When the restoration of the Ladies' Saloon began in the early 1990s, it appeared to be a rather plain, attractive and spacious area, but one featuring few exciting decorative features. It was painted white and pale green with some gold trim. No original furniture remained except for a bench-like setee on each side of the stern end of the saloon.

The seats were covered in brown plastic, and the backs in 1950s style tapestry. Flooring was a heavy and functional "battleship" linoleum in an unattractive greenish brown. Curtains were a 1950s blue material. Restoration began with detective work, for the restoration crew faced many challenges. Before anything could be done, it was critical to know what was once there, what changes had been made over the years and what important features or information could be lost or damaged by the work being considered. Photographs, normally an excellent source of information in restoration projects, could not be used, as no pictures of the Moyie's interior from its early days had been discovered. Those who had traveled on the Moyie assisted, but their recollections were sketchy at best. The best source of evidence and information turned out to be the Moyie herself.

This evidence was found in several ways. By very careful sanding and hand scraping, it was possible to work backwards in time through layers of paint down to the bare wood that the shipwrights had worked with in 1898 when the cabins were constructed. To capture the original colours, photographs were taken and colour chips compared to the uncovered early layers of paint. Careful records were always made and small samples of paint were collected to be preserved for future analysis.

The slow work eventually yielded an overall picture of the colours and how they were applied when the Moyie was new. At the same time, hints of her past decorations were uncovered, including gold pin striping, stenciling and cast plaster features that had been applied in many areas.

Stencils and patterns were made to re-apply the long lost features. Gold leaf designs were re-created with silk screening. On the aft bulkhead, an elaborate raised interlocking "CPR" design with flags was crafted, based on a Christmas card from 1902 in which the decorations showed faintly. On both sides of the decoration, there were faint outlines of a floral and rope design. Once again using the Christmas card, and the help of th J.P. Weaver Company of California, they were able to produce a very close match to the plaster designs removed many years ago. Another challenge lay ahead—finding fabrics for the Moyie. Colours and decorations can be determined from early layers of paint, but how would they find out what the curtains were like so many years ago?

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