Moving up: return of the piano nobile
The Times (Bricks and Mortar)
The piano nobile, or bel étage, was the principal floor of a grand house, where the nobility lorded over the hoi polloi. The first floor, with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, was where the main reception and bedrooms were located in Georgian townhouses, above the noise, smells and distractions of the street.