Donald Trump has never been known for subtlety and now he is bringing his loud style to The White House itself. His latest term in office has seen The White House undergo a dramatic and controversial transformation, as the president imports his signature gold-laden style into “every corner of the government,” turning 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue into a spectacle of gilded excess.
According to administration officials, Trump personally supervised the redecorating process, determined to make the Oval Office and adjoining rooms resemble his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Trump famously declared at his most recent inauguration, “The golden age of America begins right now.” While many interpreted this as a metaphor, his literal aesthetic choices tell another story. The Oval Office now glitters with gold-plated moldings, ornate marble-topped consoles supported by gilded eagles, and trophy-like lamps, all of which evoke “a royal chamber more than a modern democratic command center”.
To bring this vision to life, Trump enlisted John Icart, a cabinetmaker from south Florida known to his advisers as the president’s “gold guy.” Icart reportedly flew to Washington on Air Force One, working on “custom gold finishes now adorning the Oval Office,” including the mantelpiece and intricate crown moldings.
Trump also imported gold cherubs and exuberant decorative friezes from Mar-a-Lago—explaining in a Fox News interview that “the Oval Office needed a little life,” and declaring, “They say angels bring good luck. And we need a lot of luck in this country with what they have done over the last four years”.
Karl: The transformation has been gradual and unmistakable.
By February, some golden urns on the mantle.
April, gold adornments appear on the walls.
By July, it’s gold everywhere.
Just this week more scaffolding popped up, even more new gold trim appeared. pic.twitter.com/u0EwEruyK3
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 10, 2025
Critics, including fashion writer Derek Guy, derided the new detailing as “Truly Temu level s–t,” suggesting the decor was both over-the-top and of questionable taste. Others described the result as a “gilded rococo hellscape” or, per The New York Times, an attempt to make the American capital “Versailles”. Ms Andersen Brower, talking about these changes, said the addition of extra paintings in the Oval Office is “about power and [Mr Trump] cementing his own legacy as being as great, or, in his mind better, than his predecessors”.
The changes extend beyond simple spectacle. Trump has doubled the number of gold-framed presidential portraits on display, many historic, some featuring his own image. Fixtures have shifted repeatedly, the gold mantel ornaments re-arranged with only Trump knowing the reason. Notably, the deep blue rug from Biden’s term is gone, replaced with the cream rug once favored by Ronald Reagan; the coffee table now features gold coasters and a model of Air Force One, designed by Trump himself.
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Talking about the gold picture frames, Trump said, “I love the frame of those pictures. Look at those frames. You know, I’m a frame person. Sometimes I like frames more than I like the pictures.”
Additionally, as Irish Star reported, “There’s a gold clock on the fireplace mantle, gold bases of the lamps, a gold paperweight that says ‘TRUMP’ and even gold coasters. Behind his desk sits a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy.”
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Besides wrapping The White House in Gold, Trump has also changed the look of the Rose Garden quite drastically, which now resembles his own residence. It now remains to be seen how far Trump goes in his journey to give The White House a complete golden makeover.
