State Reception Room
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 Entrance to the State Reception Room | |
| Building | Washington State Capitol |
|---|---|
| Location | Olympia, Washington, US |
| Coordinates | 47°02′09″N 122°54′17″W / 47.03583°N 122.90472°W |
| Purpose | State occasions |
The State Reception Room is a formal salon on the third floor of the Washington State Capitol in which foreign dignitaries and other official visitors are presented to, and received by, the Governor of Washington. It is notable for having what was once the world's largest single-loom carpet.
The State Reception Room is an original space built during the 1928 construction of the Washington State Capitol.[1] With a capacity of 211, it is primarily intended for use by the governor to receive dignitaries, but has also been used for other special events, including inaugural balls, the convening of the Washington delegation to the Electoral College, and addresses by state officials to constituent groups.[1][2][page needed][3]
In 1985, the room was one of several areas in the Capitol that underwent "beautification" by enlivening the marble surfaces of its walls.[4][page needed]
Design
Situated between the upper-floor galleries of the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the State Reception Room is constructed from Bresche Violet marble imported from Italy and veined with the colors red, lavender, and green.[1][5] It is illuminated by chandeliers manufactured by Tiffany & Co. in the former Czechoslovakia.[1][5] The room's herringbone pattern teak floors are generally kept covered by a 1928 Mohawk carpet that was notable, at the time of its placement, for being the world's largest single-loom carpet.[1][5][6] The carpet is removed for the governor's quadrennial inaugural ball.[7][page needed] A fireplace is built into each end of the chamber.[1]
