Sentence:  The house of Ruthven was a small but ultra-modern limestone affair, between Madison and Fifth ;nb.... As a matter of fact its narrow <WSD>ornate</WSD> façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the arabesques, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “near-aissance.” 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Elaborately ornamented, often to excess.