It’s a fun pastime to peek into other people’s homes, particularly ones belonging to architects, designers and artists. If you have a few moments today, you may want to escape to the northern Tramuntana hills of Majorca into the home of fashion show producer, art director and designer Alexandre de Betak. When he couldn’t find an old house, he decided to build one. “I spent the first year and a half buying windows and doors and beams and tiles and rocks.” Milanese designer, Italo Rota’s apartment is packed with collections and curiosities. “They are provisional or impromptu collections that I put together because I have a fleeting interest.” His house was once a Christmas bauble factory. “I get regular moments of unbelievable pleasure in this house,” says sculptor Daniel Chadwick of his Victorian mansion in the Cotswold Hills.  Nowness creates such wonderful series, and this series is really inspiring. Plus, they’re short enough to step inside at least six homes over breakfast.

Inside our rather dilapidated garage are boxes and boxes of books. We’ve nowhere else to put them. The idea was always to create alcove shelving for our fiction, travel guides and art tomes, but somehow the project fell by the wayside. It’s a little heartbreaking to think that all those books that once brought so much pleasure and wonder, are now gathering dust among our disused car seats. It’s the memories, the nostalgia, that I hold on to. But the more I think about it, the less reasons I can think of to keep them. A much better idea would be to go through the boxes and put aside select books that are particularly meaningful, unique or beautiful. And then take that edited collection and create a home for it within our home.

Here is the Tunisian home of filmmaker, Ahmed Bennys. Paintings and photographs hung on soft apricot walls, folk art, (amassed over decades travelling the world as a cameraman for NBC) antiques, and mismatched fabrics –– this is just the sort of rich, eclectic hodge-podge decor that I adore. I’ve never been to Tunisia, but I’ve visited both Morocco and Tangiers, and the north African aesthetic inspires me no end. “Bennys’ house, which fronted the beach –– surf and children’s cries and the smack of paddle balls floated in through the windows –– seemed to be a monument to post revolution Tunisia’s reclaiming of its more cosmopolitan past. The house is deliriously crammed with folk art from all eras: local Tunisian paintings, Sicilian puppets procured from the medina, a wooden statuette of Barack Obama.” What a wonderful experience, to visit Bennys in his home, and listen to him tell his stories.

This Art Nouveau renovation in Barcelona is really quite cool. Between the traditional tiled floors, stark white walls and sleek modern furnishings, I can’t think of a cooler place in which to sit around with good company and several bottles of Cava. I do appreciate the grand height of all the doorways, and those Serge Mouille lights are among my very favourites. Olé.

Now that the weather has changed, the swimming pool feels a tad less appealing. Just the chilly dash between the changing room and the pool is enough to turn me off. I’m half tempted to freeze my membership and splurge on this Lizzie Fortunato bag, instead. And what about this cute swimming tee by Yizi? Or maybe I should buy this fabulous Lou Taylor print for the kitchen. Because really, who needs a pool when you’ve got a tub?

Every time I think I’d like an ultra modern bathroom, I see a picture that reminds me of my true aesthetic. White and minimally appointed, yes. Ultra modern, mais non. I’m in Marrakech, or on a Greek Cycladic island, where the the tub and the shower and the loo all meet. That’s the bathroom for me.