- October 31, 2025
- Sarah Miller
The golden hills of Parma welcomed Designhounds Italy for four evenings, nestled in an old castello, overlooking the valley, with morning mist drifting between the ridges. That same mist ensures the local Parmesan cheese and Parma ham develop the balanced flavors the region is famous for.
The Designhounds spent a full day immersed in design inspiration with the Florim manufacturer tour—exploring ceramic surfaces so convincing they could fool even the most trained eye and touch. Their materials deliver the look and feel of travertine, granite, wood and elaborate marble, complete with natural fissures, yet with a lower carbon footprint. Florim also treated us to a taste of 100-year-old Leonardi balsamic vinegar on a private tour. The day concluded perfectly with a hands-on cooking class, wine flowing freely, and laughter echoing through the kitchen.
Next came the sourcing adventure—beginning at Mercanteinfiera Autunno, where vendors from France and Italy presented an incredible range of art and furniture. From 10-euro oil paintings to 40,000-euro 16th-century masterpieces, from revitalized mid-century furniture to monumental sculptures from every era, our Designhounds curated unique pieces for clients, ready to be shipped seamlessly through the “Antiques Diva,” Toma Clark Haines.
Then the real treasure hunt began. We explored local thrift shops and antique warehouses, discovering art, furniture, and textiles at price points nearly impossible to find outside of Europe.
Each day—and every meal—brought breathtaking views, meaningful connections, and new opportunities that expanded our sense of what’s possible within our community and industry.
About Designhounds Tours and Retreats:
Designhounds are typically known for in-depth trade show and event promotion and coverage but there are times when our most prolific hounds need to take some time off and just indulge in design, the arts, creative workshops or wellness retreats to reconnect and recharge, because as we all know, the business of design is a tough balance between creative vision and project management, in other words it is a truly fulfilling but often exhausting calling. This is why, each year, we create little getaways for our design pros. Beach retreats, city breaks or sourcing trips to France, Italy or England. We’ve done it all.
To learn more about our upcoming programs for 2026 please get in touch at hello@m2-connect.com or follow @designhounds everywhere.
