This San Francisco Artist’s New Wallpaper Nods To Italian Craft

Photo: Courtesy Curiosare

It’s been an especially busy several months for Caroline Lizarraga. The decorative painter contributed to three rooms in this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase—open through May 27—and recently debuted a wallpaper collection with Parete. Lizarraga is also wrapping up the spring session of Curiosare Italia, a luxury travel experience that she and her husband, Riccardo Sibilano, founded. Here, she discusses her latest endeavors.

How did the wallpaper come about? Wallpaper has been on my mind for the past five years. Once I was introduced to Parete and felt creative synergy, I decided it was time to explore this new medium.

What was the goal? I am one person who can only do so many projects in a year, so the wallpaper is a way to get to clients who may have wanted to work with us. I was very dedicated to making sure the paper had a beautiful hand feel, and Parete was able to keep testing different substrates until we felt it was perfect.

Photo: Courtesy Parete

You launched with six designs. Can you describe a few? String Of Pearls is inspired by jewelry. We printed it on a fabulous, nonwoven metallic ground that feels like antique silver tea paper. With Fringe Benefits, macrame meets landscape meets fringe. It is printed on a string ground, delivering a fantastic texture. I Lost My Marbles (above) is a nod to my training in Italy, combining marbling and Florentine papermaking.

Speaking of Italy, tell us about Curiosare Italia! My husband is from Puglia. As I spent more time there, I became more and more passionate about the area, particularly the craft. I suggested that we start a small lifestyle class to share a taste of what Puglia has to offer: food, wine, the artisans, the towns, architecture and, of course, painting classes from me. The weeklong experience, hosted in the spring and fall, is a love letter to Puglia.