By Dannielle Maguire, ABC News
Donald Trump says his refurbishment of the bathroom was "very appropriate" for the Lincoln era. Photo: Truth Social/Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has shared photos of a newly renovated bathroom in the White House after courting criticism for tearing down the historical East Wing to make way for a ballroom.
Trump flagged a bathroom upgrade while touting his plans for the new ballroom in August, telling US broadcaster NBC it had been "terribly" remodelled in the past.
Over the weekend he posted a series of photos of the refurbished Lincoln bathroom on his social media platform, Truth Social.
"I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House," he said.
"It was renovated in the 1940s in an Art Deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln era.
"I did it in black and white polished statuary marble.
The president posted photos of the newly renovated bathroom on his social media platform. Photo: Truth Social/Donald Trump
The bathroom features floor-to-ceiling marble, gold-coloured plumbing fixtures and a chandelier over the toilet.
The renovation was privately paid for, rather than taxpayers footing the bill, a White House official told the Washington Post.
It was unclear how much the project cost.
Reuters posed questions to the White House about whether the bathroom project had undergone any formal design or approval process but officials did not immediately respond.
What did the bathroom look like before?
Trump posted a photo of the bathroom taken before the renovation for comparison, along with the multiple angles of the new bathroom.
The bathroom used to have pale green walls and silver-coloured plumbing fittings. Photo: Truth Social/Donald Trump
The bathroom is attached to the Lincoln Bedroom, which has been renovated a few times in the history of the White House, including during the presidency of George W Bush in the early 2000s.
But the bathroom had remained untouched.
"One space has escaped all the tides of change," Jura Konciusa wrote about the renovation in a 2007 Washington Post article.
"Overnighters in the Lincoln rooms have the use of a well-preserved 1950s bathroom - installed during the Truman presidency - with pale green opaque glass tiles and a mirrored dome ceiling light.
"The spacious tub has an elegant sandblasted etching of a presidential eagle."
It was unlikely the bathroom had marble in Abraham Lincoln's day, former Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission director Michael F Bishop told the New York Times.
The new look includes a lot of black and white marble. Photo: Truth Social/Donald Trump
Another historian, Harold Holzer, told the newspaper the original bathroom was "plain".
"Trump's change to the bathroom is not remotely a crime against historical preservation or anything like that," Bishop said.
While cosmetic changes are stark, the layout of the bathroom appears to be the same, with the toilet still overlooking other White House buildings.
In the photos published by Trump, people in what appear to be high-visibility vests and construction helmets can be seen through the window - perhaps hinting at the president's other White House renovation projects.
What else has Trump changed at the White House?
The biggest project to date has been the construction of a new ballroom, which Trump said would fix a long-running problem about accommodating major events.
Large White House events are currently held in a huge marquee erected about "a football field away from the White House", he told NBC.
"When it rains or snows it's a disaster," he said.
Heavy machinery tears down a section of the East Wing of the White House in October. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / Eric Lee
So his plan is to construct a new ballroom attached to the White House building.
"The White House State Ballroom will add approximately 90,000 square feet of ornate, meticulously crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 - more than tripling the East Room's 200-person limit," the White House website said.
"The ballroom will stand apart from the main White House but mirror its architectural theme and heritage."
A fortnight ago demolition crews started tearing down parts of the White House's East Wing and, in just a few days, the whole annexe had been completely demolished.
Trump had previously said his ballroom plans would not "interfere" with the building's existing structure, so the demolition was met with shock and criticism.
Polling website YouGov showed 40 percent of US survey respondents strongly disapproved of the move, while 24 percent said they were not sure.
Since the start of his second term as president Trump has also ripped up lawn in the famed Rose Garden.
The space is now paved over with white stone, with Trump telling NBC the grass that used to carpet the area posed problems for women wearing high heels.
The paved area has already been used for events in recent weeks.
Rows of chairs were set up on the pavement for the ceremony where Trump presented Charlie Kirk's Medal of Freedom to Erika Kirk in mid-October.
A week later it was reconfigured with outdoor tables with yellow and white umbrellas for the Rose Garden Club Lunch.
Trump has also added gold embellishments to the decor in the Oval Office which is heavily photographed as a setting for high-profile meetings with world leaders.
Reuters reports portraits of Trump have been hung "throughout the property" and "giant" US flags now hang on new flagpoles erected on the north and south lawns.
- ABC & Reuters
