--- title: Trump Inauguration: Decorators Are at Work in the White House description: The task of making the White House ready for its next occupant began in earnest. canonical: https://time.com/4641368/trump-inauguration-white-house-decorators/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-20T19:00:45.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T02:50:40.630Z article:section: Politics og:title: Decorators Are Already at Work in the White House og:description: Dozens of painters, electricians and cleaners moved quickly og:url: https://time.com/4641368/trump-inauguration-white-house-decorators/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10557a57484e33cf/6988b66b656a3fe690bce771/gettyimages-632192238.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: A moving van pulls into the back of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Decorators Are Already at Work in the White House twitter:description: Dozens of painters, electricians and cleaners moved quickly twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10557a57484e33cf/6988b66b656a3fe690bce771/gettyimages-632192238.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Decorators Are Already at Work in the White House by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 20, 2017 7:00 PM UTC  A moving van pulls into the back of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017. A moving van pulls into the back of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS—AFP/Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 20, 2017 7:00 PM UTC Moments after President Obama took [his last lap around the Oval Office](http://time.com/4640464/barack-obama-white-house-final-hours/) and left his letter for his successor on the Resolute Desk, the task of making the White House ready for its next occupant began in earnest. Dozens of General Services Administration staff, including painters, electricians, and cleaners moved into the West Wing to begin [removing Obama’s things](http://time.com/4641318/barack-obama-white-house-donald-trump-inauguration/) to make way for President Trump’s. In the White House Residence, nearly everyone but the kitchen staff were marshaled to help [move the former First Family’s belongings out to waiting trucks](http://time.com/4617422/barack-obama-private-citizen-after-white-house/), and to bring in the new one’s. The sounds of vacuums were audible throughout the West Wing, as staffers worked to prepare offices for their new occupants. At noon, the White House’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts were turned over to Trump’s team. A new website for the administration was live seconds later. (The @POTUS account briefly used a photo from Obama’s inauguration, before being replaced with an American flag.) A handful of top Obama aides lingered in the West Wing until about 11:15, when they departed for the ex-president’s departure ceremony at Joint Base Andrews. Just after noon, the first members of Trump’s transition team made their way over to the White House from the transition headquarters three blocks away. 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