Interior design retreats in Italy

Come to my house in Piemonte for a weekend of interior design workshops, fabulous food and wine – and a look at this elegant and fascinating region, including the famous vintage market of Turin.

Following two sold-out retreats in 2024 I am now registering interest for either the long (four nights) or shorter (three nights) retreats in 2025 – so do contact me on the email at the end of this post if you would like to join us.

In spring 2023 I bought a run-down historic villa in a village outside Turin in Piemonte, northern Italy, and spent the best part of a year doing it up. Then, in autumn 2024, I opened the doors for interior design retreats – weekends for like-minded people to learn more about interior design, make new friends and explore the city, including its famous vintage furniture market, while enjoying the incredible food and wine that the area has to offer.

Over two weekends in September and October we welcomed 25 women (and one man) from Sydney, Singapore and Seattle, as well as Boston, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, and all over the UK. We hosted architects, lawyers, interior designers, retired teachers, doctors (phd and medical) consultants in AI, product designers and tech specialists, plus lots of people who just wanted to decorate their own homes to the best of their abilities.

“I have gained so much confidence in understanding how to mix styles for depth and how to add something unexpected.” – ALEX, AI consultant

We ate and drank in some of Turin’s most elegant and historic restaurants and cafés and explored the streets of this former capital of Italy before plunging into the city’s famous vintage market to seek out bargains.

Expert guest speakers gave talks on working with colour and interior styling, and we ended the longer weekend with pizzas cooked in my house’s pizza oven and served among the trees in the garden.

And now it’s time to talk about 2025 ….

This year we plan to offer three retreats. They will take place in June, September and October and are based around the second Sunday of each month, which is when the enormous vintage market takes place.

June and September will run from Friday evening to Monday evening (with departures scheduled for Tuesday), while October will be shorter and finish after dinner on Sunday, leaving you free to make your onward journeys on Monday morning. See the end of this post for the exact dates.

At both previous retreats, several guests decided to arrive early – partly to counteract jetlag, and partly so they could spend more time exploring all that Turin has to offer, including royal palaces, photography and automotive museums, great shopping and wonderful food and drink. Turin is the home of vermouth, Lavazza coffee, Peyrano chocolate, and Nutella – as well as Fiat, of course.

Places are limited to 15 people for each retreat, and the price for everyone includes a voucher for a 30-minute 1:1 design consultation with me to take place after the retreat, when you have had time and opportunity to absorb everything you learned.

We will take care of everything for you, so it’s also a relaxing holiday – stick your hand out and my husband will probably put a Campari in it. The most taxing decision you will have to make is whether to have dessert or not.

“Thank you for showing us round, for being a superb hostess and for making this retreat the perfect opportunity to meet like-minded people. This was by the far the best of the trips I have been on and I can’t recommend it enough.” – LOLLY, interior designer

Having co-hosted design retreats previously (in Marrakech, Milan and Venice) I know that one of the highlights for guests has been the chance to spend time with like-minded people and chat all things interiors in beautiful surroundings.

Previous attendees have made friends for life. Some have even changed careers and found a more creative outlet as a result. If you fancy meeting new people and learning more about how to make the best of your home (or someone else’s!) then read on.

Here are some details of the itinerary…

The longer retreats (June & September) begin over pre-dinner drinks on Friday and ends after dinner on Monday night. There will be four workshops, two guest speakers, outings in the city (vintage market, restaurants, etc) and pizzas served from from the historic oven at my house.

The shorter retreat in October starts with drinks on Friday evening and ends after dinner on Sunday, leaving you free to continue your onward journey after breakfast on Monday. In addition to two workshops held at the house, there will be a guest speaker at a historic venue in the centre of Turin, as well as our trip to the market.

For any of the retreats, If you choose to arrive earlier or leave later, I can offer suggestions for great places to eat, drink and visit as well as helping with accommodation.

“Who knew learning could be so much fun?” – LORRAINE, retired teacher

“A truly memorable trip, filled with inspiration both from the beautiful house and the inspiring expert-led workshops that took place over the weekend. We were so well looked-after and Kate was a wonderful host, not just at the house itself but also in Turin itself, ensuring we had some amazing meals and of course introducing us to the vintage market which was exceptional. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the retreat for anyone with a love of interiors.” – PENNY, publisher

Both events include a trip to Le Gran Balon, the vintage market of Turin, which claims to be the largest open air flea market in Europe and where you can browse antique furniture stores as well as stalls selling everything from ceramics by Gio Ponti, Alessi kettles and Moka pots.

You will stay at a landmark, design-focused hotel, where we will welcome you with aperitivi and dinner – and you can enjoy spectacular views over the city and across to the Alps! You will also be able to visit the private art collection of the Agnelli family (founders of Fiat) which includes works by Matisse, Canaletto and Picasso. It’s always quiet, so a real treat to see them up close.

The hotel is opposite the original Eataly indoor food & wine market, where you can shop for all the Italian treats for which Turin and Piemonte are famous – Gianduiotto chocolate, Barolo wines, truffles, fresh pasta and so much more.

Retreat highlights include:

• A full tour of all 24 rooms of my renovated house, with a chance to ask all your questions

• Home styling workshop with expert guest speaker (June and September only)

• Colour workshop with expert guest speaker

• Dinner at a spectacular, Michelin-listed rooftop restaurant

• Aperitivi at one of the most historic Torinese coffee houses

• Lunch at a local village trattoria (June and September)

• Time to explore the vintage market

• An informal Q&A session with me

• Pizzas in my tavernetta (June and September only)

The cost includes your private hotel room, all food & drink, transport and incidentals. In fact, all you need to do is organise your travel to Turin from wherever you are in the world. (Turin Caselle airport is just 35 minutes from your hotel. Milan Malpensa is a little further, but an easy transfer by road or rail). 

All accommodations, on the ground transport, food and drink is included. Once you arrive you will only have to pay for your own shopping.

“Thank you for such a wonderful time. It felt so personal and special and we were able to see Turin like locals.. I loved your beautiful home and the content presented at the workshops. It was great to meet such inspiring and like-minded ladies.” – MAJA

Once you have finished breakfast each day, your cars will be waiting for you to take you to the first activity, where everything has been arranged to give you the most relaxing weekend among like-minded people.

“What an incredibly special few days. I have been inspired and learnt so much with this fabulous group of people. The energy was truly special.” – CLAIRE, interior designer

So, do let me know if you are interested in attending. You can email me at kate@madaboutthehouse.com and I will be happy to answer any questions. And please specify which month(s) you would prefer, which will help me with planning.

“Loved every minute – and I urge anyone to go. It was simply the best.” – JO, interior designer

The cost for the longer retreat is £3,750 and for the shorter it’s £2,750. A reminder that this includes a 30 minute 1:1 consultation with me and that all your expenses are covered apart from flights and airport transfers.

Payment schedule: To confirm your place, I will need a 25% deposit. A second payment of 50% will be required three months in advance, with the final 25% a month before the retreat starts. That way you can spread the payments out over a period of time.

The 2025 dates:

Friday 6 June leaving Tuesday 10 June

Friday 12 September leaving Tuesday 16 September

Friday 10 October leaving Monday 13 October

I can’t wait to welcome you to my house in Italy.

the top floor salotto where workshops will take place

“I’m inspired and full of renewed confidence after seeing the house and participating in the whole wonderful weekend - a brilliant mix of learning and enjoying. Thank you to everyone for being so open and sharing ideas and encouragement.” – VICKI

“The weekend completely exceeded expectations. The highlight for me was getting lost—both literally and figuratively—in Kate and Adam’s gorgeous Italian villa. The home is not only beautifully decorated but so sensitively restored. Hearing the history of the house and learning about the area's traditions—of which Kate and Adam are so knowledgeable—really added to the whole experience.

“The Sunday workshop was a nice hands-on edge to a relaxed day of thrifting, who doesn’t love a bit of mood-boarding, and in such a stunning location? It gave me so many new ideas about how to work with colour and pattern in a space and boosted my confidence to be a bit braver in my design choices.

“But what really made the retreat special was how welcoming Kate and Adam were. From the moment we arrived, they made us all feel at home. They shared not only their incredible space but also personal stories about their careers, family, and fun collection of art and knick-knacks. We were never short of great food or a drink in hand!

“I came away with new friends, fresh perspectives, and most importantly, the courage to try new things and embrace a more personal approach to decorating. The retreat is a really unique opportunity to learn and connect alongside brilliant minds in a beautiful setting and should not be missed.” – AMY, product designer.

“It was a privilege to have you share the Italian dream with us – and a delight to go treasure hunting while indulging in hours of chat about everything and nothing.” – NAOMI, lawyer