The Obamas to pick their White House furniture from presidential treasure trove

The Obama family will be allowed to select from among thousands of pieces of furniture located in a secret, 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Maryland, for use in the White House.

According to reports, the First Family will have their choice of any presidential sofa, table or chair that is still in working order.

The exact location of the warehouse has not been revealed.

Presidents and their families have dipped into the treasure trove for years.

"I remember Rosalynn Carter found in White House storage some child-size furniture that had been given to the White House during Caroline Kennedy's time," the Washington Times quoted former White House curator Betty Monkman as saying.

Miss Monkman, now in her early 60s, worked in the office of the White House curator from 1967 to 2002, and in 1997 was appointed chief curator.

She has helped eight presidents and their families furnish the White House during her years in the office.

According to her, the storage facility houses everything from Theodore Roosevelt-era rugs to Harry S. Truman's bedside table.

"It's a historic record of everything that has been used in the White House over the last 200 years," she said.

Besides the pieces in storage, the new president also can borrow any painting from any of the national museums and hang them in either their private residence or the White House's West Wing.

The Obamas can choose furniture for any of the 132 rooms in the White House.

If the Obamas want something more contemporary, they can buy pieces using money that Congress appropriates.

The Obamas will get a 100,000 dollars budget, and any spending on decorations beyond that will need to be financed from private sources.