When Life Gives You Lemons
Taking a break from our usual content to share a bit of my summertime magic. As my girls grow up and their schedules get busier, we love to squeeze in those family trips when possible! Last year, I brought you along for our adventures in Greece; this year, it’s all about Italy.
My first time experiencing Italy was back in college when I was a design student and had the privilege of studying abroad. The second time around, a client had sent me to study cabinetry for a project so I brought Ken along for the fun. Now on my third time back, I got to bring my girls and my parents. With each trip back, the group continues to grow and the memories become even more sentimental. Once the excitement of it all settled and I started taking into account the varying age range, I was a bit worried about planning a trip where everyone would feel entertained and included which is why we turned to the water!
We mixed in walking and sightseeing in the cities with boat tours or lakeside time to help lessen the extremes of walking. With views like this, it was easy to stay entertained and impressed.
Exploring Europe always leaves me feeling recharged and reinspired. The historical architecture—from arches and wood beams to marble and more—continues to influence modern-day design. These elements mentioned are materials and designs we love adding to our KMI projects!
Here are some of my favorite architectural moments I just had to capture and share with you all.
In addition to these spectacular views, I have some must-share recs that I can't stop talking about with friends. I’ll be giving you the rundown on where to stay along with clothing recs and item must-haves that my girls and I were obsessed with!
Lodging
This trip was all about the water so it was only fitting to kick things off with a stay at The Venice Venice Hotel. If the name didn’t give it away in the first sentence, our first venture started in Venice. It faces the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal— From the moment you entered it was an experience. On the left, where the boat is located is where you hop off to enter your getaway inside.
On a side note, the interior designer in me loved this aspect of the hotel. They were still finishing off construction but it was a gallery wall of various photos, sketches, and more. Accompanied by a stone staircase and checkered floor at the landing. Then to the left of the staircase was a design element we replicate in our projects often! Interior stone paired with wooden beams lining the ceiling.
Lodging
From Venice, we made our way to Lake Garda before ending our trip with stops at Verona and Lake Como. Here, we stayed at the Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda which had absolutely incredible views! As you can see from the image on the left, there was a showstopping infinity pool at the resort. My dad made himself right at home pretty quickly. It was so sweet I just had to snap a pic of him hanging out!!
Lodging
Although we wish the trip would continue, all good things have to come to an end. Which ending in Lake Como isn’t too shabby of a place to do so. Here’s a glimpse of the view from our room out onto the lake. We stayed at the Villa Flora which as they say, is a ‘marriage of the romantic and the contemporary.’ A shorter time was spent here before jetting off but it was a great location!
No travel blog recap would be complete without you getting the scoop on travel must-haves! Enjoy the breakdown and your shopping spree ahead:
Clothes:
Link: I wore these Paige Pants almost the whole trip!! I have them in black and ivory because if you love them, get them in every color.
Link: Whether it’s styled by itself or with the Paige Pants, I adore this denim top!
Link: I wore these for our boat trip day. A chic but water-friendly option!
Link: This dress is my daughter, Lily’s favorite. She owns it in white and a brown color too!
Link: I loved this black maxi dress since it was stylish and super comfy!
Link: Staying with the dress theme, I wore this dress in Venice. I adored how fun and flowy it was!
Link: Rounding this out with a basic that turned out to be so essential! A ribbed tank that was my staple on the hot travel days.
Shoes:
Link: Talk about a sandal that was made for walking! I wore these throughout Greece and knew I needed to bring them along to Italy.
Link: These fit in my bag perfectly which was ideal since I would just throw them on to go to dinner. It’s not a serious walking shoe but it was perfect for dinner or when you weren’t going to be walking for too long.
Link: This sandal is a nice in-between for these two options. It was so easy to wear!
Beauty:
Link: An item I loved using on the trip and even now, ha!
Link: A must no matter where you go but the packaging makes the whole experience a bit more fun.
Link: An underestimated product that can make or break your hair! I take this hairbrush with me everywhere I go. My hairstylist told me about this brand and I have been in love ever since!
Travel:
Link: Let's talk bags! This has been one of my absolute favorite travel bag whether it’s for quick site visits or long trips like this one.
Link: Another perfect option! I brought this for the trip and have been using this bag all summer long.
Link: The biggest lifesaver I cannot image traveling with but now made more compact and accessible!
Link: My family and I could not have only done a carry-on without these compression bags!
A trip that was one for the books! I’m thrilled I finally got to share a snippet of our new Italy memories while also giving you some travel tips and tricks. For those in the planning stages and prepping to embark on your own experience, ENJOY. Because when life gives you lemons, you go to Italy!