Larghevedute Enchanting Wallpapers

Read our interview with Elena Palossi, that together with Paolo Larici are the creative minds behind ​Larghevedute. Milan based Larghevedute is​ your address if you are in search of extremely talented Italian artisans to create for you unique art pieces for your wall coverings. As a matter of fact their fully hand painted wallpapers, that have also been picked by Gianni Versace’s Casa Casuarina in Miami, are more of a painting than a simple wallpaper.

Tell us your story.

I have always wanted to make things with my hands. When I was a girl I used to visit my grandfather’s goldsmith workshop and use his tools and machines to roughly shape pieces of brass. I would watch him work, while the background music coming from the radio accompanied each precise gesture. I would enjoy the serene ambiance and the peace that lingered there. When I grew older, I studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. There, I was able to reach my objective of being part of the most important artistic workshop in the world: I became an assistant to the chief scenic designer at the legendary Teatro Alla Scala, in Milan. This is how I started; my teacher was the great Giorgio Cristini, whose wisdom I have been using for more than twenty years. In 1992 I established Larghevedute along with Paolo Larici, also a set designer. We started by creating the decorations for Gianni Versace’s Casa Casuarina in Miami. From that experience began a collaboration that brought us to do important decorating projects in all the late designer’s homes.

​What is your philosophy?

Our passion for paintings and the theater inspire the designs with which we decorate the walls of prestigious homes. With them we create a new way of living that is extremely refined, expressing the art, taste, and traditions of our country. Our name identifies us. Larghevedute (large views, in Italian) was chosen with the intent of making clear who we are and what is our mission: we are scenic designers and our specialty is large images. We express our creativity on paper without constraint, letting our souls speak for us. Our interiors combine tradition and innovation, because they are conceived as part of a contemporary lifestyle, harmoniously mixing pictorial quality and inspiration.

Your wallpapers are entirely crafted by hand. What are the most fascinating steps during production?

Every sheet of wallpaper is crafted by hand. Each step of production involves hands that work, draw, meticulously paint, and finish. These hands are moved by innate passion, artistic sensibility, and virtuosity. The most fascinating step is doubtlessly the moment when dreams come true with the first indelible sketches on paper. Each thought and each gesture strives for excellence and perfection. We care for every detail in order to interpret on the canvas the profound essence of each subject.

​What are your main sources of inspiration?

We are soaked in the striking beauty of our country. As Italians, we are constantly and deeply immersed in the nature and the art that surrounds us, and this is what inspires us the most.

How important is for you to experiment with new techniques and materials?

Experimenting with different types of materials is very stimulating for us: using wood, canvas, and other fabrics, along with natural colors, pigments, and binders such as egg, milk and citrus wax. We mix and test, always looking for the best and most exclusive possible result.