Design Camp Recap Spring 2021: Part I

It’s been a whirlwind two weeks hosting our back-to-back spring sessions of Design Camp here in Austin. Set at the boutique cottages of The Wayback, we welcomed campers from across the country to our strategic business retreat created for interior designers and loved every last minute. So many of you followed along on Instagram, but we wanted to dive a bit further into all the details. We’ve got a ton of ground to cover, so we broke up this recap into a two-part series. Beginning with days one and two of our four-day retreat, we’ve sharing an up-close look at what makes Design Camp so special.

 

All photography by @madelineharperphoto for @designcamp.co

 

SPRING 2021 DESIGN CAMP ATX

 

day one: arrivals

 

Set amongst a grove of heritage oaks just 20 minutes outside of Austin, The Wayback makes the perfect backdrop for a Design Camp year after year. Run by a mother-daughter duo, The Wayback is an absolute gem of the Texas Hill Country with an emphasis on organic, all-natural living. Each cottage is fitted in organic linens and don’t even get us started on the incredible farm-to-table food. Our campers arrived at The Wayback on a Sunday and settled into their cottages across the property. From there, we began a welcome presentation and outlined our goals for the days ahead.

 

Bandanas: Filling Spaces | Table Decor: Bloomist (use code Anastasia15 for 15% off your purchase) | Gray Marin Dinner Plates: Crate & Barrel | Tablecloths: Heather Taylor Home

 

day one: happy hour + dinner

 

On our first evening of Design Camp, we planned an al fresco dinner and pizza making class. We wanted to create a fun, approachable environment for our campers to get to know one another, and a dinner party did exactly that. The table design included bandanas supplied by Filling Spaces using their zero-waste initiative. Each bandana was created using scraps from their beautiful pillows, and they were such a fun addition to our set-up. To dress up our tablescapes, we used golden rod gingham tablecloths from Heather Taylor Home. Many of our decor elements were provided by Bloomist, along with the Marin Grey dinner plates from Crate & Barrel. 

 

 

day one: pizza making class + s’mores

 

To cap off night one, we planned a little surprise for dessert: s’mores! We considered this our elevated take on the classic camp experience, and it was a great way to continue conversations into the evening hours.

 

 

day two: sessions

 

We hit the ground running on day two with sessions led by myself and Lindsey Brooke Design covering contracts, client experience, managing expectations, plus all things systems and processes. These sessions were an opportunity for our campers to dive deep, ask questions, and have the space to focus on leveling up their business strategy. And while we consider the coursework to be excellent, it’s the inclusive, non-competitive nature of the Design Camp that makes the learning process unlike any other. We witnessed interior designers in markets nationwide sharing processes, rates, contracts, vendor referrals, and so much more.

 

 

day two: picnic lunch + sessions

 

Following a relaxing picnic lunch in the grove, we dove into more targeted sessions outlining software programs, pricing structures, and the value of working with trade vendors. It was incredible to watch so many “aha” moments unfold throughout the day as designers found tangible ways to implement new strategies.

 

Lanterns: Imprint House | Rock Vessels: Bloomist (use code Anastasia15 for 15% off your purchase) | Marin White Dinner Plates: Crate & Barrel | Leather Napkin Rings, Books, Candles, Pitchers: Jenni Kayne (use promo code IDCO15 for 15% off your purchase)

 

day two: harvest dinner

 

Our night two dinner featured a French-inspired menu and was designed in partnership with Jenni Kayne. The ambiance was absolutely magical with hanging lanterns from Imprint House and so many Jenni Kayne decor elements, including leather napkin rings, stacked Pacific Natural books, our favorite candles and the seagrass picnic pitchers. Sharing a beautiful meal beneath the stars with friends new and old was an experience to remember.

 

 

 

Photography by @madelineharperphoto for @designcamp.co

 

That’s a wrap for part one of our Design Camp recap! Meet us back here on Friday for part two because there’s so much more to come. And if you’d like to experience Design Camp firsthand, make plans to join us this October for our Fall 2021 Sessions—we can’t wait to see you there.

 

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IDCO Studio is a full-service creative studio for interior designers and boutique lifestyle brands. Offering bespoke branding, web design and social media content creation, we help brands built around beautiful living elevate their digital presence to represent the physical spaces they design. Our recently launched limited-release website templates are the perfect way for interior designers to get a luxury website on a budget. These templates allow designers to maintain control of their content. Want to work together? Shoot us an inquiry here.