For unusual mosaic-tile tables that can be used indoors or out, visit Forneris’s shop, where she uses hand-painted tiles to make custom furniture, frames and even garden fountains for private clients. By appointment only; mention your Indagare membership.

This American expat, who married into a noble Italian family, has set up shop alongside her sister-in-law Gaia Franchetti’s eclectic housewares shop, Indoroman, to sell the beautiful Petrasarda ceramics line from Sardinia. The thick plates, mugs and bowls in earthy colors can be shipped anywhere and make wonderful wedding presents.

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The interior and furniture designer, who has decorated some of the most stylish houses in Tuscany, uses an artisanal approach in her collection of furnishings. Located on the ultrachic Via Monserato, Miani’s shop displays objects that combine contemporary designs with more unusual offerings. Since most of her furnishings can be taken apart or folded, they are easy to transport or ship.

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With textiles picked up on her frequent travels to Asia, Baroness Gaia Franchetti creates exquisite linens, from napkins and pillows to quilts, that have become popular with Rome’s stylish set (fabric can also be bought by the meter). Her wares, which make great gifts, will add an ethnic twist to any elegant table.

The largest assortment of modern Italian home furnishings in Rome is in a Baroque palace setting. The top floor is dedicated to furniture by such well-known names as B&B, Artemide and Cassina. While you may not take a table or a sofa home, the kitchen and housewares departments sell a host of smaller items, and how often can you shop beneath a ceiling with frescoes of angels?