By Leslie Linsley

Author of “Nantucket Island Living” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

June 2026

Anyone who owns a home on Nantucket is familiar with the following phone call, “Hi, we’d love to visit you in Nantucket.” It could be a friend you casually told, in February, “We’ve just bought a house on Nantucket. You’ll have to visit.” Or, it might be someone you barely know, like your dentist to whom you mumbled something about Nantucket while his hands were in your mouth. At any rate, company’s coming! 

An island home is not just a house. It’s where we share experiences that create memories. It’s where we take a pause, slow the world down and appreciate where we are. 

Sharing your home can be a memorable experience if you plan well. You don’t want to spend your time shopping, cooking, picking up wet towels and doing laundry. Being prepared enables us to be on vacation with family and friends in the place everyone wants to be. Before guests arrive, walk-through and around your house as though you’ve never seen it before. Replace, repair or add what’s needed. Good preparation leaves room for spontaneity and is the key to the perfect Nantucket experience. 

Tips From Seasoned Hosts:

1.  When inviting houseguests, my friend Carole sends an email stating when they are expected and when she expects them to leave. She says, “Never leave this open ended,” and writes, “We’d love to see you. Our schedule is free from mid-day Friday until three on Sunday. Hope this works for you.” She includes the ferry schedule. If they say they were planning to stay for a week, she simply states that it won’t work this time but perhaps another time: This is easier to do by text or email than on the phone. 

2. Nothing is more appreciated than a comfortable bed. Check out mattresses on the second floor of Home Furnishings. Pamper your guest with luxurious sheets from Sferra, Matouk or Peacock and Alley. Top with a Robshaw duvet. (Housewares). Replace the mattress pad. 

3. A ‘Sconset friend with a revolving door of summer guests, puts a note on each bedroom door asking guests to please strip beds on the day they are leaving, and to remake the bed with the stack of clean sheets found on the closet shelf. 

4. Every summer house mysteriously consumes twice as many towels as expected. Stock up to avoid constant laundering. (Bed & Bath)

5. Barbecues free up the kitchen and who can resist the temptation of a new Weber grill at the start of the season? A perfect Father’s Day gift and the icing on the cake is free delivery and set-up! (Garden)

6. Sharing your home is a good excuse to buy that piece of furniture or area carpet you’ve been meaning to purchase. Add a practical island vibe in the bedrooms and baths with the scallop shell nightlights found near the front door of Housewares.

7. Be prepared for spur of the moment get-togethers by taking stock of your kitchen cookware (lobster pot?) and serving utensils. Create a coffee bar with breakfast items so guests can help themselves whenever they get up. Maybe a second coffee maker? The less “hosting” you do the more comfortable your guests will feel. 

8. Do a room by room check to assess what could be improved. Michael Molinar, owner of Flowers On Chestnut, just painted the interior of his shop with Farrow & Ball’s Yeabridge. It’s a rich leafy green that I can imagine in a living or dining room. Leave it to Michael to refresh with a splash of sophistication.

9. There’s a particular magic when three generations gather under one roof. The days become longer; the house becomes messier, more crowded, and somehow richer. Kids have lots of energy. Provide fun activities like backyard games meant for family participation:  corn hole (bean bag toss), croquet, volley and bocce ball. (Home & Garden)

10. The kitchen becomes the gathering place in a multigenerational house, so simplifying it matters. Buy durable serving platters and dishes for outdoor meals, a large tray that can move lunch from kitchen to deck in one trip. My friend Peggy prepares lunch on individual trays for each person to carry their own onto the deck. Clean-up is easy. 

11. Replace worn outdoor cushions, rusty beach chairs and umbrellas we tend to hold onto a season too long. 

12. Enhance the exterior of your home with classic Cape Cod onion lamps. Rechargeable battery lights on tables and comfortable outdoor seating, encourage lingering long after dark, suspending time. 

13. Don’t forget practical necessities: doormat for sandy feet, baskets for flip-flops, books by island authors.

14. Refresh outdoor showers with a teak mat, shelves and modern shower fixture. 

15. For homes filled with grandchildren: A basket of games and puzzles, extra blankets for movie nights. The goal is to create a home that invites people to settle in comfortably, where everyone is on vacation together.   

16. The best island homes evolve slowly, creating traditions like favorite beaches, the always-stocked snack drawer, the table large enough for late-night board games. What guests and family will remember most is the feeling of summer on Nantucket together- the greatest luxury of all.