Palazzo Volpi — Venice, Italy

It’s incredible to think that this light-washed 16th-century Venetian pile – immortalised in oils by Canaletto and Francesco Guardi – has lain mouldering for most of the past 70 years, its only occupant a solitary priest.
A round of applause then for the palazzo’s new owners and Paris-based designers Anna Covre and Frederic Tubau who have parlayed career stints as creatives for the likes of L'Oreal, Coty, Armani and Beiersdorf to take on the role of interior designers for this striking serviced apartment project.
The three suites – one of which is a three-bedroom apartment that opens into a bijou courtyard, though the entire palazzo can be rented for a party of nine – have been fully restored complete with original exposed timber beams, staircase, and windows. Covre and Tubau unified both rooms and public spaces under a colour palette of dark brown timber, white marble and pale hues, while accents are provided by way of silk rugs, extravagant Rubelli drapes, travertine showers, and flanks of mirrors that endlessly reflect the lovely soft light of Venice and views of the Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
A daily cleaning service keeps things spick and span, but the hotel is largely self-catering, though this is hardly a hardship as San Marco and Rialto, alongside Rosa Salva, Venice’s oldest bakery, are all just minutes away. For everything else, a private chef can be arranged.
ADDRESS
Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Goldwin 0’s first-ever performance wear is body-mapped to keep you cool
The ‘Performance Capsule’ from Goldwin 0 – an experimental offshoot of Japanese technical wear label Goldwin – draws inspiration from trail running for its meticulously tested sportswear, which uses experimental ventilation techniques to help you work out in the heat
-
Shop the gloriously mad inner workings of Gary Card’s brain in London’s Soho
Set designer and artist Gary Card has taken over London's Plaster Store – expect chaos and some really good accessories
-
Venerable British car-maker AC goes OTT with the high-output, low-slung AC GT SuperSport
Pitched at all-American fans of the original AC Cobra, the GT SuperSport is a fearsome two-seat roadster with more muscle than ever before
-
Il Sereno’s new Listening Suite is what phonophiles’ dreams are made of
Designed by Patricia Urquiola and Il Sereno founder and audiophile Luis Contreras, the new Lake Como-facing suite unites Japanese listening culture with Italian design
-
Inside Belmond’s most exclusive holiday villa yet, a lavish Ligurian palazzo
Once the theatre of lavish parties, Villa Beatrice is now a palatial haven of seclusion with easy access to Portofino’s Splendido, a Belmond hotel
-
The most stylish hotel takeovers to pop up at this summer
From Capri to Ibiza, luxury fashion brands are taking over seaside resorts with exclusive boutique pop-ups and bespoke poolside accessories
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to Puglia
The pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in Capri
Patricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in spring
Dreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to Formafantasma
From baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projects
Located within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark