SCHENECTADY — The long expanse of peeling, beige paint that graced the Council Chambers in City Hall for years is finally gone.

The deteriorating paint on the ceiling has been replaced with crisp white and Colonial blue. But the paint isn’t simply fresh and clean; intricate designs that had been covered with a single sheet of beige are now clearly visible, highlighted by the contrasts of white, blue and gold.

The walls got a new coat of paint, as well, and are now light blue, with dark blue and gold trim. The Colonial colors don’t match the City Council’s green chairs, but the thin lines of gold bring out the gold designs in the light fixtures.

Nearly everything is done, except for a swath of beige above the council president’s chair, which is expected to be painted tonight.

It wasn’t easy to repaint a room that is used all day as a courtroom and sees biweekly evening usage for council meetings. Painters ended up working from 4 to 11 p.m. on most days.

Despite ventilation and a few hours of drying, the smell of paint was still somewhat overwhelming during the day, leading some city officials to hurry out as soon as council meetings ended because they couldn’t stand the fumes. They’re looking forward to the end of the project — but they also universally agree that the new paint job is beautiful.

Once the painting is done, the floors will be resurfaced as well, Mayor Brian U. Stratton said. The green upholstery on the council chairs may also be changed, he said.

The work was financed by the Office of Court Administration, which uses the chambers as a temporary court during the day. Last year, OCA refurbished the council benches after they were defaced by people waiting for court hearings. Stratton asked for the paint job as well as compensation for the vandalism, and the OCA agreed. The agency also pays the city rent.

While painters were standing on scaffolding in the back of the council chambers, they also took on a problem that has annoyed city residents for years: the clock. It has been unreliable for so long that few people even look at it anymore.

But now the clock is showing the precisely correct time.