Obama's Oval Office Goes . . .IKEA  

Why not?
What better time to provide an example for the country of spending less?
Where does all that stuff from the White House go anyway when there are new tenants? I just read that the custom rug made for the Bushes in the Oval Office is going into a government warehouse when he leaves. I know, it'll probably end up in the Bush Library, but not all their furnishings will go there. And what about all the gifts from heads of state over the years? Where does all that junk end up?
I think the Obamas have a great opportunity to lead by example here. Michelle has already shown that she can rock a $30 dress from the Gap, and we have seen that Barack looks handsome no matter what he's wearing. They've got a lot of style. I would love to see them move the White House into the current century.
I would also like to propose that visiting heads of state make gift contributions to charities instead of giving yet another inscribed Baccarat bowl or silver samovar or prayer rug or whatever. Unless that stuff gets auctioned off at some point for charity, then ok. Let the samovars roll.

All gifts
All gifts from foreign heads of state become the property of the US public and are archived (I think at the Smithsonian - but am not 100% sure). There was a good episode of the West Wing, in which President Sheen accepts a flag from the Taiwanese government - which causes friction with China, and hilarity ensues as the staff tries to get the flag back from the archives. (I'm cursed with a photographic memory when it comes to television - I can't remember a real person's name five minutes after i meet them, but I can recite an episode of Third Rock from the Sun verbatim)

Maybe he selected his team and cabinet
based partly on how quickly they can understand how to assemble that generally horrible IKEA furniture....and I voted the guy and support him, but not his tastes in design.

I doubt Obama has had anything to say about it
It seems like he's been pretty busy with other stuff lately.
Do you know something of his design sense from other sources?

Not really, but if anyone would ever have an Eames
LCW chair in the Oval Office, it would be Mr. Obama.
Instead, he'll have to assemble some piece of crap from IKEA and hope that noone breaks it!

The inside word is Obama has...
The inside word is Obama has already ordered and awaiting a container full of exotic pieces from Africa, where his half brother Malik works at the Funzi Furniture factory in Kenya.
See link for his new desk to be put in the oval office; http://www.funzifurniture.com/html/desksssabinesextra.htm
His personal bed is called 'The Shetani fertility bed'
See link; http://www.funzifurniture.com/html/bedsafrican.htm
These hand carved pieces took countless hours to make and the great thing is Obama has guaranteed that all the workers will make equivalent to U.S. minimum wage unlike Ikea factories paying there labor peanuts.
I predict Obama will ditch the suit for the Inauguration tomorrow and be wearing a formal 4-piece Babariga with flowing buba.
http://www.funzifurniture.com/html/bedsafrican.htm

domino mag
Rooms designed by Michael Smith.
http://www.dominomag.com/galleries/2009/02/michael_smith_rooms