton, the NFLL website notes that she maintained both the East Wing office and an office in the West Wing, because of her involvement in policy.
