Now’s your chance! Explore the idyllic Normandy you’ve seen on Gabrielle’s Instagram page.
Come spend a week in France and experience Normandy like a local. Gabrielle Blair — designer, best-selling author, mother-of-six, and 7-year resident of a small-town in Normandy — has thoughtfully planned an exclusive itinerary so that retreat guests can experience Normandy like a local. And Gabrielle will join you each day on your adventures.
During your week in Normandy you’ll experience what it’s like to live there, with a visit to a vide grenier, the weekly town market, and a favorite brocante. You can attend classes and tours on topics like architecture, fine art, cheese, ancient renovation, history, and local produce. You’ll get a chance to spend time at the iconic Mont St. Michel, and picnic at Gabrielle’s favorite chateau.
One of the very best parts? You’ll get a chance to connect with fellow retreat guests — the smart, kind, thoughtful, amazing people in Gabrielle’s online community. The first retreat was last fall — you can see what it was like in two IG highlights — hightlight one and highlight two. It was a remarkable experience — none of the attendees knew each other at all, but made fast friends on the retreat. In fact, the group of attendees have a text chat that is still active, and have since sought out opportunities to reunite with their new retreat friends in person.
Isn’t it great to have something to look forward to?
Dates for Gabrielle’s Normandy Retreat
Wednesday, June 18th to Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
Registration for the 2025 retreat is now open! Note: There are only 3 spots still available.
All-Inclusive
Gabrielle’s Normandy Retreat is all-inclusive. You will be met at the local train station (or at the hotel if you are coming by car), and once you arrive, all accommodations, transportation, meals, tickets, activities, and events are included.
You can take a tour of Gabrielle’s latest renovation project — The Small House, and will attend an activity at the renovated home. You can spend an afternoon with the master-craftsman Gijsbert (often featured on Gabrielle’s Instagram Stories) — and if you like, you can try your hand at re-pointing an ancient stone wall. You’ll be invited to a family dinner with the Blairs and their kids. You can visit Gabrielle’s next renovation project, The Cottage, before the work really begins, so you can see it in the true “before” form.
You’ll enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at traditional restaurants, or prepared by local chefs and served onsite. Each day you’ll also be served a “gouter” — the French afternoon snack break.
The retreat includes a welcome gift featuring Gabrielle’s favorite local products and French pharmacy skincare products. Retreat attendees will receive exclusive merch too — only available at the retreat.
Please note: Your travel to and from France the retreat location is not included, but our planning team will send full instructions on car and train options for getting to the retreat.
REGISTRATION FOR JUNE 2025
GABRIELLE’S NORMANDY RETREAT IS NOW OPEN!
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT
An Authentic Schedule
Each day will feature outings, activities, and plenty of time for rest and rejuvenation. Here’s a peek at activities you are welcome to attend while you’re with us:
Welcome dinner
Daily gouter (gouter is the French afternoon snack)
Field-trip to Bayeux Tapestry
Luncheon at a traditional French brasserie
Shopping at Gabrielle’s favorite Brocante (a brocante is a high-low antiques and vintage shop)
Tour of the Small House
Blair Family Dinner
Workshop with Gijsbert
Field-trip to Mont St. Michel
Dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant featuring contemporary French cuisine
Outing to the Argentan Town Market
Workshop on Normandy cheeses
Picnic at Gabrielle’s favorite Château
A mural walk through town
A family jam session and singalong
A walking tour of Argentan’s oldest buildings
Shopping at a local Vide Grenier (vide grenier means “empty attic” and is a community tag sale)
A tour of Gabrielle’s next renovation project: The Cottage
A forest walk
A visit to Argentan’s art museum
Please note: The schedule offerings are subject to change due to weather or availability.
Top Accommodations
Retreat guests will stay in private rooms at a local hotel & spa with a Michelin-Star restaurant and heated pool in Gabrielle’s countryside town of Argentan — the best hotel in town, and just minutes from the Tall House & Small House. Gabrielle will personally upgrade the rooms with bathrobes, slippers, and a hand-picked collection of her favorite French toiletries. The hotel is walkable to Argentan’s town center.
Retreat Fees
The price to attend is $9,999 per person and includes all meals, accommodations, event tickets, and transportation during the retreat. (This price does not include transportation to and from France and Argentan.) There are a limited number of spaces available, so if you’d like to attend, be sure to reserve your spot right away.
Normandy Retreats are designed by Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom with a focus on ease and charming details at every turn. Gabrielle has extensive experience planning and attending events and retreats and has carefully planning an exclusive schedule that will be inspiring, informative, adventurous, and allow ample time for resting and regrouping. All the planning and coordinating is being handled by experts — you just get to show up and enjoy yourself. You can join in the day’s activities, or just relax and rest in beautiful Normandy.
REGISTRATION FOR JUNE 2025
GABRIELLE’S NORMANDY RETREAT IS NOW OPEN!
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT
P.S. — Interested in moving to France? You might prefer the Relocation Retreat.
