the chamber itself was fairytale-lovely , tiles of lapis-blue and white laid upon the walls from floor to gilt-painted ceiling , shutters inlaid with mother-of-pearl , velvet-cushioned window seats , thick carpets in a thousand shades of red heaped over the floors , and in the center of the room a tall painted vase half the height of a man stood upon a low table , full of a profusion of flowers and vines .