As with my gelateria, I wanted the interior of Pasticceria Penso to be a bit fancier than the real-life shop. Many of Trieste’s historic bakeries and coffee houses have a certain classic style that captures the grandeur of the Hapsburg Empire, so my original vision for Penso included lots of gold and burgundy. I found a rich red damask wallpaper online, but when I received it, not only was it wrinkled due to poor packing, but the actual color turned out to be a light mauve instead. Fortunately, I was able to return it. After more searching, I stumbled upon this discontinued pattern of gold acanthus flowers on a burgundy background. (The exposed wall above the wainscot panels will eventually be covered by a chair rail.)
