Australia and the World Past and Present

Gold, gold, gold.

Trump likes gold in his decor.

It is not uncommon for US Presidents to make changes in the White House. This is especially the case in the Oval Office. It is a place of business. It is where the high matters of state are determined. Presidents get to choose whose portraits hang on the walls and what ornaments sit on the their desk. There will be family photos.

Trump has made his own mark on the Oval Office – and other parts of the White House.

He has upped the number of portraits adorning the walls to more than 20. Joe Biden had far fewer. And Obama’s Oval Office looked positively spartan by comparison, with just Presidents Lincoln and Washington gazing down. Trump has a portrait of Reagan – that free trade spruiking movie star.

There are gold eagles and Rococo style mirrors.

Trump’s interior decoration style appears regal or imperial.

When foreign leaders meet Trump in they Oval Office, they are photographed amid a sea of gold.

Flamboyant. Ostentatious. The place exudes a sense of cramped maximalism.

Where does Trump’s taste in decor come from?

It can be traced back to the nobility of Europe.

Trumps claims that he is no king. But his taste in architecture is reminiscent of the residences of European kings and queens.

Versailles is said to be the inspiration for the renovations at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump has owned the property since 1985.

Mar-a-Lago was built between 1924 and 1927 just prior to the Great Depression. At the time, it was the most expensive house in history not belonging to royalty.

Over the years, it became a place for hosting charitable events.

The property was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980.

Trump picked it up in the mid-1980s, reportedly for around $10 million. The price of property goes up and down over time. In 2022 Forbes estimated that it was worth many multiples of that, making Trumps initial purchase price a steal.

In 1995 it became a members-only club.

It has also become a base for Trump’s operations.

Controversially, Trump has hosted world leaders there. Traditionally presidents have conducted their business at the White House or other official residences. By hosting world leaders Mar-a-Lago, Trump is blurring the line between his private life, his business interests and the affairs of government.

Trump has hosted Shinzo Abe, Xi Jinping, Jair Bolsonaro and Benjamin Netanyahu there.

Trump frequently holds fundraisers there.

Trump even stored classified US documents there for a time.

Mar-a-Lago was built in Spanish Revival style. It drew inspiration from Spain’s colonial architecture. With its pool and patio area, it draws evokes visions of a Mediterranean-style villa, open to the elements and soaking up the sun.

It features a tiled roof and marble floors.

Trump loves Rococo. He favours ornamental interiors. He likes scrolling curves and cherubs.

The Rococo style began in France in the early 1730s. From there it spread across Europe, including to Germany, where Trump’s grandparents on his father’s side came from.

Gold gilding is everywhere.

It should be noted that Trump’s taste in architecture does not fit easily into America’s architectural traditions. America was, after all, to be founded as a republic. The nation sought to repudiate much of the influence of European monarchs. Hadn’t they fought Revolutionary War against Britain to be free from all that? America was to be a bold, new experiment. Americans would forge a new path and find their own way.

Trump has a broad palette of American styles available to him that he could draw from.

Prairie sod houses are probably out.

There are the Greek Revival buildings of the 1820s and 1830s. Both domestic and public buildings were built using this style. The style is identifiable by the use of columns and alludes to the democratic ideals of ancient Greece and Rome.

Mar-a-Lago does contain aspects of Spanish Colonial Revival. This architecture was more common in US states with Spanish heritage. The use of red tiles points towards this influence.

Antebellum architecture can found in the Deep South. The style is often represented in movies dealing with life on the plantations. The high point of the Antebellum architecture was between 1830s and 1860s. Pillars were a common feature. There were patios and balconies. Some claim that balconies helped plantation owners to keep an eye on their slaves. Homes in the Deep South had to contend with the subtropical climate. Therefore, they were designed to make the most of breezes. They often featured gabled roofs. Windows were large. They tended to be multilevel and often boasted grand foyers. There was a general sense of spaciousness and openness.

Mid-century Modernism (1950-1970) is probably out.

Trump seeks to remake buildings in his own image.

He sees them as extensions of his own power. His frame of reference is the residences of European monarchs from centuries ago. Trump is not a king but he likes to surround himself with the trappings of kingly decor.

He doesn’t seem to have much of a connection to America’s home-grown styles of architecture. He spends much of his time in Washing D.C. where buildings done in Greek Revival style abound. But this doesn’t seem to have made much of an impact on him. Donald Trump – an American without a fondness for American architecture; a man who has a soft spot for the residences of the European nobility, but not much time for transatlantic political relationships.