Lucca, Tuscany
Apartment in the centro storico of Lucca
A family from Canada bought a ground-floor apartment in the historic centre of Lucca, fully renovated. They were looking for someone to take care of the entire interior — their own Italian home as well as a rental property.
In short
A Canadian family bought a fully renovated ground-floor apartment in the historic centre of Lucca. Grietje provided the complete interior — suitable for holiday rental and as their own Italian home — including logistics in a city centre where no cars are allowed.
The brief
The apartment — two bedrooms, a living room, a wardrobe room and two high-end bathrooms — was already renovated but stood empty. It had to become their own Italian home and be attractive for rental at the same time. The location made it extra challenging: no cars are allowed in the centro storico; you only get in with a permit.
The approach
First, conversations about what the family loves and which style; they gathered inspiration of what they found beautiful and I turned that into a moodboard showing exactly what would be purchased — all within the budget agreed upfront. I kept delivery times in mind and organised the logistics in the car-free old town, including the required permits. The result: a mix of Italy and modern.
The result
A successfully completed project: the family returns twice a year to enjoy Lucca, in an apartment that is both their home and ready for rental.
Materials & colours
- Moodboard fitting the agreed budget
- Planning around delivery times
- Logistics and permits for the car-free old town
- A mix of Italian and modern interior pieces
The full story
A renovated apartment without an interior
The family from Canada had bought a ground-floor apartment in Lucca's centro storico and had already fully renovated it. What was missing was the complete interior — it had to work for holiday rental and at the same time become their own Italian home.
A moodboard within budget
First we talked: what do they love, which style? Then they gathered inspiration and I made a moodboard from it. The budget had been discussed beforehand, so everything on that moodboard fitted the proposed budget. It became a mix of Italy and modern interior.
Logistics in a car-free city centre
Delivery times are always tricky, but the location made it extra complex: no cars are allowed in Lucca's historic centre; you can only enter with a specific permit. I organised all of that logistics — so this project included project management too. The apartment has two bedrooms, a living room and two high-end bathrooms; the family now comes twice a year to enjoy it.
"In the centro storico no car is allowed — so every sofa and every bed came in through permits and planning. Arranging that is part of my profession too."
Frequently asked questions about this case
- How do you get furniture into a car-free city centre?
- With permits and planning. No traffic is allowed in Lucca's historic centre; entry requires a specific permit. For this project Grietje arranged that entire logistics chain.
- Can a holiday rental also be your own home?
- Yes — that was exactly the brief here: an interior that works for holiday rental and feels like their own Italian home. The Canadian family now stays there twice a year themselves.
- How does a complete furnishing stay within budget?
- By discussing the budget upfront and designing the moodboard within it: everything on the moodboard fitted the proposed budget, so there were no surprises afterwards.
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