Photography by Katie Ntasios
What Lake Como Reminded Us About Connection, Celebration & Creative Renewal
There is a certain feeling that arrives at the end of summer. The sunlight shifts, fall calendars begin to fill and the holiday season waits just beyond them—making us want to hold onto the warmth a little longer.
Although we traveled to Lake Como in April, its sunshine, sparkling water and unhurried pace carried everything we love about the best summer days: room to breathe, time to connect and the freedom to feel inspired by our surroundings.
The visit was an opportunity to mark ten years in business with the small team of women who continue to shape who we are—and where we are going.
Photography by Stay Gold Images
Photography by Stay Gold Images
Ten Years, Celebrated Waterside
Milestones can easily pass within the movement of daily business. One event leads into another, one busy season becomes the next and there is always another detail demanding attention.
We wandered through lakeside villages, noticed the colors and textures of our surroundings and shared stories along the way. On the water, surrounded by mountains and centuries-old architecture, we raised a glass to ten years of Kadeema.
Photography by Stay Gold Images
A Milestone Does Not Need the Grandest Gesture
A meaningful milestone does not need to become an elaborate production. It simply needs to feel intentional.
For anyone approaching a business anniversary, completing an important project or entering a new chapter, consider creating an experience that reflects your team and the journey you have shared:
- Choose a setting that takes everyone beyond the everyday.
- Create time for genuine conversation.
- Leave room for spontaneity and discovery.
- Capture a photograph that will preserve the memory.
- Make the toast—even if the words are simple.
Photography by Kelsey Healy
Who Surrounds You Matters
Within a small team, each role is especially meaningful. Every person contributes a different strength, perspective and creative instinct.
Together, those individual pieces shape how we communicate, how we solve problems and, ultimately, how our clients experience Kadeema.
Photography by Stay Gold Images
Traveling together allowed us to step outside our familiar roles and see one another differently.
Conversations became less about the next deadline and more about ideas, observations and where we hope to go next.
Why That Connection Matters to Our Clients
The strongest events are created when the people behind them trust one another, communicate thoughtfully and recognize the value each collaborator brings to the process.
Guests may only see the finished setting, but behind it is an entire network of people working toward one shared vision.
That trust influences every part of the experience:
- how ideas are communicated
- how challenges are handled
- how thoughtfully details come together
- how supported our clients and partners feel throughout the process
Photography by Stay Gold Images
Team bonding is not separate from the work.
It strengthens the work.
Bringing Inspiration Home
In Lake Como, inspiration was not limited to one grand interior or recognizable landmark. It lived in the layers:
- faded plaster against deep green shutters
- patterned stone underfoot
- flowers spilling from balconies
- warm, sun-washed color
- historic buildings meeting the water
- boats moving gently between villages
Photography: Katie Ntasios, left · Stay Gold Images, right
Photography by Nancy Audy
Photography: Katie Ntasios
They expand the visual references we bring to our work and influence how we think about color, material, atmosphere and the relationship between a setting and the people experiencing it.
Good Design Creates a Feeling
It encourages us to consider how guests will move through a space, where they will naturally gather and which details will make an environment feel personal rather than expected.
Instead, they help us return with fresh eyes and a deeper understanding of how thoughtful design can influence emotion, behavior and memory.
We return with fresh eyes and a deeper understanding of how thoughtful design can influence emotion, behavior and memory.
The most memorable environments make people feel welcomed, encourage connection and invite guests to stay a little longer.
Photography: Katie Ntasios, left · Stay Gold Images, right
Making Room for Creative Renewal
Whether the destination is across the ocean or closer to home, there is value in taking your team outside its familiar rhythm.
A creative field trip, shared meal, studio visit or afternoon on the water can renew the energy behind the work.
It gives people room to exchange ideas without the pressure of an immediate deliverable. It can also reveal new interests, strengths and perspectives that may not surface during an ordinary workday.
Photography: Nancy Audy, left · Katie Ntasios, right
Photography by Stay Gold Images
The Season We Carry With Us
As the pace shifts toward fall events and the holiday season, we are holding onto what Lake Como gave us:
- warmth
- curiosity
- connection
- creative energy
- appreciation for the people beside us
The season of good energy does not have to end with summer.
It can continue through the gatherings we create, the partnerships we nurture and the moments we intentionally make for one another.
We would love to continue building relationships with designers, makers and creative partners throughout Europe in 2027—expanding our creative community and bringing new perspectives home to our clients and planning partners.
Ten years in, we remain excited by where design can take us next.
Photography: Katie Ntasios
Credits
Creative Direction & Storytelling
Katie Ntasios — Kadeema Rentals
Editorial Photography
Mia Andreoli, Stay Gold Images
Additional Documentation & Team Perspectives
Kadeema Rentals + Raha Home Co. team
Captured during the Kadeema Rentals and Raha Home Co. European Design Study, 2026.
