To celebrate President Obama’s birthday last August, we took a look at a few of the spaces in the White House that we thought would be great locations for a memorable birthday party grand enough to make the likes of George Clooney and Jay Z jealous.
Today just so happens to be Independence Day and the 237th birthday of our great nation: The United States of America. To celebrate what is arguably one of the most historic and important birthdays of all-time, let’s take a look at a few more of our favorite spaces in our country’s most famous home – The White House
The White House Kitchen
The kitchen in any home is often times referred to as the most important room in a home and undoubtedly where “all the magic happens.” The kitchen in the White House is no exception as chefs prepare delicious four course meals for dignitaries and classic American breakfasts for the “first children”.
As is the case in our own homes, even the White House needs a renovation here and there to keep up with the times. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly wasn’t happy with the kitchen’s amenities so she had it renovated with professional level appliances in 1935. Today this fully stocked kitchen has the capacity to cook dinner for up to 140 guests.
Library
It takes a whole lot of reading to make it to the White House, so it’s no surprise that the Library in this home sets the perfect mood for its most famous residents to seek some quiet time to read, write and relax when the time allows.
As the White House is no stranger to change, the Presidential Library on the Ground Floor was originally a locker room and then a laundry room until it was converted to a library in 1935. The room is a cozy size at a 27 x 23 ft. dimension and is often used for tea (my favorite) because it is less formal than other parts of the home. While everything in this room has been meticulously selected, the gilded wood chandelier is perhaps most interesting as it was made in 1800 and belonged “to the family of James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans and other classics.” You’ll also find a chair belonging to President James Monroe and portraits of four Native American leaders who visited the White House in 1821-22.
The President’s Bedroom
With the home being well over one hundred years old, it’s amazing to think of all the great men and women who have rested and slept in this very room after a long days work leading our great country. The President’s Bedroom hasn’t been the bedroom to every President (many of them slept in the ‘Living Room’), as it has been used as a first lady’s suite by Jackie Kennedy and other notable first ladies. However, contrary to popular belief, this is the actual “Lincoln Bedroom” as he used to sleep in this very room!
The unmistakable and hard to miss wallpaper that features birds and butterflies in the image above was put up in the 1980s by the Reagan family but was reportedly replaced by the Clintons and then changed again by the Bush family.
While the White House is often referred to as the ‘People’s House’ and to a certain degree a symbol of our great country, it is nice to see how each Presidential family has had the opportunity to truly make it their ‘home‘. In all, there are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms and 6 levels in this residence; if you’d like to learn more about the White House visit the virtual ‘White House Museum‘.
Happy Fourth of July!
*All White House Images Courtesy of: The White House Museum
