Grottesca Hall

This grand hall entrance, with its sweeping stair case, 18-foot high walls, and dramatic marble-tiled floor, was given a further sense of elegance with faux finishing and decorative painting. All panels and the walls below the chair rail were first finished with a subtle texture in a tone that was slightly darker than the wall paint. The borders were then added, in darker shades of beige and brown, and finally decorative leaves were painted. The panel above the dining room entrance was painted as a "grottesca" (a decorative style of painting often used in classic Italian homes) with a design that was created for the clients. The center panel of the 22-foot high ceiling was given similar treatment as the wall panels, which unified the large space and made it a little more intimate. The decorative painting was completed in 10 days.