Venice · Cantù · Lago Maggiore · Six Days
ITALY
for designers
A Curated Creative Retreat
April 2027
"High-performing creatives do their best work when they're allowed to dream."
You didn't get into design
to feel burned out.
"A week in Italy. Intimate access to world-renowned artisans. A small curated group of your peers."
You chose this profession because you believe in the transformative power of beautiful spaces. But somewhere between client demands, vendor deadlines, and the relentless pace of running a design business, that creative spark can dim.
This retreat is your permission to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the artistry that called you to this work in the first place.
This isn't a tour. It's a curated business trip led by a fellow designer who understands your world.
Is this
you?
Built for the established designer who is ready.
Feels creatively exhausted and needs to reconnect with the beauty and artistry that originally inspired their career.
Wants to understand the craft behind what they specify, firsthand.
Craves meaningful connections with peers who understand the unique challenges of running a luxury design business.
Wants richer stories to tell clients about the work they bring to a project.
Understands that investing in inspiration, education, and relationships is investing directly in their business.
Believes the most powerful business development happens alongside people who share your standards.
Access.
Time in the workshops, with the people who create the work.
Meet with owners, artistic directors, and master craftspeople.
Days of immersive access, private tours, curated meals, and peer connection structured to deliver lasting creative and business impact long after you return home.
The
Itinerary
Six carefully sequenced days moving from Venetian artisanship to the fabric mills of northern Italy each day building on the last.
Arrival & Welcome
Arrive, settle in, and gather with fellow designers for a welcome aperitivo as the canals turn gold.
Venetian Artisan Walking Tour
Hidden courtyards, private ateliers, and master craftspeople whose work has shaped interiors for centuries.
Glassblowing & Giudecca Gardens
Witness Murano's legendary glassblowers, and a stop for Venetian pastries. Then explore a heritage textile showroom and its private garden on Giudecca, then cocktails on a rooftop overlooking the lagoon.
Journey to Lago Maggiore
Travel through Italy's countryside to Cantù, the furniture capital, with atelier stops en route.
Isola Bella
Our private boat takes us to Isola Bella, home of the stunning 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo and its terraced Baroque gardens, with lunch on the island. The afternoon is free to explore Stresa, and we gather again for the evening
A Driving Tour and Ceramics
A drive along Lago Maggiore to Laveno-Mombello for ceramics workshops and a museum of ceramic design, then a fine-fabric house near Arona on the way back. We close the week with a farewell dinner.
Every detail.
Taken care of.
From your first aperitivo to the farewell dinner a complete, curated experience.
Luxury Accommodation
Five nights in carefully selected properties in Venice and Lake Maggiore.
Private Atelier Tours
Guided visits to artisan workshops, ateliers, showrooms and museums, including entrance fees.
All Group Meals
From welcome aperitivo to farewell dinner every shared meal is part of the experience.
Private Transportation
Water taxis in Venice and ground transport throughout. You focus on experience, not logistics.
Professional Photography
Individual portraits and candid action shots captured in ateliers, museums, and world-renowned fabricators. Polished imagery ready for your website, press, and social media to strengthen your brand and attract new clients.
Supplier Resources
Curated contact list and ordering templates every relationship becomes a lasting asset.
What you'll
return home
with.
Not just memories of beautiful places but renewed energy, strategic relationships, a professional content library, and peer connections that only form when accomplished people go somewhere extraordinary together.
Renewed Creative Energy
Reconnection to the artistry that originally inspired your career. A sketchbook full of ideas that translates into inspired designs.
Meet the Master Artisans
Time with the artisans behind the work, and a curated list of the makers and houses we visit, with the showroom or representative that carries each, where there is one.
Professional Content Library
Curated photography and video from ateliers and palazzos instant brand elevation without staging.
Authentic Peer Connections
Genuine relationships with accomplished designers who understand your challenges. Referral opportunities and collective wisdom.
Business Clarity
Stepping away allows reflection. You'll return ready to lead with strategic focus instead of burnout.
Guided by someone who knows your world.
Dorothy Willetts · Willetts Design & Assoc.With decades of experience running a successful luxury interior design firm in La Quinta, California, Dorothy understands the unique challenges high-performing designers face the burnout, the pressure to stay relevant, the need for exclusive resources.
This retreat was born from Dorothy's own transformative experiences traveling in Italy and her passion for helping fellow designers reconnect with the artistry and business value that extraordinary materials and relationships provide.
Your creative
vision deserves
space to breathe.
Pricing announced soon. Join the interest list to be first in line and first to access early-bird registration.
Join the Interest List
Spaces are intentionally limited to preserve the intimacy of the experience.
Good to
know.
Frequently Asked Questions
01Is travel insurance required?
Yes, for every guest.
02What is the cancellation policy?
If you register by December 19, you may cancel within 14 days for a full refund. After that, your deposit is non-refundable, and later cancellations follow a set schedule, with partial credit toward a future retreat. Full terms are shared at registration, and travel insurance is required.
03Who operates and organizes the travel experiences?
We are not a travel agency or tour operator. Our retreats are uniquely curated and hosted by me and my team, while all travel services, including accommodations, transportation, guides, and excursions, are arranged and operated by our licensed travel partner, Amaluci.
Amaluci is fully authorized and responsible for the organization and delivery of all travel components in accordance with Italian regulations.
04What travel documents do I need?
U.S. travelers need a valid passport, and six months of validity past your travel dates is the safe standard. The EU’s new ETIAS travel authorization hasn’t launched yet. We’ll let registered guests know if anything changes before April.
05Physical Activity
Full disclosure: this will be an active trip!
When we aren’t walking through the narrow streets of Venice to a museum, vendor, or restaurant, we’ll be getting in and out of private water taxis, which means stepping from docks to boats. Once we arrive in Stresa on Lago Maggiore, we’ll also be doing walking tours and a boat trip.
Please consider this before signing up for our retreats. If you have physical limitations or injuries that would prevent you from fully participating, please let us know in advance and we will accommodate you as best we can.
06Food & Drink Allergies and Preferences
If you don’t drink alcohol, need a gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian menu, or have other allergies or dietary restrictions, no problem.
After you register, we’ll send you a survey where you can give us all the details so we can plan ahead.
Gluten free: if you typically eat gluten free, please let us know whether it’s a preference or an allergy.
07Can I arrive early or stay on after?
Of course. Extra nights aren’t included, but I’m happy to point you toward options.
08How do I get there and home?
The retreat begins in Venice and ends in Stresa on Lago Maggiore. Milan Malpensa is the closest major airport for your flight home. If you’re coming from Salone, a direct high-speed train runs from Milan to Venice.
09Flight and Airport Tips
If you choose to fly into Venice, you may consider flying out of Milan. We suggest looking at flights from North America on ITA Airways, as they fly from most major U.S. cities with connecting flights into both airports.
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Location: 12 km (8 miles) northeast of Venice.
Best for: Overall convenience, major international carriers, and direct water access.
Transfers to the city: Public buses (ATVO or ACTV) or taxis take about 20 minutes to Piazzale Roma. You can also take a vaporetto (water bus) or a private water taxi directly from the airport’s boat terminal into the canals.
Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)
Location: 49 km (30 miles) northwest of central Milan, near the town of Ferno in the Lombardy region.
Proximity: Just south of Lago Maggiore. From southern lakeside towns like Stresa or Arona, it’s a 40 to 45 minute drive to MXP.
Best for: Long-haul international flights.
Getting to Venice: Take the Malpensa Express train to Milano Centrale, then transfer to a high-speed train (Trenitalia or Italo) that drops you directly at Venezia Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal. The ride from Milan to Venice takes about 2.5 hours and is scenic and affordable.
Flights and transportation to and from any airport are not included in the package.
