There’s something rather magical about owning a piece of furniture with many past lives, wondering about the stories of its previous owners. Desks in particular carry a special curiosity, I find, and inspiration can often be found writing at an antique desk and imagining the letters crafted there in days gone by. 

Hunting for antiques is a perfect way to while away an afternoon (or an entire weekend) in Italy, and often, the moment when you’re not looking for anything in particular is when you stumble across a treasure. Unlike mass-produced, flat-pack furniture which often lacks quality and requires replacing after a few years, the antiques that can be found across Italy are unique pieces, full of character, that are meant to last (many of them already have for decades!).