Design With Nature - Winter
A One-Day Retreat in the Lake District
Saturday 27th February 2027
10am – 4pm
Rydal Hall, Ambleside, Cumbria
Contribution: £95
Limited to 8 places
Design With Nature is a one-day immersive retreat in the Lake District for those seeking a deeper connection between home, wellbeing, and the natural world.
Held at Rydal Hall in Ambleside, this intimate retreat combines nature connection, Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing), and biophilic interior design to support calm, creativity, and intentional living.
Ideal for anyone feeling overwhelmed by design trends or disconnected in a digital world, this Lake District retreat offers a grounded, sensory-led approach to creating homes that feel alive, personal, and deeply supportive of everyday life.
Join myself and Sharon, founder of A Story of Home, to experience her Design with Nature framework: biophilic design combined with forest bathing to receive inspiration from remembered moments in nature for your home.
Is this you?
You already notice things: light in a room, the texture of a fabric, a colour that doesn’t feel right and you can't say why.
You might think a day like this is for people who don't know their own interior style yet.
It isn't.
It's for people who know what they like, but have been designing from Pinterest boards and trend cycles, and are starting to feel the gap between what looks good and what actually feels good to live in.
You might think biophilic design means everything is green or brown.
It doesn't.
It means designing from what you actually notice and feel in a natural space, rather than what's trending this season.
You might think you need to be a "design person," be creative, have a Pinterest board already sorted by room.
You don't.
You just need to be curious and care, and be ready to root your home in something more real than a feed.
If that sounds like you, Design With Nature is for you.
The Experience
The day weaves together two elements.
A guided morning of Shinrin Yoku, forest bathing, slow and unhurried, letting your senses properly open.
Then an afternoon biophilic design workshop with Sharon, translating what you noticed in the woodland, textures, colours, memory, into a personal design direction for a room in your own home.
Space for your senses to open, and your creativity to follow from there.
What People Are Saying
“It had been a busy week and really I was just looking forward to a lie in and some down time but THIS is actually what I needed!...
I’d never thought of design in a way that was literally built around translating and recreating how I feel in a woodland with a babbling brook, or on the beach, into the way I put a room together. Kind of obvious but a bit of an ‘ah-ha’ that the more specific and rooted in a special place or memory a scheme is, the stronger the feelings the design evokes.
I’d really recommend this day to anyone looking for a pause and re-set in all the madness, and to those wanting to feel more connected and rooted in their own home.”
“Sharon was so considered and knowledgeable about how biophilic spaces can benefit children and, in particular, neurodiverse children... The day provided profound clarity and inspiration.
To anyone considering joining: do it. It is a perfect blend of nourishing, quiet time in nature and thoughtful, practical design inspiration.”
“The time in the woodland gave space to absorb the contrasts of Spring, the crunch of the fallen autumn beech leaves against the vivid purples of the bluebells...
What came for me from the woods to the mood board was the sound of the stream. It created sound waves in me which influenced the start of my design thoughts.”
What You Will Learn
You will be guided to:
Rediscover your creativity through direct connection with nature
Understand the principles of biophilic design and why they matter for health and wellbeing
Collect “natural data” from your own lived, sensory experience — not from trends or social media
Build a personal design vision rooted in feeling, memory, and connection
Translate that vision into considered, intentional design choices for your home
You will leave with clarity, confidence, and a grounded framework for creating a home that supports how you truly live.
Why This Retreat Is Different
This retreat is not about creating a home that performs.
It is about moving away from spaces designed to be seen rather than felt, and learning how to design from intuition, sensation, and lived experience.
There is no pressure to produce.
No expectation to impress.
No aesthetic to conform to.
Practical Details
Location: Rydal Hall, Ambleside, Cumbria
Date: Saturday 27th February 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
Lunch: Please bring your own lunch or lunch is available at the Cafe. Tea/coffee and biscuits served mid-afternoon.
Contribution: £95
Spaces: Limited to 8 participants, kept intentionally small to preserve depth and presence.
If you'd like to make a weekend of it, Rydal Hall and the surrounding area both offer places to stay.
Reserve your place here
We look forward to sharing Design With Nature with you.
With love,
Delyth & Sharon 🌲