Casino environments are some of the most visually dynamic public spaces in the hospitality sector. Every surface is an opportunity to create atmosphere, influence guest experience, and reflect the brand’s identity. But installing custom wall and ceiling murals at this size isn’t just about scale — it’s about precision planning, technical problem-solving, and seamless collaboration from concept to completion.
We recently partnered with the Newburgh Casino in New York’s Hudson Valley as part of a major interior design upgrade. Working alongside the creative consulting team at Nine Dot Arts — a Denver-based firm known for curating art collections that connect people and places — we helped transform a sprawling entertainment floor into a visually immersive experience.
A 500-Foot Wall Panorama
The casino’s vision was ambitious: a continuous panoramic mural over 500 feet in length, composed of 20 high-resolution photographs capturing lush California landscapes. While each image was striking on its own, the challenge was in combining them into a single, seamless visual story that would feel natural to the viewer.
Our Photoshop team worked relentlessly over several days to blend skies, match lighting, and merge landscapes into one uninterrupted composition. This was no quick task — with files of this size, every adjustment required both artistic judgement and technical endurance. After multiple rounds of review and refinement, the client approved a sweeping panorama that now anchors the main gaming floor with a sense of grandeur and escape.
The Ceiling Mural: Autumn Above
The project’s second centerpiece was a custom ceiling mural designed for a circular installation space. The image — a high-resolution scan of a hand-painted motif of autumn leaves — offered warmth and seasonal elegance, but its unconventional shape presented a unique set of technical hurdles.
Circular layouts require precise planning to avoid distortion and misalignment. We created detailed installation schematics, panel-by-panel labels, and orientation diagrams to guide the contractor team on site. To ensure absolute clarity, we scheduled a live Zoom walkthrough with installers, walking them through exactly where to begin, how to orient each panel, and the sequence for installation.
Meeting Casino-Grade Standards
Casinos are high-traffic, high-visibility environments. The mural materials had to withstand constant exposure to fluctuating lighting, temperature changes, and the general wear of a bustling venue. We selected a Type II commercial-grade wallcovering substrate with a durable fabric backing for the walls, and a lightweight, stable material for the ceiling installation to minimize strain on the structure.
Our UV-cured, pigment-based inks ensured that both the vibrant greens of the landscapes and the rich earth tones of the autumn motif would remain colorfast for years to come, even under intense LED and ambient lighting.
Project Specifications
- Creative Status: 20 high-resolution photographs + hand-painted motif scan provided by Nine Dot Arts
- Wall Material: Type II, Fabric Backed, Commercial Grade (5000 square feet)
- Ceiling Material: Lightweight, dimensionally stable substrate for overhead installations
- Total Coverage: Over 500 feet of wall + custom circular ceiling feature
- Ink Technology: UV-cured pigment inks for maximum fade resistance
Timeline Considerations
This was a time-sensitive project, with an installation deadline tied to the casino’s grand reopening. The massive file sizes required extended processing time, even on our high-performance workstations. To meet the schedule without sacrificing quality, we invested in additional computing resources to split the workload and speed up production.
By overlapping design work with printing preparation, and maintaining constant communication with both the casino’s management and the Nine Dot Arts team, we delivered all murals ready for installation on schedule.
Lessons Learned
- Large-scale panoramic projects demand both creative skill and computational muscle — accounting for file processing time is essential, no matter how experienced the team.
- Circular ceiling murals require airtight planning. Printed orientation guides, panel labels, and installation diagrams aren’t optional — they are mission-critical to avoid costly reprints or delays.
- Direct communication with installers is invaluable. Our live video session eliminated confusion, reassured the contractors, and ensured that the installation reflected the original design intent.
This project illustrates how strategic planning, technical expertise, and collaborative problem-solving can bring even the most complex mural concepts to life — on time, on spec, and to the delight of both the client and the public.
About the Author
Joseph Gornail is a multimedia artist and fourth-generation print craftsman whose family has lived on the same block in SoHo for over 90 years. With an extensive background in photography, writing and creative direction, Joseph has a love of the arts and a proud New Yorker. When he’s not documenting city life or curating historic images for History101.nyc, he can likely be found sailing the New York harbor to enjoy his native city from a different perspective.