A Hero Wall for an Art Collector

Project Facts

• Project Name: Urban Penthouse, St. Petersburg, Florida (US)
• Danzer Products Used: 3D-Features
  Design: Luna,
  Wood Species: American Walnut
• Location & Country: St. Petersburg, Florida (US)
• Year of Completion: 2026
• Client: private
• Application: interior architecture, interior design, residential living
• Photography, Video: © Faruk Pinjo
  

A penthouse with a sweeping view across Tampa Bay. A carefully assembled art collection. And a living room with one obvious challenge: the television sat squarely in the middle of a large white wall, although it was never meant to be the focal point. For Shawn Polowniak, the owner of this St. Petersburg condo, the answer was not another painting or a different wall color. It was a hero wall built from Danzer's 3D-Features in the Luna design, crafted in American Walnut.

"A TV is not a great architectural element, even though it's oftentimes a necessity in a living room area," Shawn says. "I knew from the inception of this project that I wanted to have a hero wall, something that was unique, and pulled in the warmer tones and the color palettes I was trying to establish for the space. But I wanted something that didn't step back from the art I had put in the space – something that actually brought it forward."

An art-filled living room
Shawn came across our 3D-Features by accident. He first encountered them online, introducing rhythm, depth and a sense of calm to the showcased spaces. What he saw stayed with him. Shawn reached out to Danzer directly through the website. The process began with a simple email. What stood out most was Danzer’s answer: "The responsiveness, the level of investment in this project, the desire for the project to be successful, from the ideation to the delivery to the final execution – it was really truly one of a kind," he says.

Blending art, architecture and everyday living 
Shawn calls his interior design language "Mad Men Chic" – borrowing the curves of mid-century modern and its architectural appeal, paired with walnut tones that already ran through the condo. Luna 3D-Features in American Walnut checked both boxes of that brief at once. 
"The 3D-Features were structural, which I needed because it's a bold white wall, my TV's on it – it's in the middle of my living room. But they were organic. The curvature of the shapes and how they came together creates such an amazing visual interest. It was a really beautiful combination between the structural shape I was looking for and the organic nature in each feature."
Luna is one of four available 3D-Features designs. Producing wood surfaces in three dimensions, consistently and at scale, requires specialist machinery, manufacturing expertise and close control throughout production. Every curve, depth and joint is intentional.

Designed for impact, built for simple installation
Shawn has a background in woodworking and stays close to every project he takes on, but he wasn't planning to install the wall himself – a contractor was already booked, two days out. Then the 3D-Features arrived.
"When the features came in and I opened the packaging and looked at the video Danzer sent, the installation was so simple, there was just no reason why I couldn't take it on," he says. "I was going to put up one feature and just see how it went. Then I finished all of them that evening." 

The contractor's visit was no longer necessary. The mounting system proved precise, lightweight and easy to work with. Installation required little more than a standard twist drill and the custom templates supplied with the 3D-Features. The Danzer system reflects an approach that considers installation and design together from the outset, rather than treating either as an afterthought.

The wall that started conversations
The 3D-Features got their first real test at a gathering with neighbors and friends. "They loved it," Shawn says. "I had multiple guests ask me how it was even done, how they make features like this, where I found them, how I thought to put this together. But in general, the sentiment was that it was the final piece that pulled the whole look together." 

With four designs, two wood species and multiple grain directions, 3D-Features offer a broad range of design possibilities while maintaining the consistency expected from an engineered product.

Install once, rearrange anytime
Months later, the wall still surprises Shawn. "These features change at all different times of the day as the light hits them. Different characteristics come out, and I see aspects of it I never saw before. It's one of those things where, just like art, every time you look at it, there's another element that speaks to you in a different way. Over time, I just love them more as a critical element of the design vision for my home."

And should Shawn ever want a different look, the installation can evolve with him. Each feature can be rotated, changing the overall composition without removing or reinstalling the 3D-Features.

A different arrangement. A different expression. The same warmth and character of real wood.

If you'd like to get more insights into the project, watch the full interview with Shawn.