High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Blue Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor in the White House, the residence of the President of the United States. It is distinct for its oval shape. The room is used for receptions, receiving lines, and is occasionally set for small dinners. It is traditionally decorated in shades of blue. With the Yellow Oval Room above it and the Diplomatic Reception Room below it, the Blue Room is one of three oval rooms in James Hoban's original design for the White House. The room is approximately 30 feet by 40 feet. It has six doors, which open into the Cross Hall, Green Room, Red Room, and South Portico. The three windows look out upon the South Lawn. The Blue Room is furnished in the French Empire style. A series of redecorating through the 19th century caused most of the original pieces to be sold or lost. Today much of the furniture is original to the room. Eight pieces of gilded European beech furniture purchased during the administration of James Monroe furnish the room, including a bergère (an armchair with enclosed sides) and several fauteuils (an open wood-frame armchair).