In less than a year, President Trump has already significantly remade the White House. The Oval Office is decorated from top to bottom in gold. The Rose Garden’s lawn is paved over. And on Monday, part of the East Wing was demolished as Mr. Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom project forged ahead.
Here is what we know about five key White House renovations:
East Wing Ballroom
One of the biggest renovations underway is Mr. Trump’s addition of a ballroom to the East Wing. First announced in July, Mr. Trump trumpeted its construction as necessary to host large events for world leaders. He has said it will cost more than $200 million to build and will hold “999” people.
Mr. Trump has said that personal contributions and private donations will cover the bill for the ballroom, not taxpayers or foreign contributions. But this has raised concerns among historians and government ethics experts.
McCrery Architects, via the White House
According to images released by the White House, the proposed design of the ballroom’s interior echoes features of the Grand Ballroom at Mr. Trump’s Palm Beach resort, Mar-a-Lago. At 90,000 square feet, the East Wing Ballroom will nearly double the White House’s footprint. Demolition of part of the East Wing began in late October.
Alex Kent for The New York Times
Rose Garden
Over the summer, Mr. Trump had the Rose Garden paved over with stone tiles, and tables with yellow and white striped umbrellas were added, mirroring the hard-surface patio at Mar-a-Lago. But the rose bushes are still there.
Doug Mills/The New York Times
Elizabeth Franz for The New York Times
Mr. Trump recently hosted a dinner for Republican lawmakers in the renovated space, calling it the “Rose Garden Club.” The ceremony to posthumously award the conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom was also held here.
Oval Office
Mr. Trump’s affinity for gold decor is perhaps most evident in the Oval Office. Portraits framed in gold are mounted on the walls, along with gold framed mirrors and gilded onlays. Even the presidential seal on the ceiling of the office is covered in gold leaf.
Doug Mills/The New York Times
The Oval Office is the official working space of the president, and in his second term, Mr. Trump has often used it to meet with foreign leaders. The backdrop to these meetings is usually the fireplace mantle that Mr. Trump has adorned with historic items from the White House collection — all in gold.
President Trump meeting with President Alexander Stubb of Finland on Oct. 9.
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Presidents often make changes to the Oval Office to reflect their priorities or the legacy they want to embody. But past presidents, including Mr. Trump in his first term, have typically decorated using a more subdued approach.
George W. Bush, June 2005
Barack Obama, January 2014
Donald Trump, September 2020
Doug Mills/The New York Times
In his second term, Mr. Trump has even moved the White House ivy that has typically adorned the mantle to a greenhouse.
Cabinet Room
Mr. Trump’s gold theme extends to the Cabinet Room, where he often holds meetings with his staff and occasionally with international leaders. Golden onlays and trim have been added to the walls, and the mantle is also decorated with gold items.
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Mr. Trump has also added more flags to the room, including flags for specific branches of the military, including the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. Ornate chandeliers now light the room.
West Colonnade
In September, Mr. Trump unveiled the “Presidential Walk of Fame” on the West Colonnade, which is the main walkway between the White House’s executive residence and the West Wing. The exhibit displays every president’s portrait, in chronological order, framed in gold with additional gold onlays above the portraits.
Doug Mills/The New York Times
But in place of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s portrait is a photo of an autopen signing his name, a reference to the claims Mr. Trump has made without giving evidence that Mr. Biden’s cognitive state impaired him from signing documents and granting pardons. Presidents and other politicians have used devices like the autopen for decades, and Mr. Biden has said he made the clemency decisions that were signed with an autopen.
