Love, Kat: 5 Dreamy Art-Inspired Vacations That I've Adored (and 5 I Want to Try)

Welcome to the second edition of Love, Kat. If you’re new here, I’m the kind of person who fastidiously saves, screenshots, and catalogs information, and I envision this column to be a place where I can share my finds, particularly the under-the-radar ones, from the most stylish corners of the internet. I want it to be a visual feast as well as information rich and hope that some of what I share ends up in your reference folders, too.

Today, we’re talking travel… again. In my defense, I am a Sagittarius, I make the rules here, and it is the perfect time to lock down your summer plans, so we’re going all in. While the inaugural column focused on recommendations in a few of my favorite cities, this time we’re venturing to slightly more far-flung destinations, all with a common thread of a creative arts experience. I enjoy many flavors of vacation, from rotting in a sun bed with a book and blended beverage to conquering a city’s best food, shopping, and sights, but let me make a case for the artsy vacation.

It’s enriching, sparks your own creativity, and, let’s be honest, makes for great pictures. A creative retreat is a high-commitment, potentially high-reward scenario, and I’ve got three recommendations there, but it can also be as simple as experiencing art in unique settings, staying in a hotel with an impressive collection, or venturing to an architectural site or artist’s home in an area you were already visiting. Ahead, I’ve got options for all, some I’ve vetted and loved and others that are on my travel wish list. As always, send me a DM if you want more detailed intel on any of the places I’ve traveled.

I would honestly rather keep this spot under the radar because there’s something about it that feels pre-internet and utterly untouched. Alas, I also want this column to have actually good recs, and I’m feeling generous, so please meet Marble Workshop. Ever dreamed of learning marble sculpture in Tuscany, Italy? I hadn’t either until I came across this utterly enchanting creative retreat in the town of Pietrasanta, which has earned the nickname the City of the Artists. There are two- and three-week course options, they offer rustic and charming accommodations, the program is reasonably priced, and you can be an absolute beginner. Just imagine the fun of playacting an alternate-universe version of your life where you’re a sculptor who takes lunch breaks in shaded groves with some antipasti and wine. Heaven!

1. Gunia Embroidered Cotton Headscarf ($120) 2. Dragon Diffusion Santa Croce Bag ($478) 3. Everlane The Tread-Bare Sneaker ($130)

I learned about the VAWAA (Vacation With an Artist) platform through Yolanda Edwards’s newsletter, which is a must-subscribe for any travel enthusiasts. VAWAA allows you to book mini apprenticeships with master artists and craftspeople around the world. They have 151 artists across 34 countries covering everything from Indigenous basketry in South Carolina and Japanese calligraphy in Kyoto to henna dyeing and rug weaving in Morocco and ceramics in Oaxaca. The idea of dedicated, one-on-one mentorship over several days is incredibly appealing to me. You’re telling me I could go on vacation to a place I’ve dreamed about and could return semi-competent in a craft? Incredible! I would do the apprenticeship up front and then be sure to have some days set aside for typical holiday fun so you can get the best of both worlds.

1. Jia Jia 14k Yellow Gold Agate Necklace ($600) 2. Zsuzsanna Nyul Hand-Painted Ceramic Mug ($96) 3. Leuchtturm A5 Notebook ($24)

If a full-blown retreat or apprenticeship seems intense, a great low-stakes option is Numeroventi, an artist residency in Florence, Italy, that aims to be a space where artists and designers can develop their practice and build an international creative community of locals and visiting artists. Not a professional artist? Me neither, but Numeroventi happens to have gorgeous lofts with ancient frescoes that anyone can stay in. As a bonus, on weekdays they serve a seasonal breakfast in their courtyard café by the current chef in residence. I dream of staying here to soak up the creative energy and maybe commit myself to something small like daily journaling or finally starting my bookmark embroidery kit.

1. The Garment Tarragona Tie-Front Crinkled Silk Shirt ($580) 2. Venetico Marina Candle ($120) 3. Beam Paints Minjeemin Travel Palette ($194)

Welcome to my favorite section: artsy hotels! I’ve been to Benesse House on Japan’s “art island” three or four times, and it never gets old. The Tadao Ando designed hotel is also a museum that you can wander after hours unsupervised, which is a specific kind of kid-fantasy delight. The hotel has different sections, but the Oval section is where it’s at. The eight rooms are arranged in an oval on top of a hill with a shimmering pool in the middle. You take a private self-operated funicular to the top (fun!), and each room has spectacular views of the Setouchi Sea. The food, especially in the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, is heavenly (some of the best I’ve had in all of Japan), but I also enjoy staying in for the night and getting the Bento Box option delivered to the room while watching a movie in the hotel-provided pajamas (Japanese slumber party vibes). Beyond the hotel, the bike-friendly, small island is a wonderland of art, with some highlights including James Turrell’s sunset viewing experience and Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden. It’s honestly startling in the best way to view world-class works in such a natural, intimate setting. It will make you cry.

1. Debbie Carlos Pond Vase ($80) 2. Issey Miyake Silver Pink Bubble Wants Necklace ($495) 3. Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin ($325)

You may have seen Mexico City’s Casa Orgánica on Instagram, as celebrities and influencers have been known to snap a pic in the otherworldly architectural wonder designed by Javier Senosiain. It’s been closed to the public for renovations for a while now, which is why I was delighted to learn that another, equally magical Senosiain-designed property is on Airbnb. It seems surreal, but you and five of your closest friends can stay at the psychedelic, lush property and pretend you’re starting your own futuristic commune for the weekend.

1. Hvóya Merezhyvni Shoes ($440) 2. Wiener Silber Sterling Silver and Jade Ice Bucket ($15,740) 3. Silvia Tcherassi Atira Printed Linen Midi Skirt ($620)

Casa Cuseni is an under-the-radar gem that, I kid you not, I found randomly on Booking.com while perusing options for a last-minute stay in Sicily. The five-room villa is no typical bed and breakfast. It has enough historical significance to be officially designated an Italian National Monument! I attempted to convey how amazing this place is in a cringe voiceover reel, but I'll try to describe it here too. The villa was owned by a couple who hosted the most notable creatives of the 20th century, from Pablo Picasso to Salvador Dalí and Tennessee Williams to Henry Faulkner. I booked what was once Greta Garbo’s room, which has incredible views of Taormina and the Mediterranean sea. The gardens around the hotel are considered one of the most important “theosophical parks” in Europe, and if you have the option, definitely take the tour of the house. I won’t reveal too much, but there’s a secret room with an incredible story that you get access to. And a tidbit for the interiors and fashion folks: The room is considered one of the best-preserved examples of the Arts and Crafts movement and is the only surviving interior work by Sir Frank Brangwyn, an early designer for Tiffany Co.

1. Daphne Phelps A House in Sicily ($15) 2. Paloma Barceló Bademia Leather Slingbacks ($375) 3. Ronan Wrought Iron Candle Holder ($102)

We’re officially on the Dalí and Picasso circuit because the next pick, Colombe d’Or, was also a favorite haunt of theirs. In fact, they used to exchange pieces of their art to cover their bill, which helps explain the hotel’s museum-level collection. The inn and restaurant in Saint-Paul-de-Vence is one of my favorite places in the world—traditional and classic yet unfussy and less slick than some of the other famous hotels in the South of France. I’ve stayed there several times over the years, including for my wedding, so it’s a place that holds many special memories. I always think (snarkily) it’s what the Chateau Marmont wishes it could be. A few notable nearby sites: Up the street is the Fondation Maeght, the independent art museum where Jacquemus held its S/S 24 collection. And in the next village over, about 15 minutes away, you can visit Matisse’s Chapelle du Rosaire, which is breathtaking in person.

1. Mare Pesci Towel ($35) 2. Analuisa Corrigan Lamp 3. Soleil Soleil Printed Pareo ($95)

Keeping on the trend of all things fashion and South of France, my next pick is fashion designer Pierre Cardin’s Palais Bulles. Simultaneously space-age and ’60s, the site has hosted runway shows for Dior and, of course, Pierre Cardin. I got to attend a wedding there, spent the better half of the evening wandering through the magical bubble rooms where every surface was curved, and captured it for posterity in this Instagram reel. Pierre Cardin’s “paradise of cellular forms” left such an impression on me that I wanted to see if the architect had done any other similar work that might be more accessible to the public. I found nearby Maison Bernard, which is now a museum and feels like a smaller version of Palais Bulles but with just as much personality and design POV.

1. Gather Miami Hand-Blown Wine Glasses Set ($380) 2. The Roe Studio Balloon Object 000 ($2018) 3. Venini Fantasmino Hand-Blown Murano Glass Lamp ($660) 4. Tory Burch Mirror Embellished Skirt ($1799) 5. Jenna Blake 60s Chain ($10,400) 6. Louisa Ballou Wrap-Design Denim Skirt ($398)

La Scarzuola in Umbria was on my pinboard for years before I was able to go during my road-trip honeymoon through Italy. The architectural site, designed by Tomaso Buzzi, is fantastical, surreal, and imbued with layered symbolism and meanings. I was in awe of the creativity and dedication to create a place like this. A couple tips: Most of the tours are in Italian, so be prepared to let your imagination and daydreams take over if you don’t speak the language. Though, I think they offer some English tours too. Second, the hotel Castello di Reschio, home to the most stunning pool I’ve seen in my life and where Gwyneth Paltrow is known to vacation, is about an hour away. Did I just plan your trip for you?

1. Venini 1987 Laura de Santillana Monofiore Hand-Blown Murano Glass Perfume Bottle ($355) 2. Schiaparelli Face Brooch ($2487) 3. Cala de la Cruz Daphne Dress ($395)

If you couldn’t tell from the first edition of Love, Kat where I included Donald Judd’s NYC house, I have a thing for creeping in artists’ homes. You get a glimpse into their everyday, see another expression of their taste through their interior design choices, and experience the very personal environment that nurtured their life’s work. Usually, some of their art is on display, and when you compare this setting to that of a white museum or gallery wall, tell me this isn’t a million times better! Salvador Dalí’s place in Port Lligat, Spain, is high on my list. It’s about a two-hour drive from Barcelona and was built by Dalí room by room over 40 years. The painfully tasteful antique furniture is a draw of its own, and there are surreal touches throughout like massive eggs on the roof symbolizing love and hope. Charmingly, many of the rooms have windows of different shapes that frame the Port Lligat bay, a view featured throughout Dalí’s art.

1. Taschen Dalí Les Dîners de Gala ($19) 2. Lazy Jamie Extra Fancy Citrus Squeezer ($19) 3. Madison Seidman Comb 2 ($264)