First Lady Michelle Obama Oversees $590K Makeover Of White House State Dining Room

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama has made some slight changes to the interior design of the White House’ State Dining Room. Exclusive photos from the $590,000 makeover were released Tuesday.

The makeover was done under the first lady's supervision, the Associated Press reported. it included yellow upholstered dining chairs and a new mahogany and “horsehair” fabric dining set custom-made in North Carolina. The chairs, made with a brown, grid-pattered fabric, were modeled after the armchairs that former President James Monroe ordered for the East Room in 1818.

In addition, silk drapes with peacock blue and ecru vertical stripes replaced the old ivory-colored silk curtains designed with ribbons, baskets and flowers. The blue touch in the curtains was inspired from the waters in President Barack Obama’s home state of Hawaii. The drapes also compliment the “Kailua Blue” China set that took three-and-a-half years to make before it was used for state services. The same set was previewed in April at a state dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, ABC News reported. The term “Kailua Blue” also referred to Hawaii.

In February, Mrs. Obama unveiled a new look for the Old Family Dining Room, the New York Daily News reported. It featured soft gray walls instead of bright yellow ones, adding several abstract paintings by Joseph Albers, Alma Thomas and Robert Rauschenberg.

The latest makeover cost $590,000, which was funded by the White House Endowment Trust. It was administered by the White House Historical Association specifically made for the preservation and maintenance of White House rooms that are accessible to the public. Such rooms include the State Dining Room, the East Room, the Blue, Red and Green rooms.

All of the makeover changes in the State Dining Room were approved by the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. The room was last renovated in 1998, during the administration of former President Bill Clinton.