New $260m ballroom, golden decorations: Five major changes Trump is making to the White House

In less than a year, US President Donald 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.

Demolition of the East Wing

began on Oct 20 as Mr Trump’s 90,000 sq ft ballroom project forged ahead.

Here is what we know about five major White House renovations.

1. East Wing Ballroom

One of the biggest renovations under way is Mr Trump’s addition of a ballroom to the East Wing. When the project was announced in July, Mr Trump trumpeted it as necessary to host large events for world leaders. He has said it will cost more than US$200 million (S$260 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.

According to images released by the White House, the proposed design of the ballroom’s interior echoes features of the Grand Ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida. At 90,000 sq ft, the East Wing Ballroom will nearly double the White House’s footprint.

Demolition of the East Wing began this week, with construction workers tearing down the facade on Oct 20.

2. 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.

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 Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative activist Charlie Kirk was also held here.

3. 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 mantel is also decorated with gold items.

Mr Trump has also added more flags to the room, including flags for specific branches of the military, such as the US army, navy and air force. Ornate chandeliers now light the room.

4. 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.

The Oval Office is the official working space of the president, and in his second term, Mr Trump has often used it to meet foreign leaders. The backdrop to these meetings is usually the fireplace mantel that Mr Trump has adorned with historic items from the White House collection – all in gold.

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.

In his second term, Mr Trump has even moved the White House ivy that has typically adorned the mantel to a greenhouse.

5. 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.

But in place of former president Joe Biden’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. NYTIMES