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It makes sense for a book celebrating the high achievements of Italian interior design to have been born during Milan’s Salone del Mobile, the city’s annual design fair. “The idea took shape when I ran into Emilia Terragni, Phaidon’s publisher,” says interiors expert and Milan-based writer Laura May Todd, whose new book, Italian Interiors: Rooms with a View, is out now. “We talked about my years of living in Italy, writing about design and interiors, and the project just grew organically from there. It was also serendipitous—I had started my career at Phaidon, so the collaboration felt like coming full circle!”
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Flipping through its pages reveals what Todd believes to be 50 of Italy’s most evocative homes—a visual feast and a tour through Italy’s most imaginative interiors. “I think an Italian house is about more than just beauty—it’s about living with history, engaging with it, and even challenging it,” Todd says. “Every home in the book was chosen instinctively. We wanted spaces that could surprise, inspire, and feel personal.”
The featured interiors span the breadth of Italy—from opulent Venetian palazzi to rustic Sicilian farmhouses and modernist Milanese apartments. Each one is chosen for its unique personality. “One space that completely floored me was the home of Andrea Zanatelli and Kenny Spooren in Milan,” Todd says. “On the outside, it’s this nondescript 1960s building, but inside, it’s like stepping into a treasure chest. Their weekends spent at antique markets clearly paid off—the space feels alive with their collections.”
Of the spaces that move her most, Todd calls attention to the 13th-century Castello di Cigognola, renovated by legendary interior designer and Oscar-nominated set designer Renzo Mongiardino. “Mongiardino was a pioneer,” she noted. “His opulent style—those hand-painted trompe l’œil walls and massive stone fireplaces—really defined what we think of as Milanese grandeur today.” Equally compelling is Casa di Fantasia, a Gio Ponti-designed apartment reimagined by the Lebanese studio David/Nicholas. “It’s such a loving homage to Ponti,” Todd said. “They’ve managed to create something entirely new while keeping the spirit of the original intact.”
Each property is also paired with an essay that delves into the personalities behind the homes. In one of the most striking examples, Todd reflects on the countryside masseria of Riccardo Priolisi and John Hooks in Noto, Sicily. “It’s not just the space—it’s what they’ve done with it,” she said. “They painted these Picasso-esque murals inspired by Roman mythology on the walls. Neither of them are designers, but they’ve created something deeply personal and profoundly beautiful.”
While curating and writing the book, Todd couldn’t help but reflect on her own living space. “My apartment is quite minimalist,” she says, laughing. “Seeing so many extraordinary homes can make your own standards feel unattainable. I’ll spend months hunting for the perfect lamp or chair, which means it never feels finished. But I think that’s part of the charm—living with intention, just like the homes in the book.”
“An Italian home isn’t static,” Todd continues. “It’s layered, lived in, and endlessly inspiring. It’s a thesis for how to live.” It s a philosophy Todd demonstrates herself when she recounts her favorite memories while assembling the book. What really stayed with her weren’t the Maro Gorky’s verdant frescos on the walls of her Tuscan home, or the silk brocaded walls of Vincenzo De Cotiis’s historic Venetian palazzo. “What I’ll remember most are the espressos!" she says. “I drank countless cups in beautiful homes with generous people, listening to the stories that make these spaces special.”
