What Happens to Old White House Furniture?

What Happens to Old White House Furniture?

The old furniture is considered junk material that is usually removed from the building, but old White House furniture is handled in different ways.

What Happens to Old White House Furniture? Old White House furniture is shifted to the warehouse for repair to fix the damage and returned to the building when the issue is resolved. Moreover, it can become a part of the storage house if it cannot be repaired and remains there for a long time. Furthermore, the White House has been renovated almost 3 to 4 times when new furniture was added to the building. 

Most commonly, old furniture items are repaired and converted to new ones after polishing or recycling instead of being dumped into waste.

Where does the furniture in the White House come from?

It is interesting to know the source of beautiful and luxurious furniture present in different rooms of the White House to improve the overall appearance.

It is replaced with new elegant furniture after getting damaged or dull in appearance that is ruining the luxurious feel of the building.

The wooden items for the royal house need to look elegant and have to be unique in designs that are not available in small stores.

The government approves a budget to add new items to replace the old ones and allows interior designers to purchase expensive products.

Moreover, the White House furniture comes from auctions providing appealing products that can meet the standards of the royal families.

It allows buyers to bid for the item and win through competitive bidding by offering a value close to the market value.

It is a quick buying method that helps avoid extensive negotiation periods.

In addition, it can also be purchased from private sellers providing high-quality, distinctive, and impressive products that can give an awe-inspiring look to the rooms.

Many private manufacturers are producing expensive products that deserve to be a part of the White House as they have better durability and appearance.

What happens to old furniture in the White House?

The wooden furniture remains intact for a particular time and loses strength over time. Its aging process starts when it is used for many years and gets closer to the expected lifespan.

Moreover, it begins to lose color after continuous oxidation due to excessive exposure to sun rays. Exposure to water can also decrease its longevity and speed up the aging process.

The wood color and paint fade over time, leaving the wooden surface exposed to air elements when it gets old.

It requires maintenance for long-term usage, but eventually, it has to pass through the aging process and needs to be replaced with high-quality products.

White House chairs and tables get replaced with new ones when they lose grace and strength due to aging. It raises questions about the fate of royal tables, chairs, and beds when they get old.

These items are transported to a warehouse near National Airport that leads to an inspection and repair process.

Completely damaged products become part of landfills and get destroyed as they cannot be used.

However, a few repairable items pass through the cleaning and repairing process and are sent back to the President’s House when their issues get resolved.

The Monroe sofa was purchased from an auction sent to a warehouse in 1978 and never returned to the White House.

Additionally, they are also kept in the storage houses of the warehouse until they get repaired. Some of the antique pieces will remain in storage for a lifetime.

The Benjamin Franklin clock, New York Empire Tables, and America Eaglewood carvings are present in the storage areas of the warehouse.

How often does the White House get renovated?

Renovation of buildings allows improvement in the outdated structure and replacement of broken or damaged items like furniture.

White House has passed through four major reconstructions and renovations from the 17th to 19th centuries. It was first renovated in 1792 when George Washington was the President.

In 1814, its renovation began after an extensive fire when the higher flames burnt almost everything in the White House.

It took around 2 to 3 years for the complete refurbishment and reconstruction of the building as constructors had restored ornaments and rebuilt walls.

In addition, the building was renovated in 1902 when a west wing was established, which is an executive office space built for the President and staff members.

The reconstruction of the White House in 1948 made noticeable changes in the building structure that were made by Truman, resulting in significant changes or extensive expansion.

President’s house was changed at a massive scale as interior and exterior changes were made to the building, which took around 4 years and got completed in 1952.

In addition to these significant renovations, minor changes were also made in the interior areas each year with the introduction of technological advancements.

Heating, cooling, and lighting systems were installed in the building to introduce more facilities for royal families. In addition, a few presidents have added new furniture and artwork for aesthetic purposes.

What brand of furniture is in the White House?

Many private furniture manufacturing brands provide sitting, sleeping, and storage items for the White House, but Kittinger Furniture has been serving royal families for over 35 years.

Kittinger Furniture is a trusted company, providing handcrafted products for more than 100 years, but its relationship with the White House started in 1969.

President Nixon hired them to create productive items for the Cabinet Room when they designed a conference table.

Kittinger manufactured fireside chairs in the Oval Office, and Greenroom and West wing waiting room has furniture made by them.

Furthermore, it is a family-owned business based on around 50 to 60 employees and is prominently known for manufacturing furniture for the President’s house.

What is the oldest piece of furniture in the White House?

White House has many old wooden pieces that only belonged to this building for a long time and are still present.

A few old pieces like French Empire sofas, American painted chairs, and New York Empire tables are moved to a warehouse in Alexandria as they got damaged over time.

However, a mahogany bookcase is still present in the President’s house and is known to be the oldest furniture item in this building.

This English-made bookcase was introduced to the building in 1770 and has maintained quality. Moreover, a coffee urn is the oldest artifact in the building, present from John Adam’s time.

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