In less than three months, Trump has launched an aesthetic transformation of the White House in Mar-a-Lago style. Frames, moldings, fireplaces, and even coasters now gleam with golden reflections, thanks to the work of his “gold guy,” a Florida artisan who flew with him to Washington.
Trump also wanted the presidential portraits—his own and that of Vice President JD Vance—to be printed with a golden border that catches the light, according to administration sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. The reprint required metallic gold ink and a specialized printer, delaying the completion of the portraits, some of which had already been printed with a more discreet white border.
The president also added cherubs, vases, a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy, and even a golden crest bearing his name. He’s also dreaming of a patio in the Rose Garden and a new ballroom. “It’s the Golden Office for the Golden Age,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The President’s “gold man” is John Icart, a cabinetmaker from South Florida who worked on projects at Mar-a-Lago. He helped add custom gold finishes to the Oval Office, including gilded carvings on the fireplace mantle and the molding that wraps around the world’s most famous office. Icart reportedly arrived in Washington with Trump aboard Air Force One.
Visitors to Mar-a-Lago, according to the WSJ, say the golden touches in the White House feel familiar. The Florida resort is covered in gold, a color that covers nearly every ceiling, wall, frame, and desk. The original designer, Joseph Urban, had designed opera sets and was inspired by grand European palaces.
According to WSJ sources, Trump personally oversaw the installation of the gold sculptures on the Oval Office fireplace. He also brought golden cherubs from Mar-a-Lago to install in the White House. Next to the Resolute Desk is a golden replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy. Seven gold vases and urns adorn the fireplace. During the Biden administration and Trump’s first term, the mantle was decorated with plants.
Trump has mounted a golden crest above the door that leads into the White House from the colonnade, according to a recent visitor. On the side tables are gold coasters with the president’s name, and there are golden details on the table in his private dining room next to the Oval Office.
Also according to the WSJ, the president asked experts whether it was possible to hang a chandelier in the Oval Office, but the project hasn’t been completed because the chandelier was too heavy and the ceiling couldn’t support it. It might be installed elsewhere instead.
Trump’s love for gold goes back decades. His apartment on the top three floors of Trump Tower in New York—long a feature in glossy magazines—is covered in gold. In March, in an interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham, Trump praised the value of real gold: “People have tried to come up with a gold paint that would look like gold, and they have never been able to do it. That’s why it’s real gold,” he said, pointing to the details in the Oval Office.
