Not just the ballroom: Trump is imposing his design sensibility all over the White House

U.S. President Donald Trump reaches for a badge presented by U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta during the signing of executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

President Donald Trump is making his mark — literally — on the White House by filling it with 24‑karat gold, reshaping its outdoor spaces, and planning massive new construction.

In an article in Politico published Monday, Eli Stokols, the outlet's White House correspondent, noted that Trump's latest efforts include ornate gilded interiors, new flagpoles, a paved Rose Garden patio, and a $200 million East Wing ballroom set to begin construction this fall.

The president has also expanded his vision to improving Washington, D.C.’s public spaces, with plans to refurbish a golf course and restore fountains across the city.

According to Stokols, the Oval Office has become a personal showcase. There’s gilded molding and cherubs, gold-framed portraits and mirrors, and ornamental accents inspired by Mar-a-Lago aesthetics. A gold-plated FIFA World Cup trophy now stands beside the Resolute Desk.

Trump’s personal “gold guy,” cabinetmaker John Icart, has reportedly helped execute the lavish redesign.

Reflecting his property-developer roots, Trump is hands-on — inspecting contractors, influencing design details, and speaking openly about his fixes for the Capitol. According to the report, he demanded better lighting in the Cabinet Room after being dissatisfied with press footage, and he says the capital will be “beautified in 12 months.”

But that is not all — the president's also targeting broader public upgrades.

"In a second term defined by the scope of Trump’s unrestrained ambition, America’s first property developer-turned-president is at times approaching the job like a modern day Howard Roark or Baron Haussmann, determined to leave his distinctive mark on the physical spaces that define the presidency and the nation’s capital. And according to two people familiar with the president’s plans, he’s envisioning projects beyond the White House, including refurbishing and rebranding a golf course in the middle of the Potomac River," the article said.

The report also noted that after seizing control of the Kennedy Center board earlier this year, Trump has embarked on an ambitious renovation of the famed cultural institution — a facelift that aims to add grandeur and new life.

He’s pledged to lay down marble floors and conceal the exposed I‑beams of the exterior with stone.

“I think the I‑beams should be covered with some incredible stone — probably marble, but marble’s a bad outdoor stone, but looks better than granite,” Trump said during a March visit to the site. “But it should be covered. And we’ll do that.”

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Politico: “He is restoring American greatness to everything he touches—from the White House to our federal buildings and DC parks—and is fulfilling his promise to usher in a new Golden Age of America.”