What was the total cost of the 2017 Oval Office renovation?

1. Two headline numbers, two different scopes

Contemporaneous coverage in August 2017 described renovation work billed at roughly $3.4 million that covered HVAC and IT upgrades, the West Wing lobby, South Portico steps and “overhaul” work that included the Oval Office, while separate reporting focused on $1.75 million in contracts for new furniture and redecorating of the Oval Office and nearby executive spaces ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. What the $3.4 million figure represents

Architectural Digest and several design outlets reported a $3.4 million total for the 17-day project that replaced a 27‑year‑old heating and cooling system, updated IT, refreshed the West Wing and renovated the South Portico steps in addition to redecorating the Oval Office and adjacent rooms — language that treats $3.4 million as the broader facilities-and-systems package rather than a line-item for wallpaper and rugs alone ^{[1] [4]}.

3. What the $1.75 million figure represents

Other outlets, citing government procurement records and NBC News reporting, identified $1.75 million in spending tied specifically to furniture, rugs, custom tables and decorative items for the Oval Office and executive office suites; those contracts include discrete purchases such as custom rugs ($17,000) and tables ($12,800) among other items ^{[3] [2]}.

4. Why both numbers circulated — and why they’re not mutually exclusive

Reporting shows the $1.75 million is a subset of spending on furnishings and decor, while $3.4 million captures capital and systems work plus cosmetic updates. Journalists and outlets emphasized different pieces of the same two-week operation: procurement records and visible new decor produced the $1.75 million headlines, while architecture and historical summaries emphasized the larger mechanical and renovation budget for the West Wing ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

5. Disputes, framing and political context

Coverage noted political salience: critics highlighted the furniture figure as an example of administration spending, while White House spokespeople framed the work as necessary maintenance approved earlier and focused on “made in America” sourcing. Some stories emphasized timing — completed while the president was at a resort — which amplified scrutiny of costs ^{[2] [5]}.

6. Press descriptions of scale and labor

Multiple reports noted the speed and scale: the work took place over roughly two weeks and involved more than 200 workers, with the Resolute desk removed briefly and air filters and plastic sheeting used during the project. Those operational details underpin both the facilities work and the furniture installations described in separate reporting ^[2].

7. What we cannot confirm from these sources

Available sources do not mention an authoritative, single-line White House accounting that reconciles the $1.75 million furniture figure and the $3.4 million renovation total into one definitive “Oval Office renovation” cost; contemporary coverage presents the amounts in different contexts without a single, consolidated official breakdown ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

8. Bottom line for readers

If you ask “what was the total cost of the 2017 Oval Office renovation,” contemporaneous public reporting gives two valid but different answers depending on scope: $1.75 million for furniture/redecorating contracts specifically called out in procurement reporting and roughly $3.4 million when the work is reported as part of a broader West Wing/HVAC/IT overhaul that included the Oval Office ^{[3] [1]}. Readers should treat the lower figure as a subset of expenditures and the higher figure as the more comprehensive project estimate reported at the time ^{[1] [2]}.