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A new video shared by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino is offering one of the most detailed looks yet at President Donald Trump’s Oval Office, showcasing a workspace that appears dramatically different from the version seen during Barack Obama’s presidency.
The sweeping walk-through highlights how the room has evolved since August 2010, when C-SPAN cameras were granted rare access to the Oval Office during Obama’s first term. The comparison is especially striking because Obama had largely left the Oval Office unchanged when the C-SPAN footage was filmed in August 2010. “The truth of the matter is we have not yet redecorated this room,” Obama said at the time, explaining that while “every president comes in and they rework it,” his administration had postponed major changes because of the economic climate.
“The truth of the matter is we have not yet redecorated this room. The tradition is that every president comes in and they rework it. Given that we are in the midst of some very difficult economic times, we decided to hold off last year in terms of making some changes,” Obama said.
Fifteen years later, Trump’s Oval Office reflects a markedly different aesthetic, featuring extensive gold ornamentation, additional artwork, expanded displays of historical objects and a more visually crowded appearance. Trump has previously defended the redesign, saying the Oval Office “needed a little life.”
Here are some of the biggest differences.
Gold Detailing Now Dominates the Oval Office
The most striking change is the extent of the gold ornamentation throughout the room.
In the 2010 footage, the walls, fireplace and doorways retained a relatively restrained appearance, with white architectural features and limited gilded elements. The current office features gold embellishments around door frames, wall moldings, the fireplace surround and decorative architectural details throughout the room, all, as Trump has pointed out, featuring 24 karat gold.
The Walls Contain Far More Presidential Portraits
Another noticeable difference is the number of paintings displayed throughout the office.
The Obama-era Oval Office featured a relatively small number of portraits and paintings spaced around the room. Scavino’s video shows numerous framed presidential portraits hanging above doorways and between architectural features along the curved walls.
The result is a gallery-like appearance that fills spaces that were previously left open.
Window Drapery Has Become More Elaborate
The treatment of the famous south-facing windows has also changed substantially.
Obama’s Oval Office featured simpler gold-toned curtains. The current version incorporates dramatic gold swags extending across the windows, creating a much more ornate backdrop behind the Resolute Desk.
The visual effect is amplified by the expanded display of flags positioned between the windows.
Military Flags Now Play a Larger Visual Role
While presidential and American flags have long been part of Oval Office décor, Scavino’s video shows large service flags occupying prominent positions between almost every window.
Together with the heavier drapery, they create a backdrop that appears considerably busier than the one visible in Obama’s 2010 office.
The Fireplace Wall Has Been Transformed
The fireplace area may be the clearest example of the Oval Office’s evolution.
In the 2010 footage, the mantel was topped with greenery and flanked by relatively simple tables holding busts. In Scavino’s 2026 video, the space is surrounded by gold detailing and additional decorative objects, making it one of the room’s visual focal points.
The overall effect is more ornate than the version Obama worked from during his first term.
There Are Many More Decorative Objects on Display
Scavino’s tour reveals a much larger collection of display pieces throughout the Oval Office.
Tables and shelves now hold numerous framed photographs, sculptures, ornaments and historical items. By comparison, the room shown in the 2010 C-SPAN footage appears far less populated with decorative objects.
The contrast reflects differing approaches to how occupants personalize the office.
The Office Feels Fuller
The Oval Office retains the same iconic layout, but the atmosphere is notably different.
Obama’s office featured more visible wall space, fewer decorative elements and a lighter visual footprint. Trump’s version contains additional artwork, objects and ornaments that draw attention across nearly every section of the room.
The transformation is especially apparent in wide shots showing the full circumference of the Oval Office.
The Symbolism Highlighted by Each President Is Different
The comparison also offers insight into how the two presidents chose to personalize the nation’s most famous office.
During the 2010 C-SPAN interview, Obama pointed to a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. that he had placed in the Oval Office, saying it reminded him of “all the extraordinary dedication of a lot of people to allow me to have the privilege of serving in this office.” He also highlighted historical patent documents meant to symbolize American innovation.
Trump has focused more on the visual transformation itself, emphasizing the gold additions and broader redesign. While welcoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the office in 2025, he said, “It becomes more and more beautiful with love—and 24-karat gold. That always helps, too.”
The Oval Office has long served as a canvas for presidential tastes, with each administration selecting its own furniture, artwork, rugs and decorative objects. Obama’s version emphasized personal and historical symbolism, while Trump’s latest redesign has produced one of the most visually distinctive—and heavily discussed—Oval Offices in modern White House history.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang
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