Iris's Flat is a spacious, extremely stylish and sophisticated apartment located in the heart of Trastevere. Owned by Iris, an Israeli fashion designer who travels the world for inspiration for her designs about six months of the year, the apartment is often used as a showroom for clothing, jewelry, and ceramics collections. While Iris is away, she rents her place out to guests with the help of friend and neighbor Piera, who lives right around the corner; Piera is very friendly and helpful, happy to be on hand if guests need anything.
Iris has made sure that everything in the apartment is of the highest quality: all kitchen utensils are handmade Japanese ceramic; all towels are hand-woven fabrics; all curtains are silk; and so on. As she says, "you won't find any plastic pasta drainers here." The living room is the centerpiece of the apartment; it's huge and decorated with an international vibe (as is the rest of the apartment), with interesting furniture and decorative pieces from her many travels. The bedroom has a comfortable queen-sized bed, and in the living room are three portable mattresses that can be made up and put on the floor of the living room in case of a third or fourth guest. The extremely well-stocked kitchen is on the small side but still spacious enough to easily cook, and there is a small table by the window which serves as a "breakfast nook". The cave-like bathroom, which has no windows, is decorated in a way that reminds me of a Turkish hammam, and the bathtub is huge, perfect for a long, luxurious bath pretending you are at a chic spa!
The one downside to the apartment is that it's quite dark, as it faces onto the small inner courtyard of the apartment building. So those who prefer a very sunny, airy apartment may wish to choose something else; however, for those who will be out and about during the day, and want some perfect evening ambiance to enjoy a glass of wine and listen to some music to unwind after a long day of visiting Rome, it's perfect. Most will find that the elegance and fashionableness more than makes up for the lack of natural light!
Guests also have access to the large rooftop terrace of the building, where there is a table, chairs, and benches so you take in some sun while reading a book, having breakfast, a glass of wine, etc; laundry can also be hung up there to dry.
Iris's place is located on Via Manara in Trastevere, just near San Cosimato, the bustling open morning market of Trastevere. Trastevere is well-connected by bus and tram, so it's easy to get around the rest of the city, and you can walk to other parts of the historic center of Rome from there (Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona, etc).