Inside the White House: The Vermeil Room

The Vermeil Room is a chamber on the ground floor of the White House in Washington, D.C. While it's currently used as formal ladies' sitting room, it's most famous for being the room where the White House's collection of vermeil (pronounced ver-MAY), or gilded silver, is displayed.

The Vermeil Room, Clinton Administration. Public Domain.

For over a hundred years, the Vermeil Room was used as a storage room and, around 1825, it was transformed into a staff bedroom. During the 1902 renovation in Theodore Roosevelt's Administration, architect Charles Follen McKim altered several staff bedrooms on the ground floor for public use. The chamber was then used as a lounge adjacent to a ladies' restroom, and was called the Social Room. 

What is now the Vermeil Room in 1948. Public Domain.

The Social Room was updated during the reconstruction of the White House during the Truman Administration. It was paneled in pine, recycled from the house's no-longer-sound original 1815 structural pine beams, as were two other rooms on the ground floor: the China Room and the Library. At this time the Vermeil Room received a new, albeit short-lived name: the Billiard Room.

Shortly thereafter, in 1956, heiress Margaret Thompson Biddle--daughter of a prominent Republican and wife of a major general and diplomat--donated her impressive collection of 1,575 pieces of vermeil to the White House. The vermeil was stored in the Billiard Room, and the name of the room was altered to reflect this change.

The Vermeil Room, 1960, by Robert Knudson. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Public Domain.

The vermeil was displayed here, but it was not put to use until the early 1960's when a friend of Jackie Kennedy's suggested otherwise. At that point, some of the bowls and urns were then used to display flowers and fruit on the state floor. The White House was being refurbished at around the same time, and Kennedy's decorator, Stéphane Boudin, refurbished the Vermeil Room. He covered the display shelves with white velvet and painted the room a soft blue. He also added neoclassical mantels, white damask drapes with blue fringe trim, a blue and white carpet, and a gilded chandelier to echo the vermeil. The room was now a showcase for the vermeil, not a sitting room.

Sketch from the 1962 White House guide showing the Vermeil Room after Stéphane Boudin's changes. Public Domain.

Within a few years, First Lady Pat Nixon redecorated the room with green paint and draperies of gold, green, and blue. The room was altered again in the administration of George H. W. Bush, and again in 2006 by First Lady Laura Bush, her decorator Ken Blasingame, White House curator Bill Allman, and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. The walls were painted ivory with a tint of green, and a circa-1829 center table was placed here, along with a sofa from around 1815. The room's lolling chairs were reupholstered in white silk damask. Drapes of olive and gold covered the windows, and a carpet woven in 1860 was placed on the floor. 

The Vermeil Room, 1990. Public Domain.

Today, the walls have a soft gold tint. Portraits of several first ladies are usually displayed here among the vermeil: the portraits of Jackie Kennedy (donned in a complimentary gown of gold), Lady Bird Johnson (wearing yellow), Frances Cleveland, Elizabeth Monroe, Eleanor Roosevelt, Pat Nixon, Lou Hoover and Nancy Reagan have all hung here, although at the time of my visit in June of 2018, Reagan's portrait hung in the downstairs hallway. 

 White House Chief Floral Designer Laura Dowling at work in 2010. Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy. Public Domain.

Public tours take visitors past the Vermeil Room, but everyday visitors cannot enter. One can only imagine what it must be like to sit here for a cozy conversation with a first lady, surrounded by gold.

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BIO: Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen romances with Timeless Heart. A pastor's wife and mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama. Visit her website, www.susannedietze.com, and sign up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bRldfv

Inside the White House: The State Dining Room

The State Dining Room is one of the most heavily-used chambers in the White House. For over two hundred years, it's served as a formal dining room for up to 140 guests, a place for business meetings and forums, a presidential office, a cabinet room, and a drawing room. It's also where the annual gingerbread house is displayed each holiday season.

State Dining Room after June, 2015 refurbishment. Public Domain.

The current look of the State Dining Room is the result of work by Michelle Obama and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, and it features a wool rug that mimics the plaster molding of the ceiling and 34 mahogany chairs. Creamy silk draperies are accented with stripes of bright blue, which complements the Kailua blue in the Obama china pattern, honoring Obama's home state of Hawaii. The drapes hang from carved and gilded poles, which complement the drapery poles in the Red and Green Rooms.

However, the State Dining Room looks quite different today than it did in its original form. The northern third of the room was once part of the Cross Hall. When President John Adams moved into the White House, he was its first occupant, and he found the house far too large for his personal needs. The State Dining Room was partitioned into smaller spaces, and while part of it was used as a dining room, the southwest corner was used as a "levee room,"or drawing room, where the president could chat with members of the public.

In 1801, Thomas Jefferson used this "levee room" as an office. Over the course of his terms, he furnished the room with bookshelves, stools, three tables, armchairs, and a step stool--all mahogany. The floor was covered in green-painted canvas (much like he did in the "dining room" which is now known as the "Green Room"), and he also kept his gardening tools here.

However, the next occupants of the White House, James and Dolley Madison, wanted the room to serve as a dining room, as intended. After some construction work, they replaced the canvas flooring with an ingrain carpet, hung paintings of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson on the walls, and furnished the chamber with a sideboard and a table that could seat 40. The Madisons ordered blue-and-gold china from England, and a centerpiece.

"The President's House" by George Munger, 1814-1815, Public Domain

The room did not stay this way for long, because the White House was burned and gutted in 1814 during the war against the British. When President James Monroe oversaw the restoration (his wife was too ill to assist), he chose to cover the walls of the State Dining Room in green silk. He ordered two mantels made of Italian Carrara marble for the fireplaces, and purchased several ormolu (gilt-bronze) pieces.

One such ormolu piece, an adjustable, mirrored "surtout de table," or "plateau" centerpiece, is still in use today. It came from France and is 14 feet long when at its full length. Garlands of fruit and flowers adorn the rim, and Roman goddesses serve as candle holders. Many Americans hadn't seen pieces like this, and found it to be elegant and impressive. (The photo below shows the plateau, but to see a better resolution photo of the plateau, click here. Alas, the photo is copyrighted and I am unable to share it here.)

The Monroe Plateau is somewhat visible in this photo, taken in the 2000s. Public Domain.

Monroe also ordered tableware and dishes, including 72 place settings of silver, platters, soup tureens, and other dishes. He also ordered 36 settings of vermeil (gold-covered silver) flatware. A 30-setting dessert service from France also arrived at the White House.

The Monroe China made by by P.L. Dagoty, Paris, France, c. 1817. Public Domain.

The State Dining Room was refurbished several times over the next century. President Andrew Jackson replaced the wallpaper with a blue, green, yellow, and white style that also featured gilt borders and gold stars. It was during his administration that the room was first called the "State Dining Room." However, his greatest gift to the State Dining Room might have been moving the stables, which were located outside the room's south window at the time. When windows were opened, it did not make for a pleasant dining experience. 

The color scheme was changed by President Van Buren, and again by President Polk (this time to purple and gold). It was in this room that the first photograph was taken of a president and his advisers, when John Plumbe, Jr., photographed James K. Polk and his cabinet at the start of the Mexican War. 

Eight years later, President Franklin Pierce switched out the carpet and drapes, repainted, and converted the chandeliers to natural gas.

State Dining Room during Pierce Administration (1853-1857). Public Domain.

By the 1850s, it was acknowledged that the State Dining Room was too small for many state functions, and overflow guests were often seated in the Cross Hall. Nevertheless, dining here was a formal affair. Guests walked in to music, and were seated by a chart. The president was served first, and no one could leave the table until he did.

State Dinner at the White House, 1871. Public Domain.

Furnishings seem to have changed often according to the taste of the first family, and it was redecorated several times. In the 1880s, during the administration of President Chester A. Arthur, Tiffany & Co. was contracted to redecorate the room and re-gild pieces, including the Monroe tableau.

The State Dining Room in 1891, about  the time electricity was added. Public Domian.

In 1891, the room was electrified and electric wall sconces were added.

During the Roosevelt renovation of 1902, when many White House rooms saw a major overhaul, the State Dining Room took on a "baronial" appearance, with tapestries on the wall, cooking racks over the fireplace, dark English oak paneling, and oak flooring. A new, massive stone fireplace with the famous "Buffalo mantel" (so called because a buffalo head is carved into it) was added where a door had once been. Game trophies of North American animals were mounted above the oak panels: bison, caribou, Alaskan sheep, and Kodiak bear. A moose head went over the fireplace. 

State Dining Room after 1904. Public Domain

One of the first things First Lady First Ellen Axson Wilson did upon occupying the White House in 1913 was removing the game trophies.

In 1939, George P. A. Healy’s 1869 portrait of Abraham Lincoln was hung above the mantel. It is still there today. Another feature of the room today was installed in 1945, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered John Adams' famous blessing carved into the fireplace. Written in 1800, the blessing reads:  "I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof."

A reconstruction of the house was found to be necessary during the administration of Harry S Truman, and the building was dismantled so a steel superstructure could be inserted within the sandstone walls. much of the State Dining Room's features didn't withstand the renovations well, and the wood paneling was painted celadon green to cover its new flaws. The Buffalo mantel went with Truman to his presidential library.

The State Dining Room following its refurbishment during the Truman Administration. Public Domain.

First Lady Mamie Eisenhower decorated the State Dining Room for each holiday, with cornstalks and jack o'-lanterns at Halloween, green ribbon for St. Patrick's Day, and hearts at Valentine's Day.

Naturally, when Jackie Kennedy set about to refurbish the White House, she set her eye on the State Dining Room. A copy of the Buffalo mantel was installed, the paneling was painted bone color, and many items were re-gilded to match the Monroe centerpiece. The Kennedys also changed the structure of the tables, preferring rounds to the E-shaped table used by previous administrations.

Because the room is so heavily used, it requires upgrading and updating frequently. It has been redecorated or refurbished in some way or another during the administrations of most presidents who followed Kennedy, including Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama.

Michelle Obama and military families prepare honey tea stirrers and crafts in 2012, before the Obama refurbishment. Photo by Chuck Kennedy. Public Domain.

The State Dining Room continues to be a busy place. During the holiday season in 2006, 45,000 guests would enter the room, either as part of a tour, on official business, or as a guest for a meal. That month, 20,000 Christmas cookies, 15,000 Chocolate Truffles, 3,000 racks of lamb, and 500 Filets of Beef would be consumed in the room. Little wonder it requires new carpeting and updates so often!

Holiday decorations in 2006 by Shealah Craighead. Public Domain.

If one is fortunate enough to secure an invitation to the White House and dine here, one could only imagine the mealtime discussions that have occurred here.

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BIO: 
Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen  romances who's seen her work on the ECPA, Amazon, and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can learn more at her website, www.susannedietze.com.

Inside the White House: The Blue Room...Plus a Giveaway!

With the Yellow Oval Room above it and the Diplomatic Reception Room below, the first floor Blue Room is one of three oval reception rooms in the White House. The Blue Room has functioned as the primary reception room since the White House was built, and was first described as the architect, James Hoban, as the "elliptical saloon."

The Blue Room as refurbished in 1995 during the Clinton Administration. Public Domain.

President John Adams used the chamber for receptions, but also as the house's south entrance hall. This particular use did not last, however, and during the Madison Administration, architect Benjamin Latrobe designed classical-revival furniture to be used here. Sadly, the chairs and other furnishings were destroyed  when the White House was burned in 1814.

President Madison set about redecorating the refurbished White House, and ordered a suite of mahogany furniture in the French Empire style for the oval room from French furniture maker Pierre-Antoine Bellangé. However, the firm sent gilded furniture, insisting mahogany was not appropriate for saloons! The oval Aubusson rug, woven specially for this room, was described as green velvet, and the chairs were upholstered in crimson and two shades of gold--not blue.

The Blue Room was not blue until President Van Buren redecorated in 1837. While the blue theme continued through following presidencies, the furniture did not: in 1860 President Buchanan auctioned off several pieces and replaced them with rococo-revival pieces. In the 1870s, President Johnson's daughter-in-law chose blue wallpaper paneled with black and gold geometric shapes.

The Blue Room during the Grant Administration, 1870s. Note the paneled wallpaper. Public Domain.

President Cleveland's Administration saw the room decorated by Tiffany, with a shield and star pattern on the ceiling and robin-egg blue wallpaper inlaid with rosettes of colored glass. (For a beautiful painting of the room, imagined by Peter Waddell, click here.) 

It was in this room, with the glass rosettes on the walls, that President Cleveland married his wife, Frances in 1886. 

President Cleveland and Frances Folsom's wedding in the Blue Room. Harper's Weekly, Public Domain.

In 1902, during the refurbishment that occurred during President Roosevelt's Administration, the Blue Room's decor was restored to its former Empire style. When Jacqueline Kennedy set about restoring and updating the White House in 1961, she read an article that referenced a suite of French Empire-style gilt wood furniture made in 1817 by French furniture maker Pierre-Antoine Bellangé for use in the Yellow Oval Room--the same designer who created the suite for the Blue Room. Kennedy's staff began to research the lost pieces, and found but one: a pier table. The pier table was acquired, restored, and received a new white marble top. It was placed across from the fireplace, which is where it sat during the Madison Administration. 

Replicas of the lost Bellangé chairs were made (although three originals were acquired by the 1970s). A marble-topped table purchased by Madison in 1817 was reintroduced over the years, and still serves as the room's centerpiece (unless it is the Christmas season, when a Christmas Tree takes its place.

The first themed-Christmas at the White House was 1961, when Mrs. Kennedy chose a Nutcracker theme. Robert Knudsen, White House Collection - The White House, Kennedy Library. Public Domain.

While the room has been updated several times, its last refurbishment was in 1995, under the direction of the Committee for Preservation of the White House, the White House Office of the Curator, paid for by the White House Endowment Trust. It has remained a popular chamber, used to receive diplomats, hold receptions and meetings, for small dinners, and to gather.

1981, Presidents Nixon, Reagan, Ford and Carter share a toast in the Blue Room. Public Domain.

President Obama meets with Business Council Leadership in 2009. Public Domain

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Christmas in September?! It sure is! Today I'm giving away a copy of my new release, The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection. To enter to win, please comment below by September 7, 2018, noon Pacific time, and include a way to contact you. 

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Susanne Dietze is the award-winning author of over a dozen inspirational romances. You can learn more about her at www.susannedietze.com.

Inside the White House: The Queen's Bedroom

The Queen's Suite is a guest bedroom and sitting room located in the second-floor family quarters of the White House in Washington D.C. It's near the family bedrooms and across the hall from another famous guest room, the Lincoln Bedroom. Perhaps one of the prettiest rooms in the mansion, it received its regal name in the mid-20th century, inspired by the number of royal guests it has sheltered.

The Queen's Bedroom, 2000. Public Domain

Before the Roosevelt renovation of the White House in 1902, this room was used to house the President's secretary, a live-in job. During the Lincoln Administration, secretaries John Hay and John G. Nicolay slept in the room and used the adjoining sitting room as an office. 

When the West Wing was built, staff moved out, and the suite became a family bedroom. At some point thereafter, it became known as the Rose Room because the bed hangings and curtains were pink, red and white. A bed believed to have been owned by Andrew Jackson was brought across the hall from what is now the Lincoln Bedroom, and complementary pieces of Federal-style furniture helped complete the set. 

At some point the room's name was changed to reflect the number of royal visitors who stayed here, including Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands; Queen Frederika of Greece; Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Princess Anne, who visited the White House with her brother Prince Charles in 1970.

Not all guests have been royalty, of course. Family members like Anna Roosevelt, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's daughter, moved into the room in 1944. She served as the President's assistant and when her mother was absent, Anna was the White House hostess. Notable guests have also stayed here, including Winston Churchill, who visited both before and after World War II. 

The Queen's Bedroom in 1960. Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Public Domain.

Another view of the Queen's Bedroom, 1960. Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Public Domain.

John and Jacqueline Kennedy stayed in the Queen's Suite at the beginning of his administration while the master suite was being redecorated. When they moved to the master suite, Jackie Kennedy added her own personal touches to the room, updating the curtains, bed hangings, upholstery, and carpeting. 

The Queen's Bedroom during the Kennedy Administration, 1963. Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Public Domain.

In 1951, Queen Elizabeth II presented the White House with a beautiful gift when she was still Princess: a late 17th century trumeau (a mirror and a flower painting framed together.). It now hangs above the mantel and is a truly striking piece that complements the room beautifully. (To see a copyrighted photo of Princess Elizabeth presenting it to President Truman, click here. To view the trumeau itself, click here. I apologize for not being able to find a free-use photo of the trumeau.)

While the Queen's Bedroom remains decorated in warm, rosy shades, the adjoining sitting room is a stark contrast in color--but it is no less beautiful. Mrs. Kennedy had the walls covered with heavy cotton Toile de Jouy fabric in a bold blue shade, with white wainscot and trim. Black lacquered furniture from the early 1800's completes the room.

Queen's Sitting Room, White House, 1963. Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Public Domain.

Lady Bird Johnson used this room as a retreat and a place where she could concentrate on work. The room still looks much the same today as it did in the early 1960's.

While the Queen's Bedroom might be lesser known than the Lincoln Bedroom, it is still a prestigious and lovely chamber for guests of the White House, and one steeped in history. 

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Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen historical romances who's seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can learn more about her and her books, including A Mother For His Family, on her website, www.susannedietze.com.

Inside the White House: The Green Room

The Green Room is one of three state parlors in the White House, and it's been the scene of numerous historic events. James Madison signed a declaration of war against Britain in this room in 1812. Here, Edith Roosevelt received guests before her Friday evening concerts, Elinor Roosevelt met with Amelia Earhart, Barbara Bush entertained visiting first ladies; and Donald Trump has held private dinners. And here, the body of eleven-year old Willie Lincoln, President Lincoln's 11-year-old son, was embalmed and lay in repose. 

The Green Room, taken December, 1982 (Reagan Administration. Note the Christmas decorations). Public Domain.

While architect James Hoban intended this room to be the "Common Dining Room," the Green Room was first used as a "Lodging Room," according to the 1801 inventory. 

Within a few years, however, it fulfilled its intended purpose as a dining room. The second occupant of the White House, Thomas Jefferson, had a green canvas cloth laid over the floor to protect it from spills. The next occupants, the Madisons, probably removed the cloth, because Madison used the room as a place to play cards with his friends. It was then furnished in the French Empire style, and also served as a sitting room for Cabinet members (the Cabinet met in the East Room next door). 

The Monroes, first occupants of the White House after it was rebuilt following the fire of 1814, decorated the room in green, but this chamber didn't receive the name "Green Drawing Room" until the John Quincy Adams Administration. (Today, portraits of John Quincy Adams and his wife, Louisa, now hang in the Green Room.)

Details about the room's decor are scarce until the Grant Administration in the 1870's, although Andrew Jackson's earlier choice of green was called "odious" by female visitors. Mary Todd Lincoln had purple drapes hung in the room (purple was quite fashionable at the time as an accent color, and was featured on the Lincoln presidential china, as well.). The Grants redecorated and hung emerald and gold wallpaper on the walls, with matching fabric to cover the chairs. 

The Green Room between 1860-1880. Public Domain {{PD-US}}

By the turn of the twentieth century, however, redecoration and structural changes were deemed necessary at the White House. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt chose the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White for the task, and the firm chose to return the Green Room's decor to the French Empire style, using reproduction furniture.

The Green Room, 1904. Public Domain.

First Lady Grace Coolidge attempted to update the White House in 1924, and she appointed patrons of the arts who were knowledgeable in Early American furniture to help. Unfortunately, members of the committee disagreed about whether to preserve the decor in the Green Room or switch to a Colonial Revival style. When the negativity of the discussion became public knowledge, President Coolidge stepped in and shut down the renovation plans. A new committee was formed two years later, and the Green Room was decorated in a Colonial Revival style with green silk velvet wallpaper. 

Few changes were made over the next several decades, although when work was done on the White House during the Truman administration, green silk damask replaced the velvet wall coverings and window treatments.

Jacqueline Kennedy chose moss-colored silk when she sought a committee's help to refurbish the White House, and antique furnishings were acquired. The Green Room quickly became President John F. Kennedy's favorite room in the house, and after his death, his official portrait hung there for a time.

The Green Room, 1964. Public Domain.

The Green Room was refurbished again in 1971. The draperies of green, coral, and beige striped satin that still hang there today were designed after a pattern  from an early 19th century periodical.

Pat Nixon shows the changes made to the Green Room in 1971. Public Domain.

Styles and preferences have changed by administration, but one thing remains: The Green Room is an elegant chamber, rich in American history.

The Green Room during the Clinton Administration. Public Domain.

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Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen historical romances who's seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama. You can visit her on her website, www.susannedietze.com, and read a sample of her newest book, A Mother For His Family. 

Inside the White House: The China Room

Located on the ground floor of the White House, the China Room has served many purposes over the years: a storage closet, a reception room, and a game room. Now it serves as a place for small receptions, meetings, or teas, but it's most famous for being the chamber where the White House's collection of state china is displayed.

The China Room during the Clinton Administration. Public Domain.

The first official presidential service came about during the Monroe Administration (1817). The dishes came from France, crafted by Dagoty & Honoré of Paris, at a cost of just over a thousand dollars. The red-rimmed pattern showcases an eagle surrounded by symbols strength, commerce, the sciences, agriculture, and the arts.

Monroe China. Public Domain

Through the years, Presidential china was not kept for further use, much less posterity. Damaged china was sold or donated, and functional pieces were often auctioned off at the end of an administration to help pay for new china.

After becoming first lady in 1889, Caroline Harrison put a stop to such practices. She  started to collect and store china from earlier administrations, and she displayed the collection in the White House's private Family Dining Room.

Mrs. Harrison's china. Public Domain.

A talented artist, gifted in watercolors and painting china, Mrs. Harrison also designed a set of china for the White House. She placed the Coat of Arms of the United States in the center of the plates, surrounded by a band of blue with a goldenrod and corn motif. Sadly, she died before the china was delivered to the White House.

At the turn of the next century, Edith Roosevelt collaborated with journalist Abby Gunn Baker to research the collection of White House china and recognize the pieces as historic artifacts related to the Presidency. They moved the pieces to a room on the ground floor which had been allotted space for a gallery during the 1902 renovation of the White House. 

In 1917, Edith Bolling Wilson noted the lack of space for the growing collection. While Abby Gunn Baker continued to research the collection, White House Chief-Usher Irwin Hood Hoover assisted Mrs. Wilson in finding a new home for the china collection. They chose the chamber next to the Diplomatic Reception Room and called it the Presidential Collections Room. Built-in cabinets were built to display items, including china.

The Presidential Collections Room, 1918. Public Domain

Grace Coolidge by Christy, 1924. Public Domain

During the Truman renovation (1948–1952), pine timbers salvaged from other areas of the White House were used to panel the walls. Jacqueline Kennedy had the paneling glazed in three shades of gray during the early 1960s, and the cabinets were lined with the red velvet to match the gown worn by First Lady Grace Coolidge in a 1924 painting by Christy which hangs in the room. 

First Lady Pat Nixon redecorated the room in 1970. The walls were painted off-white, but red continued to be the accent color.

The collection of dishes, glassware, crystal, and other tableware is displayed according to its chronology, starting to the right of the fireplace. Each president is represented, although not every administration designed or received a state service; personal china is also shown. 

Today, a few pieces are also on display in a cabinet in the Ground Floor Corridor, and the rest of the dish sets are glassware are kept carefully in storage--but the dishes do not molder away. They get used.

More recent service sets are the only ones large enough for today's state dinners. The Reagans' famous Lenox red and gold china was used for state dinners by the Clinton Administration, as was the Truman green-rimmed set, since the Clinton china wasn't delivered until the end of his term. The Clinton set, George W. Bush and Barack Obama also have china service for state functions. (Also, one of Donald Trump's grandchildren was photographed eating off the Reagan china while wearing his pajamas.)

The Reagan Service. Public Domain.

Even the oldest dishes are used by presidential families. The Clintons are known to have used the Hayes set of 1879, perhaps the most unusual set in the White House Collection. Artist Theodore R. Davis suggested to First Lady Lucy Hayes that the nation's flora and fauna should be incorporated, and before he was finished, he created 130 designs, some of them in nontraditional shapes. Produced by Haviland for $3,120, reproductions were popular with the public at the time.

Oyster plate: one of the more unique pieces of the Hayes China. Public Domain.

The Carters and Reagans, however, both enjoyed using the Lincoln "solferino" (purple-rimmed) service for special occasions. 

Reproduction of the Lincoln solferino china manufactured for the Obama inauguration. Public Domain

Apparently they are not alone in treasuring the Lincoln solferino. In 2009 collectors could expect to purchase White House dishes at auction for between $4,000 and $6,000 a piece--not a place setting--but the Lincoln solferino china fetched over $14,000 for a single plate.

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Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of a dozen new and upcoming historical romances. A pastor's wife and mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can visit her on her website, www.susannedietze.com, and read a sample of her newest book, A Mother For His Family.