Inside the dramatic transformation of the White House interiors

The secrets of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Since the mansion's completion at the turn of the 18th century, the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States has gone through many dramatic changes over the years.

Long ago nicknamed “the people’s house,” the White House has nevertheless taken on something of the character of each president and first lady to pass through its hallowed halls, whether in the form of an architectural conservation project, the restoration of a state room, or the redecoration of the Oval Office.

Click or scroll to take a fascinating look at how the interiors have evolved over the years...

First occupants

Designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban, the original whitewashed 'President's House' was completed in 1800 for $232,372, the equivalent of around $6 million in today's money. Based on the elegant Leinster House in Dublin, the relatively modest Georgian mansion had around 20 principal rooms, compared to 132 today.

President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams were the first occupants, moving in on November 1, 1800. Damp and draughty, the house had little interior decoration and the unadorned East Room was famously used by Mrs Adams to dry laundry.

Rich decoration

In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson took up residence, importing wallpaper and furnishings from France. By the time President James Madison entered office in 1809, America's finest house was richly decorated. This painting shows a party that First Lady Dolley Madison hosted in the Blue Room in 1810. 

British troops invaded Washington in 1814 and razed the White House to the ground. The soldiers ransacked the mansion before they set it ablaze, stealing anything of value. Luckily, Dolley Madison managed to rescue the iconic painting of George Washington just before the building was attacked.

Rebuilding project

After the fire had been extinguished, only a charred shell remained. The original architect, James Hoban, was hired to design and oversee the reconstruction project, and the White House had been rebuilt by 1817. The South Portico was added in 1824, while the North Portico was finished in 1830.

Luxe makeover

The White House got its first luxe makeover during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. By the time the seventh president left office in 1837, his administration had spent $45,000, equal to around $1.5 million today, beautifying the interiors. Shown here is the East Room in 1837.

America's eighth president, Martin Van Buren, went one better, splurging on pricey marble tables, chandeliers, and more. This lavish spending during an economic depression contributed to his defeat in 1840.

The creation of the Red Room

The White House was updated again in the late 1840s under President James K. Polk, who, together with First Lady Sarah Polk, decorated what was then known as the Washington Parlor with rich crimson curtains, wallpaper, and furnishings, creating the illustrious Red Room.

Modern updates

A number of new-fangled inventions found their way into the White House during the 1840s, including gas lighting and central heating. This print from 1853 depicts a presidential reception in the East Room. 

Sorry state

Despite the works undertaken in the 1850s, the White House was in a sorry state of disrepair when this print, which shows a presidential reception in the Yellow Oval Room, was published in 1862 at the height of the Civil War.

President Abraham Lincoln was far too caught up with winning the war to devote much attention to maintaining the executive mansion, and understandably so.

High Victorian makeover

Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson, was granted $132,000, approximately $3.6 million today, to overhaul the tired interiors. President Ulysses S. Grant picked up where he left off, giving the White House an extravagant High Victorian Makeover. The refreshed East Room is shown here in 1873.

Tiffany transformation

In 1882, President Chester Arthur added to the flashy Victoriana when he commissioned Louis Tiffany to redecorate the Red Room. Interestingly, this painting of how the room looked at the time depicts the view of the Potomac River, which is no longer visible from the White House.

Tiffany was also tasked with redecorating the East Room, Blue Room, and State Dining Room, but saved his pièce de résistance for the White House Entrance Hall: a bejeweled colored-glass screen spanning 50 feet.

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Electricity installed

Electricity was installed in the White House in 1891. During the early 1890s, First Lady Caroline Harrison oversaw the redecoration of several rooms, including the presidential bedroom, which is shown here. 

Neoclassical restoration

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt hired architectural firm McKim, Mead & White to renovate the White House in keeping with its Neoclassical aesthetic. Much of the ostentatious Victoriana was ripped out, including the Tiffany glass screen, as you can see from this image of the restored Entrance Hall from 1904.

Green Room refurb

The Green Room was overhauled to imitate a typical 1820s-style drawing room and decorated in the French Empire style that was all the rage at the time. The white fireplace mantel was taken from the State Dining Room, adding a classy touch.

Red Room redo

The froufrou Red Room was decluttered and kitted out with plush Turkish-style upholstery. The most exquisite burgundy velvet wallpaper was selected for the room, and the shaded Victorian chandelier was replaced with a candelabra-style light fitting.

State Dining Room remodel

The most radical transformation was reserved for the State Dining Room, which was expanded to accommodate 100 guests. The room was decorated with moose and elk heads, a move that was mocked in the media at the time.

Introducing the West Wing

The West Wing also came into being as a result of President Roosevelt's 1902 project. Office staff were moved from the second floor of the White House into the extension, which was originally intended as a temporary structure.

Oval Office

In 1909, President William Howard Taft added what is arguably the White House's most famous room, the Oval Office, opting for a green color scheme. Since then, every president has put their particular mark on the space.

China Room

During President Woodrow Wilson's administration, various maintenance works were undertaken, but nothing major was done. First Lady Edith Wilson did, however, create the China Room to show off the White House's extensive porcelain collection.

Monroe Room

Maintenance continued during the 1920s. In 1929, a fire destroyed the West Wing, which was rebuilt and expanded in the early 1930s by President Herbert Hoover. His wife, Lou Hoover, created the historical Monroe Room around this time, filling it with reproduction furniture.

Falling apart

Neglected during the Great Depression and World War II, the White House was in a bad way by the mid-1940s. The chandelier in the Blue Room, for instance, was swaying noticeably by 1946, so much so that First Lady Bess Truman worried it would come crashing down, along with the ceiling.

Truman reconstruction

In fact, the White House was in serious danger of collapsing. In 1948, the building was deemed unsafe for occupancy, and a massive reconstruction project was given the green light. Work began in 1949, and the White House was completely gutted. 

Rebuild completed

The hugely complex reconstruction project was completed in 1952, but it wasn't without its critics, who included former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She described the remodeled interiors as “stark”. 

President Truman made several up-to-the-minute upgrades to the executive mansion. These included installing air conditioning, which made living and working in the White House a whole lot more comfortable, as well as creating a dedicated Broadcast Room.

Kennedy renovation

When Jacqueline Kennedy became First Lady in 1961, she made it her mission to recapture the historical character of the White House interiors. Working with top American and French interior designers, the cultured First Lady restored several spaces with impeccable taste, including the Blue Room.

Red Room restoration

While the Blue Room was decorated in a French Empire style, the opulent Red Room references a classic American Empire aesthetic. Exquisite antiques were placed in the room, including a couch that once belonged to Dolley Madison and a French chandelier crafted in 1820.

Televised tour

In 1962, the First Lady delighted the American public with a televised tour of the restored White House. The TV special, which was broadcast on Valentine's Day, was a ratings smash, garnering 80 million viewers, and went on to win an Emmy and a Peabody Award.

Nixon regeneration

First Lady Pat Nixon was just as passionate as Jacqueline Kennedy about preserving the historical character of the White House. She worked with curator Clement Conger to restore several rooms, improving on the work of her predecessor.

This photo of the finished Green Room was taken in 1971.

Lincoln Sitting Room

Maintenance work was carried out during the Reagan and Bush Senior years, but no major renovations were undertaken. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton decorated several rooms and restored the Lincoln Sitting Room, which is shown here in the 1990s.

Lincoln Bedroom

The Green Room, Cabinet Room, and White House Theatre were spruced up by First Lady Laura Bush in the early 2000s. A history buff, the First Lady redecorated the Lincoln Bedroom in suitably authentic style, plumping for fixtures and furniture typical of the 1860s.

State Dining Room

In order to retain their historical integrity, First Lady Michelle Obama was careful not to alter the State Rooms too drastically and opted for a less-is-more approach when she tackled the State Dining Room in 2015. The softly sophisticated makeover cost $590,000 – around $806,500 today.

Trump tweaks

From assuming office in January 2017, President Donald Trump spent $3.4 million “to bring back the luster and glory of the White House”, which he described as “a real dump” back in August 2017.

The 45th US president, who prefers to spend his leisure time at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida or his New Jersey golf club, didn't waste any time redecorating the Oval Office. The first thing the new president changed was the “stained” wallpaper, opting for a gray damask print.

The President reinstalled the gold curtains used by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and swapped the mid-century modern furniture for Bush Junior's gold-hued sofas. He also brought back the golden rug designed by First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Gilded eagles

The Roosevelt Room had a Trump makeover, too. Displaying his penchant for all things shiny and gold, the current leader of the free world has adorned the room with two imposing gilded eagles, snapped up from a Maryland antique shop.

During her initial time as First Lady, Melania Trump carried on the tradition of improving and refreshing the White House. On her penultimate day in the role, she posted a statement covering the changes and thanking the various White House officials – and private donors – who helped make her vision a reality.

Big plans

But Melania’s plans for the White House went beyond the cosmetic – she wanted to make structural renovations and so turned her attention to some big-scale projects.

"In 2019, we embarked on a several-month-long restoration of the East Room floor, which brought to life the true magnificence of this historic space. This was done in tandem with work performed on the marble floors of the State Entrance and Hallway."

Out with the old

When the Bidens entered the White House in January 2021, Biden was quick to return the Oval Office to a space reflecting the taste and values of his administration.

These changes include the removal of the portrait of Andrew Jackson and the ‘Diet Coke button’ on the Resolute Desk, which Trump reportedly used to summon staff bearing his favorite beverage.

Biden also replaced the light-colored rug from the Trump administration with a deep blue one bearing the presidential seal, last used by Bill Clinton.

Trump's ballroom

However, just four years later, the Trumps returned to Pennsylvania Avenue, bringing with them still greater changes for the White House. While Trump imposed striking stylistic updates to the Oval Office and other interior spaces, the most drastic change to be announced is the construction of a $250 million ballroom. 

The controversial decision has meant the complete demolition of the White House’s East Wing, a move which has drawn concern from many historical conservationists.

The new spaces, which are projected to span 90,000 square feet and seat up to 650 people, are slated for completion before Trump’s second term. However, according to NBC News, if the Democrats gain control of the House in the 2028 election, the ballroom would be used for the "opposite of what Trump has in mind, which is for the American aristocracy and plutocracy to gather” and instead should be utilized in a way that "celebrates and empowers forgotten Americans".

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