Creative Escape 2026 — Studio Wood

For our fourth annual Creative Escape, we headed to Fowlescombe Farm in Devon. A couple of days away from the studio at the end of September, and the whole team came back feeling like we'd properly exhaled.

Fowlescombe is a 450-acre regenerative working farm, tucked into a hidden valley on the edge of Dartmoor. People have been farming there since 1537, and it still runs by the rhythm of the land. We arrived in glorious sunshine, which helped, and it was surprising how little time it took for us to switch off.

Our first Creative Escape was in 2023, and its positive, lasting effect on the team is why we've continued it every year since. This year we went further afield to Devon, after the last couple of years in Dorset and the New Forest, but we still focused on our connection to nature, good food and being outdoors.

The idea behind our Creative Escapes hasn't changed - step out of our usual roles, go somewhere fairly remote and disconnect. Design chats happen anyway, they always do, but there's no sketching, no CAD and not a 3D print in sight. Just time away from the norm to enjoy the space in between.

This year, that meant getting stuck into farm life. We did a tour of the working farm, got to watch a live bread-making session with the chefs, and spent a lot of time at the wild lake, with the sauna on hand to warm us up afterwards. Both were firm favourites.

Tuesday's weather was mixed, but that didn't stop a couple of the team heading out on a 70km road ride, while others went off on trail runs and hikes around the farm. With Komoot routes from the door, it was easy to find a good trail. Everyone ended up back at the lake and sauna, which is hard to beat after a day outdoors.

And the food - it was sensational. In the Refectory, the menu is led by what's coming out of the farm's fields, woodlands and gardens, with the chefs working closely with the farm and garden teams. We felt you could really taste the difference when produce has travelled that short a distance. One evening we were treated to a private dinner in a greenhouse, which was a real highlight of the trip.

Time away like this also lets us connect one-to-one in a way that's hard to find in the rhythm of studio life. Our Creative Escapes are intentionally small and pared back, and we plan to keep it that way. In a world where quantity can so easily overshadow quality, they bring us back to what matters: making meaningful work and valuing experiences that last.

Our team has grown this year, and for the new members this was their first retreat. Everyone agreed how important the time away is. We came back to the studio relaxed, recharged and more connected to our purpose: to create designs that are loved, that endure, and that honour the world around us. After all, nothing is more timeless than nature itself.

Fowlescombe has been featured in Condé Nast Traveller, The Times and National Geographic Traveller's 30 Best Hotels in the World, and having stayed, we can see why. A big thank you to the team at Fowlescombe for looking after us so well. We have a feeling we may be back.