The Oval Office, the working office of the president of the United States, is one of the most iconic rooms in all of the world. It is instantly recognizable. The floor is recognizable as well; it is well known for having a rug bearing the seal of the president. However, that’s not the permanent floor. Each president redesigns the rug when they take office. The permanent floor of the Oval Office is actually hardwood. It was chosen by Nancy Reagan in the 1980s.
The Floor
As with many floors installed in the 1950s, the previous floor of the Oval Office was linoleum. It was practical but uninspiring. When Nancy Reagan decided to remodel the Oval Office, she chose a very bold pattern that many homeowners still find exciting. That’s why many homeowners are now looking to emulate the hardwood floor. The floor is made of alternating quartersawn oak and walnut. The boards form a cross that meets at the middle of the office floor.
The oak is a light golden color and the walnut is stained a grayish green. The contrasting colors evoke a chessboard. While most people never see this floor because it’s covered by a large rug, it has endured for decades in great quality.
How to Imitate It
If you want to imitate the Oval Office floor in your own home, you’ll need two kinds of hardwood or at least two stains. Preferably, you’ll have one in a very light color such as a honey blonde. The other should be stained something dark that still shows the wood grain. The Oval Office has skinny planks that were very popular in the 1980s and remain trendy today. So, you should choose planks six inches or thinner. Also, choose the longest planks you can find to create the illusion of continuous motion towards the center of the room.
Alternate the light and the dark woods. Arranging them in a cross pattern is most true to the White House pattern; however, you can vary it to fit your own room. For example, if your room is square, you might choose to tilt the pattern so that the lines come from the corners. That could create the illusion of motion in a room. Others might choose to have the boards seem to radiate out from the middle; that could make a small room look larger.
Whatever you choose, the floor designed for FDR is still inspiring homeowners nearly 90 years later.