By Alice GibbsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberEvery time a new U.S. president is given the keys to the iconic White House, they not only have the chance to shape the country but to decorate the most scrutinized office in America.
Recent viral speculation that Donald Trump furnished parts of the Oval Office with Home Depot décor—something he has publicly denied—shows just how fascinated the public is with presidential interior design.
From Lyndon B. Johnson laying down linoleum to cover Dwight Eisenhower’s golf spikes to Joe Biden removing Trump’s Diet Coke button, every administration leaves a mark.
Interiors company HouseFresh has reimagined the presidential workspace through an entirely different lens: What if the Oval Office were redesigned using furniture and décor from America’s most iconic home brands?
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...1 of 6They studied the room’s core furnishings—desk, chairs, lamps, rugs—and sourced equivalent products from six major retailers, creating visual mock-ups of how the Oval Office might look if dressed entirely by IKEA, Pottery Barn, Urban Outfitters, CB2, Anthropologie and Restoration Hardware.
With budgets tight and décor trends shifting, these reimagined Oval Offices offer a playful look into how the seat of power could appear if the president shopped like the rest of us.
The IKEA Oval Office
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...With 52 stores across the U.S. and one just 30 minutes from the White House, IKEA’s budget-friendly Scandinavian simplicity brings a very different look to the West Wing.
HouseFresh’s IKEA version mixes pared-back Scandi essentials like the BEKANT desk, and MILLBERGET swivel chair and conversation-starter pieces such as the mushroom-shaped DEJSA lamps.
The result? Clean lines, light woods and the cheapest redesign of the whole collection coming in at a total of $4,524.
The Pottery Barn Oval Office
...Founded in Manhattan in 1949, Pottery Barn leans into rustic Americana style, and is the second-most expensive revamp out of the six brands.
In the reimagined oval office, the standout piece is an Eva Persian-Style Hand-Tufted Wool Rug, while upholstered Chesterfield couches, at $3,399 a pop, and a well-placed Juno 75” Reclaimed Wood Executive Desk costing $2,999 make the space look cozy—for a mere $26,694.
The Urban Outfitters Oval Office
...If a 30-year-old creative director suddenly won the presidency, their office might look like this for the pricetag of $12,568.
The Urban Outfitters’ office is bold, youthful and unafraid of color. A $189 Lucina Watercolor Printed Rug replaces the traditional presidential seal, while the sculptural Ines coffee table, at $499, gives a taste of the early-’00s.
The CB2 Oval Office
...The office reimagined with CB2, Crate & Barrel’s younger sibling, brings a more high-design energy to the iconic room for $18,022.
The focus is on the Burl rotating coffee table, priced at $899, complete with hidden storage—suitable for classified files and snacks? It is paired modern accents like the Martini side table with a white marble base, costing $449, and an Arc table lamp for just $80.
The Anthropologie Oval Office
...Known for a bohemian aesthetic and upscale whimsy, mixing Anthropologie with Oval Office may be more unexpected than some other designs.
Coming in at $25,016, the revamp sees two Flamingo table lamps, at $228 each, stand proudly atop Optical Inlay end tables, for $148 each, while the $1,498, Sonali coffee table adds gravitas.
This reimagining is fit for a leader comfortable in both diplomacy and maximalist décor.
The Restoration Hardware Oval Office
...Last but not least, Restoration Hardware’s version is by far the most expensive design at $74,234—and appear to channel the millennial grey color palette.
A 45-inch-deep Italian Cortona sofa, costing $9,595, and Drew swivel chairs for $3,295, turn the Oval Office into a plush, monochromatic haven where signing executive orders might be postponed in favor of sinking into upholstery.
The Reynor desk—priced at $8,010—and Luxe desk chair, for $3,495, evoke sleek, minimalistic vibes, a far cry from the 150-year-old Resolute Desk long associated with the office, after it was used by numerous presidents.
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