Retreats at Château de la Ruche
Relax and be inspired
With 15 acres of wild parkland and woodland surrounding the Château, plus some of the most beautiful light in France (even if we do say so ourselves), it’s hard not to find inspiration and a little bit of peace during your stay with us. But if you truly want to go away with a spring-in-your-step and a new sense of purpose book a spot on one of our retreats.
We seek out some of the most inspirational and creative folk to work with us on our retreats, and a retreat or workshop here is like no other. We love our retreat guests to be as spoiled as our chambre d’hotes guests, so while you’re busy learning and being inspired we’ll be looking after every other detail to ensure that you go home relaxed and raring to go.
Places are limited to ensure plenty of time for one-to-one tuition and every retreat here is fully inclusive – the very best teaching, all your materials, accommodation in one of our beautiful château bedrooms or our luxurious French-farmhouse-gîte and three delicious meals a day (with lovely Loire Valley wines and our house cocktails), plus plenty to nibble in between.
What’s on?
Heritage upholstery retreat
12th – 16th April 2024
Spend a relaxed few days at the Château learning traditional upholstery techniques from fourth generation heritage upholsterer Jodie McQueen. You’ll have a beautiful Louis XVI chair to work on during your stay (a gift from us) and Jodie will take you step-by-step through the upholstery process.
You’ll learn everything you need to know, from how to carefully strip the old fabric from your chair without damaging the show wood, webbing the seat and building it back up again using hessian and horse hair to sewing in the springs and finally how to recover and finish you chair with your chosen fabric and trim. You’ll achieve a truly professional finish and take home a beautiful piece of furniture, plus all the skills and techniques you need to work on more projects in your own time.
This is a perfect introduction to upholstery, suitable for complete beginners or those with a little bit of previous experience. The group will be small to allow for plenty of one-on-one time with Jodie. There will be plenty of down time too to allow you to relax and enjoy the château and grounds.
What’s included
- A four-night stay at Château de la Ruche in either the main house or the gîte
- All meals, drinks and house cocktails
- Expert upholstery tuition with lots of one-on-one time
- A Louis XVI chair to work on during the retreat
- All materials and equipment – apart from your top fabric and trim, which you will choose yourself to match your home. We will advise on the quantity and best type of fabric and trim to bring on booking.
What’s not included
- Travel to and from the château
- Your top fabric and trim, which you will choose yourself to match your home. We will advise on the quantity and best type of fabric and trim to bring on booking.
- Shipping for your chair – please make sure you are able to travel home with your chair, we cannot arrange shipping.
Price: €2250 per person
Please email us for more details.
Les Fleurs
8th – 11th April 2024
SOLD OUT
Join fellow flower lovers for our beautiful Les Fleurs retreat hosted by Liz from Blue Sky Flowers. You’ll spend your days playing with flowers, creating everything from bouquets, and tablescapes to archways and arbours, all while learning about the best sustainable mechanics. There will be so many flowers to get creative with and the very best laid-back tuition. Your evenings will be spent at beautiful tables full of flowers and great food, sharing a passion for flowers with your fellow guests.
This is a great retreat for beginners with a love of flowers and for those who already have an established flower business. No matter your experience you’ll come away with loads of practical hands-on experience, new knowledge and plenty of inspiration to spark your creativity.
What’s included
- A three-night stay at Château de la Ruche in either the main house or the gîte
- All meals, drinks and house cocktails
- Expert tuition and plenty of one-on-one coaching
- All flowers, foliage and equipment
What’s not included
- Travel to and from the château
Price: £2550 per person
This retreat is already fully booked. If you’d like to join the waiting list please email us.
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If you’d be interested in hosting a retreat here send us an email to find out more about our retreat packages.
