Italy

Artist and jewelry designer Sara Amrhein and her husband, Luigi Valerio, completely remodeled this 592-square-foot apartment in Florence, Italy, DIYing much of the work themselves!

It's hard to decide what's more beautiful, the house, the grounds, or the views!

Lucas is a chef who teaches private cooking classes out of his home for his business. The apartment was originally part of a castle connected to an old city wall and tower.

Name: Kate, her husband and their dog, Millie, Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 1,830 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Kate Goethe, like most military spouses, didn’t picture herself living in an Italian villa five years ago when she was living in a small suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. But like all military members and their families, you go where duty calls — and well, sometimes that comes with perks that include a jasmine-filled veranda and a villa.

Name: Marci and Carlos Cordero, with children Penelope and Mitchell Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 2,150 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, renting Marci and Carlos have only lived in their Italian apartment for five months, but you’d never know it from looking around. There are photos and art hung (even with the stubborn concrete walls!) and every piece of furniture seems to fit into place and have a home.

Name: Séverine Piller and Gianfranco Location: Milan, Italy Size: 1400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months If you believe that home should be a retreat from the hectic outside world, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in this home shared by a couple in Milan. Séverine is an interior designer and co-founder of atelier BOEMIA, “an online retail store selling decor made by artisans… .

Name: Danny and Zac Location: Rome, Italy Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Owned. Lived in since April, but it’s been in the family for over 60 years! Danny writes: “This apartment used to belong to my grandparents, and then my parents took over the rent, and now my husband and I are living in it with our mini dachshund. Three generations (and counting)! It’s a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment on the third floor of a residential building in the center of Rome.

Name: Tucker Schreiber Location: Little Italy — Toronto, Ontario Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Tucker, a product manager for Shopify, lives in this bright and open loft apartment in downtown Toronto, filled with a balance of passed down family heirlooms and IKEA essentials. The loft is found in a central location that’s within walking distance to all necessary amenities including his office, the subway, grocery stores, and of course, Starbucks.

Name: Michal Turner Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 1,900 square feet Years lived in: Less than one year, renting Michal’s apartment is a testament to her personality. Whether you’ve just met her, or have only been able to see photographs of her apartment, you immediately know this is a woman you want to befriend.

Name: Melissa Frankenfield, her husband, Jason, and their three children Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting When Melissa first found out she would be moving to Italy, she had fantasies of grandeur about her future home — how it might sit on a vineyard, overlooking a quaint Italian farm, with a vine-covered barn and rustic wood ceilings inside.

Name: Lezli Clendening Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Walking into Lezli’s second floor Italian apartment is like walking straight into a museum. With artifacts from all around the world, beautiful canvases from artists (some of whom she is related to) and even bones, insect display cases and taxidermy pieces, it certainly could be mistaken for one of the coziest exhibits ever.

Name: Kirsten Schofield and Eric Ng Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Some apartments have good bones, and some apartments feature inhabitants who know good design. Amazingly, Kirsten and Eric’s apartment in downtown Vicenza features both! With thoughtfully chosen items from estate sales and antique stores around Europe and the U.S., this couple has quite the collection of beautiful things from their travels around the world.

Name: Whitley Glasgow, her husband Josh, and pup Maxwell Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 4,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Whitley and her husband, Josh, first imagined themselves moving to Italy, they knew they had to find a place with character. When they came across this rental apartment—a part of the Villa Fracanzan Piovene—they found it in spades.