When we gutted the old ballroom, we discovered that when it was doubled in size in the 1970's, structural steel beams were added which cut the ceiling into four quarters. There was no room to go up. Ducting for 300 tons of rooftop HVAC were also in the way.

We decided to treat the space like a low and long shipboard ballroom in a turn of the century luxury ocean liner.

Underneath a dreadful carpet, we found hardwood flooring that we were able to restore.

Pilasters and wainscotting help emphasis height as we began reshaping the ballroom.

Layers of moldings in graded shades of white, and layers of walls and ceilings between, were also painted in graded shades of "butter". The eye perceives increased space and height.

We cut borders of fine woods into the old plank floor to break up the expanse and add detail. In the background are huge sliding doors that open from the Jazz Gallerie, so it can also be used as a pre-function room.

John and Linda Capello also painted these mystical sky murals, this time painting directly onto the ceiling using a new water soluable oil paint for a luminous effect.

All the modern equipment like air vents, smoke detectors, central speakers and pin spots to light flowers on banquet tables was worked into the symmetry of the ceiling's moldings - unobstrusive but functional.