The White House is a beautiful residence, very elegant, says US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump, getting accustomed to a new way of life away from the Trump Tower, has taken a liking for the phones in the White House and described his new residence as "beautiful" and "elegant."

"These are the most beautiful phones I've ever used in my life. The world's most secure system. The words just explode in the air," Trump said in an interview to the New York Times, referring to the phones in the White House.

The report said Trump, who used to fly back from distant campaigning locations to sleep in his own bed in his luxurious Trump Tower home, is gradually discovering several things in the White House that he likes.

Describing the White House, he said, "It's a beautiful residence, it's very elegant. There's something very special when you know that Abraham Lincoln slept there.

"The Lincoln Bedroom, you know, was his office, and the suite where I'm staying is actually where he slept," Trump said referring to the White House master bedroom, which is now his own.

"Knowing all of that, it's different, then, you know, just pure elegance and room size," Trump said. "There's a lot of history."

Trump's aides say he wakes before 6 AM, watches a little television and then looks through the morning newspapers: TheNew York Times, The New York Post and now The Washington Post.

His meetings now begin at 9 AM, earlier than they used to. Since Trump is not into reading books, he is able to end his evenings with plenty of television. The White House kitchen has been stocked with the same types of snacks thatTrump had on his private plane, including Lay's potato chips.

"The White House is the only property that Trump has slept in that is more famous than one of his own, and he seems in awe. Although he made his name building extravagant, glide properties, the new president has marvelled to aides about the splendour of the White House and the lengths he must walk to retrieve something from a far-flung room," the NYT report said.

He prefers to work in the Oval Office during the day."I've had people come in; they walk in here and they just want to stare for a long period of time," the 70-year-old said.

The president sat at his desk the one used by former Presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and John F Kennedy, among others at the end of his fourth full day in office.

Trump's wife Melania returned to New York on Sunday night with their 10-year-old son, Barron following the inauguration.The First Lady and their son are expected to return to live in the White House at the end of the school year for the young Trump.

In the interview, Trump demurred when asked about whether it was hard having his family away from him, and he pointed to Thursday, when his wife and son are expected to return. "They'll come down on weekends," Trump said. "She'll come down on Thursdays and stay."

He said he was enjoying himself so far, despite his visible displeasure with the coverage of his inauguration and the first performance of his press secretary, Sean Spicer, who shouted at the news media and made numerous false statements about Trump's inaugural crowds in the White House briefing room on Saturday.