Add some fun to your work zoom calls by pretending to your co-workers that you're taking a quick break in your Tuscan villa, with these Zoom background images of beautiful landscapes, interiors and pools. The rather scruffy photo in the heading is me working in Tuscany while visiting houses, but I often use virtual backgrounds of our villas even when I'm not actually in Italy - it reminds me of how beautiful the country is, and of my times there. So here are some of my favourite images for you to use too.
How to set up a zoom background before a meeting
To set up a background image before your meeting, follow these simple steps:
- Go to the settings menu and select “Background & Effects” on the left sidebar.
- Under the “Virtual Background” section, you'll see a few default background options.
- To add your custom image, click the "+" button next to where it says “Virtual Background.”
If you'd like to change your background when your meeting has already started:
- Click on the small arrow to the right of the "video" icon in the lower left of the meeting screen
- Select "Adjust background & effects". You'll find the same menu as under settings.
- Clicking the "+"will allow you to select an image from your own computer.
The writing on the image will look backwards to you, but your co-workers will see it the right way round.
8 great Italian Villa Zoom background images
1. Casa del Pastore - pool and cypresses
This beautiful Tuscan villa was recently listed in the Telegraph's list of perfect holiday villas, and then in the Sunday Times' List of 50 Best Villas in Europe. The ancient construction of golden local stone has generous spaces reflecting the wide Val d'Orcia valley just outside its doors. The pool is set close to the house in the perfect spot to enjoy the amazing views over the Val d'Orcia towards Mont'Amiata.
2. Casa del Pastore - shaded pergola
In front of the house a shaded pergola provides the perfect spot to enjoy a meal or an aperitif, with beautiful views and in the just the right position to keep an eye on the kids as they play in the pool. Both these Casa del Pastore photos are by Daniela Cesarei.
3. Podere Sant'Adele - elegant living room
Podere Sant Adele is a stylish and elegant villa just outside Cetona, a small town in the Val D'Orcia. The interiors have been featured in many magazines and newspapers, including most recently in the Financial times. This beautiful photo of the living room was taken by our photographer, talented Daniela Cesarei.
4. Valdera - view of the villa from the pool
On the edge of the hamlet of Iano the owner has created an oasis of calm and tranquillity, with views that go on for ever over the valley looking toward the Etruscan stronghold of Volterra. Valdera is a luxury villa for 12 with a restaurant nearby making for a wonderfully relaxing holiday. Endless views over the Tuscan hills have inspired entire novels.
5. Valdorcia - Tuscan kitchen
Classically Tuscan, the villa 'Valdorcia' is set high above the Orcia valley, looking out over magnificent views towards Mont'Amiata. This photo is of the large kitchen and dining area, a typical Tuscan kitchen made for keen cooks. The house itself is lived in and loved, with family heirlooms and antique furniture - this is no slick designer villa but a living, breathing layered property to relax into and enjoy.
6. Villa Bartolomeo - The pool through Olive trees
Villa Bartolomeo is a beautiful villa near Lucca that has been recently and painstakingly restored to its former 18th-century glory. This is a photo I took on my last visit while walking through the gardens, looking through the olive trees that surround the pool.
7. Villa dei Fiori - night lights by the well
Villa dei Fiori is a delight to visit and to stay in, with beautifully curated gardens, a private pool and a myriad of spots to pause and smell the flowers, both literally and metaphorically), in the gardens that surround the house. Every chance to make the place more beautiful has been seized enthusiastically with both hands by the owner: in the photo the ex-farmhouse's old well has been turned into a circular shaded pergola with views out over the landscape past a giant umbrella pine.
8. Villa dei Fiori - shaded pergola
On the other side of the house there is a shaded pergola over a terracotta terrace, with a burbling fountain just below it - the perfect spot to relax, whether it's virtually on your zoom meeting or in real life if you're lucky enough to be staying here.
What size should images be for Zoom virtual background images?
Zoom recommends a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9 for virtual background images. The recommended size is 1920 x 1080 pixels, but the images above are all larger to give you better resolution, particularly if you're using HD.
Author: Dan Wrightson
Dan Wrightson grew up in Tuscany, Italy and has been writing about, sketching and exploring Tuscany and Italy since 1983.
22nd Apr 2025 4th Mar 2025