About Palazzo Cielo
Palazzo Cielo sits in Piozzo, a hilltop village in the Piedmont, in the shadow of a 10th century castle and steps from the parish church of Santo Stefano. The building dates to the 1640s — a grand structure that served as both the elegant residence and working apothecary of a family of chemists whose remedies and curiosities were known throughout the region.
We are restoring it slowly, the way it deserves, living within it as we learn from its bones. Behind peeling paint, trompe l’oeil and frescoes reveal themselves room by room. The palazzo is our European studio in the fullest sense: a working space where we research materials and finishes, source antique and contemporary textiles, meet with artisans and fabric houses, and develop the visual vocabulary that runs through everything we do.
The worn stone floors, the large windows with their vistas of the Maritime Alps and the rooftops of Piozzo, the quality of light in a 17th century room — these things find their way back to Portland in every project.
The location is quietly remarkable. The French Riviera is under three hours. Milan is less than two. Paris is a TGV ride from Turin. We work across Europe from here. It has changed how we see materials, proportion, and time.