While San Frediano may be Lonely Planet’s trendiest neighbourhood of 2018, it and San Niccolò have been my favourite areas of Florence for years. The apartment is a 15-20 min walk from the Palazzo Vecchio, and hence is generally in a tourist-light area. The local bars and restaurants - other than the dreadful Friends’ Pub and mediocre Osteria del Cinghiale Bianca - are excellent and there are lots of arts and crafts places to explore.
Marco and his sister Sarah’s apartment is a traditional Florentine space, and is precisely as described (and as it appears) on AirBnB. The apartment was spotless, with two spacious bathrooms and exceedingly comfortable (firm) beds (there are four separate bedrooms and a single bed in a space above the master bedroom). There is a good gas hob but no oven in the kitchen, the necessary utensils, and while there is no washing machine, a self-service laundrette is literally around the corner.
The apartment was ideal. Sarah provides a booklet with recommended cafes and restaurants - Restoro Cambia, just outside the apartment, produces really excellent traditional Tuscan classics - and welcomed us with a bottle of wine and some nibbles. She checked in regularly but unobtrusively and was otherwise an excellent host.
All in all, highly recommended. Grazie Mille, Sarah!