I like the way Carter had his furniture arranged. It sort of chopped the room up a little but it looked more functional to have a sofa and some chairs facing the desk and then a separate sofa area in the rear.
I like the look of the Bush room better than the Obama room. I just like bright clean white rooms. But Obama’s does look comfy and I do like the striped wallpaper. I’m a big fan of stripes, in general.
I’ll have to confess that I like it. The strong red, white, and blue, while appropriate, was a bit overwhelming.
I like the stripes, so there. Looks kinda 18th-century. I like most of it, but the couches are too poofy. The leather chairs are better. I even like the coffee table pretty well.
I can’t stand the striped wallpaper and the carpet is rather ugly.
I think Bush’s setup was better.
It’s too brown and beige.
This is an interesting example of cultural difference. I’m a pretty intense political geek, and I haven’t the faintest idea what the Prime Minister’s Office looks like. It’s remarkable enough I even know what building it’s in (the Langevin Block).
Of course in this country you have to be a political dork to even know what his wife’s name is (Laureen).
YES!
Ahem.
Sorry, carry on.
It looks comfortable, but I’m ambivalent on whether that’s really what one should want for the office of the head of state. It looks like an American version of a small European country’s bicycle monarchy.
I think it looks very warm and inviting. The old one looks sterile by comparison.
For the record, I’ve seen Bush’s before in photos and liked it a lot, so when I read the OP my first thought was “oh great, what did you do?” I was surprised how much I liked it.
My take on that is that I get more work done when I’m comfortable. There are plenty of formal rooms available in the White House in Obama wants to meet another head of state in a room that says “you are in a place of power and formality” - this one he needs to work in.
Does Obama really use this office? I get the impression that he is never there-he is constantly on vacation.
Maybe this is where he goes when he needs to get away from the wife and kids 
It’s a nice, well-decorated room, but I guess I would expect the Oval Office to be a bit more formal.
Wrong president. Bush spent nearly 500 days at Camp David and an equal amount of time at the Texas ranch. Granted, some of that time was a “working” vacation, as it is with most presidents.
I like the room much better than the way Clinton had it. All that gold and royal blue looked too. . .regal.
I think they were kidding.
I think the Oval Office is really for meetings. They have a side office for actual work.
There is a private office, bathroom and small dining room, through the door to the President’s left as he sits at his Oval Office desk.
I thought that was Leo’s office.
Although I sort of liked the old Bush Administration design, it did seem a bit cold. As if you were only supposed to sit there for three minutes, tops, get your photo op and then get the bum’s rush as they escorted you out.
The new look makes it seem like you can sit and maybe discuss something for a bit. If I think about a couple of heads of state sitting around chatting, I would much rather see them in comfortable sofas, easing into conversation and occasionally leaning forward to get a drink of the coffee (or beer) on the table.
Not my choice of colors, and the sofas seem a bit too difficult to really sit back without looking like you are sprawling and searching for the TV remote, but otherwise, an improvement.
That is the brownest room I have ever seen.
Looking through those, I like Bush’s design the best. Except I might have kept Clinton’s carpet.