During our last week of vacation, my family and I decided it was high time we visited Nantucket. If you remember, last year we spent the day on the Vineyard, but we had all been there many times before. This would be our first trip to the "other island". But instead of showing you photos of the harbor and the ocean, I thought I'd share some photos I took that inspire my creative side.
What I love: Mixing the old with the new and combining stained and painted pieces in a room. This shop had lots of goodies that caught my eye, including this mix of modern and countrified pieces combined in perfect harmony.
Did you know that interiors are actually inspired by fashion? What you see on the runways will make its way into your home before you know it. I adore Ralph Lauren for his classic look, so I just had to take a peek inside. What I love: That floral arrangement! You could easily place this beauty in a more formal setting, but I adore the juxtaposition of pairing the formal with the informal. It still looks fabulous sitting on this humble painted table.
Although this store did play up the typical summer look everyone has come to expect, it still caught my eye. What I love: The mix of scale. The large chair paired with the candelabra and the chandelier says drama. When you put things together, when it doubt, think big.
Stores aren't my only source of inspiration. As I was walking down the cobblestones streets and brick sidewalks, there were several vintage trucks spilling their wares onto the sidewalks. These flower arrangements were gorgeous. What I love: Using things in unexpected ways. Now I realize not everyone is going to have a lovely vintage vehicle to park on their lawn, but what about a wooden bench or a piece of fencing? Give your gardens that much needed vertical element every yard should have. Enjoy hanging, placing, leaning, and arranging pots to create a beautiful focal point in your yard.
The houses in town were fairly close together, but somehow they all managed to keep their properties very distinct from the next. What I love: gravel driveways (I'm not a fan of ground seashells) and mounds of hydrangeas. Did you know that you can plant hydrangeas throughout different parts of New England? There are different varieties that don't require sandy acidic soil like these do.
Speaking of secret gardens, I just had to jump off my bike to take this shot. What I love: The mix of different size stones and the stepped planting beds... and the natural arbor. Clearly trying to create different levels in your yard requires a bit of help and some heavy-duty equipment, but the rest is easy to duplicate. Regardless of how large or small your yard is, the trick is to create several gardens to give your eye a place to land as well as your bottom. Place a set of tables and chairs under some trees and prune the area until you've created your own grove. Add a few pots of plants and flowers and you're done.
The island of Nantucket is just beautiful. Once we were off the ferry, we got on our bikes and rode through town. It was quite the bumpy ride on all that cobblestone, but once we got out on the main road we were able to ride out to Madaket beach. Madaket is located on the southwest corner of the island. Because of its location, the surf was incredible coming off the open Atlantic. I'm told, the next patch of land you'd reach is Portugal. Once back in town, we rode on to Perry Street. It's a charming road filled with incredible architecture. We ended up finding a circle that led us back into town.
I came back inspired to try new looks and continue to build upon my own aesthetic. I feel it's not only important to be open to new things, but to also hold onto the look that suits you and the way you live best.
P.S. Remember to look for other design posts under the old heading design & decorating.
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