Exciting news! My family is planting permanent roots in Italy after moving here 2.5 years ago. In December 2023, we bought a home in the hills of Como, Italy. We knew that it would take time to find our dream property, and so we remained patient after years & years of searching.

Finding Our Dream Home in Como

Nothing really met our admittedly specific qualifications, until one day, my mother-in-law sent over a listing for our dream home — it checked every box except for having a lake view, which we were willing to sacrifice for a mountain view.

I wanted to find a historic property in need of a renovation, as I love interior design and styling, and it’s been my lifelong dream to restore a historic property. The home is a Liberty style villa set on ¾ of an acre and was built in 1910. We fell in love with this house instantly upon walking inside for the first time.

Navigating the Italian Home Buying Process

This purchase didn’t happen easily — when living in Italy, you become accustomed to life moving slower in every regard. Typically, the change of pace is for the better, but perhaps not when it comes to purchasing a home. The home buying process in Italy is drastically different from the US and was a HUGE learning process.

We toured our new-to-us home in February 2023. After eight months of negotiations and waiting for the previous owners to clear the home of its furnishings, we got the keys in mid-December.

Highlights of the Property

One of the things that drew us to this villa was its generous communal areas, each brimming with potential for hosting gatherings. The house has a large yard for a pool, garden beds to grow our own produce, plenty of parking, and a separate space for our loved ones to call their own when they visit us for longer stays.

The villa will have 5 bedrooms + 5 bathrooms, along with 2 large pre-existing terraces. After spending the past few years in an apartment nearby in Como, we started to crave outdoor space for our boys to run wild. They already love spending the weekends running through the overgrown gardens!

The Home Renovation Process

The house isn’t currently habitable — the land and the home needs some serious love and attention, but we have a firm belief in our vision for what it will become over the course of the next two years. Designing a beautiful, welcoming space for our family to call home is truly a dream come true. It feels surreal to finally sketch some of the spaces I’ve been imagining for over a year now (and have been designing on Pinterest for even longer).

I know that the transformation will be worth the wait, because all of the best things in life take time. We have big plans for renovating the interior and exterior, including different paint colors, replacing the windows an doors, and re-working the interiors to be liveable for young children. I’m eager to infuse these spaces with my own style, while making sure to respect the historical integrity of the home throughout the process.

Join Us On Our Renovation Journey

As we begin the renovation journey, I’ll be showing you all an in-depth look into the ins-and-outs of designing and renovating a home in Italy. The process will be a labor of love. Through it all, I’ll be sharing every triumph, setback, and moment of inspiration here. Be sure to follow along for behind-the-scenes glimpses. I can’t wait to share this journey with you!