The Private Hall, the most dramatic interior space in the house. The entrance and hall are a guest's first impression of a house, and crucial in defining its character. Here the two-storeyed vault conveys the contrary feelings of authority and repose.

The basic impression is of a flow of space, around the columns, archways and recesses on the ground level to adjacent rooms, and also upwards along the stairs and through the stairwell void to the first storey, where it swirls around the encircling gallery and beyond. Other rooms in the private residence relate naturally to this space.

The structure is based on that of a classical temple, with columns in the Ionic style on ground floor level and in the Corinthian style on the upper story. Unlike other rooms, a significant amount of the early, though not original, polychrome decorative scheme remains - this is most evident on the upper cross beams. Column bases on the upper level are fashioned in harmony with the staircase.

J.H. Harvey, a draftsman who worked on the house's design, recounted an anecdote about the staircase: 'Originally no provision was made for a grand staircase. An acquaintance asked Wardell why such an item had been omitted; what answer he made has not been chronicled, but on that same afternoon, Wardell instructed Clark to provide for a Grand Staircase in the plans'.

The staircase, though set at right angles to the length of the hall, is its central and connecting structure. The balustrading is in painted cast-iron scrolls of acanthus-like foliage, known as a 'rinceau' pattern. The continuous balustrades are topped with a cedar handrail, and the treads and rises on the staircase have been painted.

The ceiling is in sunken patterns of geometric design. The roof lantern provides natural light which enhances the hall's spatial dimensions. Originally the tiles on the ground floor and wooden floorboards on the first floor were exposed, but both are now covered with wall to wall carpet. The fireplace added in 1902 has now become a focal point, drawing the space back into a comfortable room once again.