Updating a 19th Century-Style Apartment in Rome

An electronic music D.J. wanted a home with 19th-century style but the one he found had small, dark rooms that didnt work for his young family.

Maurizio Cascella loved his rental apartment in Rome so much that he stayed there for nearly 20 years. When he and his partner, Lorena Munoz, had their first daughter, Olivia, now 3, he approached his landlord about buying the place.

Much to his dismay, they failed to strike a deal. I started looking for a new home with the hopes of finding something similar, radiating stile Umbertino, Mr. Cascella, 46, wrote in an email, referring to the 19th-century Italian architectural style known for its expressive grandeur.

After a long search, he found a compromise that satisfied me, he said a 19th-century apartment near the Roma Termini train station that had plenty of character, with ornate plaster molding and parquet floors.

The thing that struck me about the new place was the strong resemblance to the old house, he noted.

The compromise? It wasnt move-in ready.