When the oval office floor was renovated in 2005, C. Forbes wanted to find a way to preserve and display this item of historical significance. The floor was made of two woods – walnut and quartered white oak. President George W. Bush kept the same chevron design for the floor’s renovation. When removed, the old wood was reduced to scrap pieces. In fact, when Chip Forbes showed up with a truck full, his boys were sure it was kindling headed for the bonfire pile. Staying true to the floor’s design, the remnants were fabricated into 1 ½” squares, joining the two types of wood, and embedded in lucite. The descriptive text is printed on an acetate insert that is also embedded. Stars incorporated into the design are inspired by the stars on the U.S. Presidential Seal. The multi-step process included a test of the flooring to make sure it would not be compromised by the lucite itself.
