Designer Retreat Recap

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending an incredible designer retreat, courtesy of Zephyr, and I thought you guys might enjoy a recap or photo diary post of sorts. From the gorgeous hotel to extravagant wine tastings, dinner reservations, creative activities, and lots of new friends (many I’m sure you’re familiar with), it was a fantastic experience that is certainly worthy of sharing. Click through to see how it went! 

I have to give a little disclaimer- every single one of these images was shot with my iPhone because I didn’t feel like lugging my big camera around. First up, I wanted to show you the hotel… the Proper Hotel was designed by Kelly Wearstler and it was nothing short of magical, in terms of aesthetic.

T H E    H O T E L

I’m a details person and I’m also a Kelly Wearstler fan (I’ve even had the privilege of meeting her in person), so I knew this place was going to be amazing… right down to the room key!

Although I don’t think I could handle this much pattern in my own home on a daily basis, I had to appreciate the way it all worked together. That Kelly… she’s a design genius. There was a different wall paper on every single wall– 4 different patterns on the walls alone! Is that bonkers or what?! I suppose it’s like runway fashion… it’s not practical for the everyday, but it can be transferred, as well as inspire your everyday wardrobe. That’s how I felt about this hotel.

As soon as I arrived to my room, I realized I hadn’t had food all day, but didn’t want to spoil dinner- so naturally, I tested room service. For some reason french fries and beer sounded good. HA! Can you blame a girl? That definitely happened.

In addition to room service, I spent a lot of time perched on the window sill with my laptop, taking in the view and the room, while getting a little work done during the allotted downtime.

The bathroom was also on another design level- I think that’s what actually inspired me the most because it had a very vintage appeal.

This is a perfect example of using basic tile, but in a unique way! In our next house, I really want to use a tile border in some fashion. Even the drain and shower floor was well planned!

Pretty perfect, right? Diagonal from the shower sat the sink and vanity. More nero black marble for the win! I was also loving those brass plumbing fixtures. I’ve been wondering if I should use brass in our next renovation and I think this confirmed my answer… YES. It’s just too good- timeless in my opinion.

Let’s venture outside of the hotel room to the common spaces, shall we? They were equally as cool and weird! Check out the lobby…

So many colors, patterns, and textures… yet it all felt eclectic, hip, and put together. Again, it’s not my personal preference for my home- but I was feeling it in the hotel setting.

One thing is for certain- this hotel inspired me to step up my gallery wall game. There was SO. MUCH. ART… installed in really neat ways.

I think of all of the gallery walls and vignettes, the one pictured below was my favorite. It quickly became a favorite morning spot to sit down, catch up on emails, and have coffee with new friends.

Are your eyes bleeding or are you into this? I have a couple more spaces to show you in the hotel before we move on! Check out the bar… that paint color was super gorgeous in person!

Lastly, the Zephyr team took us into an exclusive part of the hotel- the rooftop lounge. It’s essentially a VIP section and the decor upstairs was also very cool! Check out the fireplace, that looks like a sculptural piece of art. It kind of had an Alice in Wonderland type of vibe.

Kirsten and I spent our last night at the hotel sipping cocktails by this fireplace because we couldn’t warm up… not a bad place to be! The cocktails tasted as good as they looked.

Here I am with some of my new pals on the rooftop! Left to right… Jana // Kate // Natalie // Sarah …. If you’re not following these ladies, you should be! They’re all super talented and such sweet souls.

D E S I G N    D I S T R I C T

Next we toured a bunch of amazing design showrooms. Obviously we spent a good portion of one day at Zephyr learning about kitchen ventilation, range hoods, and their new line of Preserv beverage coolers. As a designer, I love doing things like this! I’ve always been a curious person and love learning. I feel like the more you know, the better. Needless to say, this was one of my favorite days from the trip.

I won’t bore you with details, but I am going to spoil a secret because I have another Zephyr post in the works… in a week and a half, I’m hosting a giveaway for a free range hood! Just in time for Thanksgiving cooking. Here’s the entire gang on showroom day…

Left to right… Nicole // Natalie // Lauren // Kirsten // Vanessa // Anissa // Jana // Caitlin // Sarah // Sarah // Sarah (aka, me) // Kate – yes there were A LOT of Sarahs on the trip. We also toured Nido Living, Coup D’etat, and Fireclay Tile.

After everyone had caught their flights home, Kate, Natalie, and I ventured to Heath Ceramics and Tartine Bakery & Bar (I loved their white-washed lantern ceiling) for pre-tattoo cocktails. That makes me sound much cooler than I actually am.

Yes! You read that right. I like to get tiny travel tattoos and apparently so does Kate, so we decided on whim that we should go together. Obviously, we became fast friends! She’s a gem. I could brag on her all day long.

Lastly, I wanted to share some snippets of our adventures in Napa!

N A P A

We began the day at Joseph Phelps. This was our private tasting room, complete with our own sommelier who gave us a little class and schooled us on wine education. It was very fun! Again, I’m all about learning- especially if wine is involved. Ha!

It was a gorgeous day and the winery was beautifully designed. Next we ventured to Rutherford Hill and had a tasting, complete with lunch in a cave!

Here is the entire group wrapping up our day in Napa. On the way back to San Francisco, we stopped to check out the SF Fall Antique Show. Basically it was a day of wine, good company, and antiques…. pretty much my ideal scenario.

I feel really thankful that I was invited on the trip! I can’t wait to gift one of you a gorgeous range hood- so stay tuned for that! What do you think of the hotel? Are you into it or is it too wild? Do you follow any of my new friends? There were so many talented ladies at the retreat! I’ve got the office reveal planned for tomorrow.

*This post is sponsored by Zephyr. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we actually use & enjoy!