Replica Oval Office near White House updated to match Trump's second-term design
In short
The People's House: A White House Experience, a museum exhibit in Washington, has overhauled its replica Oval Office to reflect President Donald Trump's second-term design choices, adding gold-hued flourishes, two dozen portraits in gilded frames, vases and knickknacks. The exhibit, created by the White House Historical Association, opened in September 2024 and is the same size as the real office, which is not on public White House tours. Designers visited Trump's Oval Office while he was away to copy the decor, the exhibit's managing director said.
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The People's House: A White House Experience, a museum exhibit in Washington, has overhauled its replica Oval Office to match the design choices of President Donald Trump's second term. According to the Associated Press account carried by ABC News and The Hill, the mock office now features gleaming vases, golden-hued swirling onlays, two dozen portraits in heavy gilded frames and knickknacks crowding nearly every available surface — described as the same rococo flourishes Trump installed in the real workspace, recreated down to each wall appliqué. The replica also includes two mirrors and a copy of the Declaration of Independence, as in Trump's actual office. [ 2 , 3 ]
Public tours of the White House do not include the West Wing, so the White House Historical Association created the exhibit, which opened in September 2024. It is the same size as the real Oval Office, and visitors often marvel at how small it feels. A team of specialized designers made over the exhibit, visiting Trump's Oval Office while the Republican president was away, according to managing director Luke Boorady. Experts in North Carolina recreated Trump's wall appliqués, a team from Indianapolis handled 3D scanning and printing of other specialized objects, California frame-makers carved by hand the gold frames for Trump's chosen 24 portraits, and teams from Canada and Virginia worked on replicas of vases and other tabletop pieces, Boorady said. [ 2 , 3 ]
“As political as the Oval Office is, it really is also the office of the American people,” Boorady said. “And we want visitors who come here to feel more connected to this space.” A real estate developer before he became a politician, Trump has revamped the White House to his extravagant tastes as part of his push to leave his mark on the nation's capital while he is still in office, the report said. Both available article texts end before the account of what Trump told Time magazine he would miss most about the White House. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The exhibit is a stand-in for a room most visitors cannot see, since White House tours do not include the West Wing, so its redesign is how many tourists will encounter the current Oval Office look. Coverage of presidential decor also serves as a marker of how Trump's second term is being presented to the public in Washington. The documents offer no visitor data or official reaction to gauge wider impact.
Key facts
- The People's House: A White House Experience in Washington has overhauled its replica Oval Office to match President Donald Trump's second-term design choices. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The updated replica includes gleaming vases, golden-hued swirling onlays, two dozen portraits in heavy gilded frames and knickknacks on nearly every surface, described as the same rococo flourishes in Trump's actual office. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The replica also has two mirrors and a copy of the Declaration of Independence, as in Trump's actual office. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The exhibit was created by the White House Historical Association and opened in September 2024; it is the same size as the real Oval Office, and visitors often remark on how small it feels. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Public tours of the White House do not include the West Wing, according to the report. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Designers visited Trump's Oval Office while he was away; teams in North Carolina recreated wall appliqués, a team from Indianapolis handled 3D scanning and printing, California frame-makers carved gold frames by hand, and teams from Canada and Virginia worked on vases and tabletop pieces, managing director Luke Boorady said. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The People's House museum exhibit in Washington has updated its replica Oval Office to match President Donald Trump's second-term design choices. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The rebuilt replica recreates gold-toned decor, two dozen portraits in gilded frames, two mirrors and a copy of the Declaration of Independence as found in Trump's actual office. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The exhibit, created by the White House Historical Association, opened in September 2024, is the same size as the real Oval Office, and public White House tours do not include the West Wing. [ 2 , 3 ]
- According to managing director Luke Boorady, designers visited Trump's Oval Office while he was away, with specialists from North Carolina, Indianapolis, California, Canada and Virginia producing replicas of appliqués, objects, frames, vases and tabletop pieces. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Trump or the White House was involved in or approved the exhibit's redesign. The documents do not say who, beyond the museum and its designers, was consulted or gave approval.
- What Trump told Time magazine about what he would miss most about the White House after leaving. Both article texts are truncated just as the passage on Trump's Time interview begins, so his answer is not reported.
- How visitors have responded to the redesigned exhibit. Only that visitors often remark the replica feels small is reported; no visitor figures or reactions to the makeover are given.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The People's House: A White House Experience opens its replica Oval Office exhibit, created by the White House Historical Association. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Associated Press publishes a report headlined that the Oval Office replica gets a gold makeover in Trump's second term. [ 1 ]
- ABC News publishes a detailed account including designer roles and comments from managing director Luke Boorady. [ 2 ]
- The Hill carries the Associated Press account of the replica's makeover. [ 3 ]