Nantucket Friday Favorites – Boathouse Chic

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   7 Comments

Nantucket Friday Favorites – Boathouse Chic

In downtown Nantucket, across from where the car ferry ushers in its seasonal visitors, sits the historic Old North Wharf. Originally built in 1750 for the burgeoning fishing trade, the tiny shacks lining its width were eventually transformed into cottages for more residential use.

One of the most charming boathouses is actually two cottages combined, that its owners use for entertaining, for occasional guest overflow from their in-town main house and for prepping outings on their classic Hinckley Picnic Boat, docked off of their deck, below, where one of the Nantucket by Design All-Star Private Dinners will be held (more about that at the end of the post).…

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Nantucket Friday Favorites – Greater Light

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   12 Comments

Nantucket Friday Favorites – Greater Light

I’m woefully late for last week’s Friday favorite from here on Nantucket. All I can say is that island time is real! We’ll be talking more about the Nantucket Historical Association and their important work this summer including next month’s Nantucket by Design, their largest fundraiser of the year. The NHA owns and oversees several historic sites and properties on island. One of my favorites and this week’s Friday Favorite is Greater Light, below.

Originally built in 1790 by the Macy family as a livestock barn, it was discovered in 1929 by Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan (below – Hanna on the left and Gertrude on the right) as they followed a herd of cows up Main Street. …

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Marvelous on Mallorca

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   4 Comments

Marvelous on Mallorca

While I am happily ensconced in my summer outpost here on Nantucket, I still enjoy vicariously exploring other vacation destinations. In this month’s British House & Garden, a beautiful home on Mallorca piqued my curiosity.

In the rural region of Manocor on this Spanish island, a 200 year old farmhouse was sympathetically restored by Madrid architect and designer, Ramón García Jurado, for a stylish mix of old and new. Above the tempting pool with green tile that blends with the verdant landscape.

In the entry, above and below, Ammonite fossils on an gutsy antique Spanish console are flanked by slender 70’s rattan chairs from Anmoder in Madrid.…

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Friday Favorites – Nantucket On the Go

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   3 Comments

Friday Favorites – Nantucket On the Go

This week’s Friday Favorites is a tad late due to the continuing Fourth of July week. With family on island, it’s been a parade of endless meals, games and activities! And with the (mostly) glorious weather, comes island and beach exploring with not necessarily time for sit down meals during the day. Luckily, there are many places to facilitate the Nantucket on the go lifestyle. Here are a few to remember for your next trip.

Something Natural is an island institution. For almost 50 years, this popular sandwich shop and bakery has been known for their delicious bread (sold throughout the island), sandwiches, organic juices and tempting homemade baked goods.…

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Happy July 4th

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   4 Comments

Happy July 4th

Wishing everyone a very happy July 4th from here on Nantucket, where the appeal of the gray lady is epitomized by this well-known rose covered cottage. One of the most photographed houses on island, it reflects the spirit and charm of this small yet special island destination. Years ago, the roses used to almost totally envelop the house and now seem to be making a comeback after a dearth of blooms for a period.

photo above by Stacey Bewkes for Quintessence

Once owned by designer Jeffrey Bilhuber, the house, according to friend and local realtor Jeanne Hicks, was sold, years ago, fully furnished and you can see why below, in a few images from an article in Architectural Digest in 2003.…

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At Home on Nantucket with Gary McBournie

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   2 Comments

At Home on Nantucket with Gary McBournie

Drive up to designer Gary McBournie‘s charming Nantucket home and you are greeted by an enormous green privet hedge punctuated by a vibrant blue door, beyond which a gorgeous courtyard blooming with hydrangea and island friendly flowers reveals itself like a secret garden. Inside, the light filled house is infused with Gary’s signature saturated colors and a mix of finds from Nantucket to his and partner, Bill Richards’, international travels. Tag along with me and host Susanna Salk for a behind the scenes video visit to this bright and happy Nantucket island home!

After many years living on Nantucket, Gary finally found the H shaped ranch house he’d been searching for in Shimmo, a convenient island location.

…

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Friday Favorites – Nantucket Natural Beauty

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   2 Comments

Friday Favorites – Nantucket Natural Beauty

Surrounded by an abundance of nature’s gifts every day, it’s not surprising that there is an emphasis on living healthfully here on Nantucket. Whether it’s what you eat or put on your face and body, natural beauty is a goal here on island. Two of my favorite shops in this domain are Lemon Press (for healthy comestibles) and Follain (for the best of clean beauty).

Formerly in a tiny space on Centre Street, Lemon Press has not only moved into a new prime address on Main Street but morphed into a full restaurant with bar, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

You can still get all the great healthy, organic take out food, from their cold pressed juices and raw bowls to superfood smoothies and breakfast burritos,

but now you can sit at a table or at the stylish bar to have a full meal.…

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Plain Chic in Connecticut

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   Leave a comment

Plain Chic in Connecticut

I’ve written many times about the exceptional shopping in the tiny town of New Preston, Connecticut. Here, an array of local stores present their individual style with flair and personality. One of the more recent additions is Michael DePerno’s and Andrew Fry’s Plain Goods, carrying a carefully curated selection of vintage and antiques furnishings and accessories, select fashion, and pantry items, all with an artisanal bent. While it may sound like an unlikely mix, the shop has a wonderful old-fashioned general store feel, elevated with a modern eye – just plain chic .

I was so pleased to see Michael’s and Andrew’s home in nearby Litchfield County featured in this month’s Veranda, exuding the same finely tuned understated style – the duo above with their whippets, Fennie and Bose.…

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Happy Anniversary Maria Mitchell

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   3 Comments

Happy Anniversary Maria Mitchell

When you think of Nantucket, perhaps beautiful beaches, cobblestone streets and rose covered cottages come to mind, but this small island is also home to one of the most pioneering women in the history of science. This year celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Maria Mitchell [pronounced “mə-RYE-ə”], America’s first female astronomer and to commemorate the occasion, the Nantucket Historical Association has collaborated with the Maria Mitchell Association on an exhibition at the Whaling Museum, below.

Born on August 1, 1818 on Nantucket to Quaker parents, Maria was one of ten children. Happily Quakers believed in educating both its boys and girls and unlike most other places in the country at the time, Nantucket empowered women to learn, work and lead alongside men – the “petticoat aristocracy.” Maria attended the local schools and was tutored by her polymath father, also an astronomer (an important role in helping the local whaling ships know their locations), as well as a school teacher, chief cashier of the local Pacific Bank, responsible for all of its operations, a surveyor, cooper, farmer, candlemaker and state senator.…

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Nantucket Highlights

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   14 Comments

Nantucket Highlights

As I prepare for my annual summer trip to Nantucket, I was reviewing some of my past posts of island favorites. I thought I would share a few Nantucket highlights here and ask you readers what you might enjoy seeing this year. For the past two summers I created Friday Favorite Finds that included a variety of places to stay, eat, visit and shop as well as events and a few house tours. If you are new to Quintessence or perhaps missed a few, you can always find them in the search bar.

If you’re planning on visiting Nantucket and are looking for a stylish place to stay, you can’t beat Greydon House with its convenient in-town location and Roman & Williams designed interiors, above.…

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