Closets are very American.
Im certainly no expert on all the old tax laws of every European nation but I do know that many places had laws based on square area and or number of rooms which would include closets.
Maybe you could buy a home with more cells than needed and add enough armoires to one cell to create a walk in closet. Add mirrors/dressing tables as suits Mrsbutcher.
Looking more toward Northern Europe and Asia might help. In Northern Europe they dont just use armoires as wardrobes. They have expanded the idea into things like the schrank/klaedeskab that are designed for every room. Wardrobe/bookcase/portable bar/entertainment center/china hutch/display case/etc all in one type of furniture, obviously preferrably not at the same time. Each is designed a little bit different and suitable for their role and when you find one you like your closet for that room moves with you. Just close the door, chuck it in the wagon, and scoot. Im not saying Mrs should necessarily redo her entire decorating aesthetic necessarily but find correct pieces that mimic the furniture from elsewhere. A Japanese todana (like the old apothecary style) make nice end tables/coffee tables etc for rooms where a larger towering piece wont work.
Its nicer for you that way too. When you have to move between places or even just rooms, things are already all encased together. Repairs/remodeling? Snip, snap, slide, the room is now empty and everything is protected, hidden from contractors, and ready to go back when youre done.
Small rooms equals small costs for resources. Whether youre cutting the wood or using your retirement savings its far more economical to have small rooms. Saving time and money just equals more time and money whether its cannolis or catamarans. Open concept is about to bite a lot of Americans right in the ass.
The other interesting Italian housing concept was the cucina(kitchen) was in the basement or first floor.
Where the cooking was done over a fireplace.
The cooking was also done down on the first floor because that way it would not heat up the rest of the house.
They also do not have a living room with a sofa and TV in most older houses. They had a room with a big table where all the family would get together to manga manga.
The only houses that are made to be more Americanized are up in northern Italy or Tuscany. There have been a lot of Tuscan farmhouses that have been renovated over the years by wealthy Americans/Brits and others. Even in those it is rae to find a house with a Master bedroom and Master bath attached.