By Leslie Linsley

Author of “Nantucket Island Living”

January 2025

May is not only the month of Mother’s Day, but the weather is finally warm enough for outdoor activities, patio entertaining and the prospect of summer visitors. Is your house ready? After the long winter it was time for an extensive trip through each department of Marine. Ciara McAuley, Marine's Marketing Coordinator, and I walked the aisles as she pointed out new products and the latest redesign of each department. If you haven’t been in lately, prepare to be creatively stimulated! Each department is fully stocked with the best of the best in all product lines and the redesign is stunning, well-lighted, and exceedingly accessible. We started in Home Furnishings where I immediately wanted to replace all my furniture. It’s easy to imagine any of the upholstered sofas and chairs in a newly built home or to update an early Nantucket home for a modern lifestyle. If you had to choose one thing to replace, what would it be? The new selection of room size rugs is mighty tempting!

            My interest was in maximizing storage space in every room. I was totally impressed with the open and accessible tool department where Ciara pointed out the expansive line of product for getting organized easily and with style. The white wood strips with evenly spaced hooks in different lengths for a mud room or inside a closet or bedroom door seemed extremely practical. Best of all, easy to install with the provided screws and a screwdriver. My kind of rainy day project! The line of white wire shelves from Closet Maid are the stuff dreams are made of. In just one weekend, I could solve a lot of storage problems, enabling me to breeze into summer feeling rather proud of myself.  Reminder, make a list of problem areas in your home before “tripping through the aisles.” It was easy to visualize perfectly organized, unused spaces with an over-the-door-shoe rack, wire corner shelves, a rack for spices, and a holder to neatly store a broom and cleaning products. A five tier, adjustable shelving unit was perfect to hold all my crafting supplies, or I could use several along one wall in my basement. Each shelf holds 250 pounds, good for heavy tools or cans of paint. I was distracted at every turn with products like Magic Mesh, a hands-free screen door you install in minutes! I bought lots of 3M Command stick-up hooks to chorale unsightly wires, and self-stick felt pads to finally resolve the problem of my wobbly kitchen stools.

            We did a quick check of the Plumbing department and suddenly realized how sexy I could make my bathroom and outdoor showers with a lovely rainfall spray shower head. And btw, when did you last replace your garbage cans? All of the above was just a lead-in to my fave department – Housewares! Nothing lets your guests know you value comfort and style like a beautifully outfitted bed and bath. Yellow and blue butterflies are the latest Schumacher design from Matouk sheets. Just a thought: Nothing beats luxurious bedding as the ultimate Mother’s Day gift. Add the softest hydrangea blue blanket for a guest bedroom with Nantucket style written all over it. Tip: shelf-lining paper and  Dash & Albert rugs have been relocated to this area with bathroom accessories- so sensible.

Throughout my shopping expedition, I found that the relocation of many items makes it much easier to find practical as well as aesthetic needs for putting a look together. Suddenly a box with a picture of a mattress and the words “Dura-Beam Deluxe elevated premium comfort air mattress” caught my eye.  Super easy to inflate. Absolutely worth having for the unexpected guest whose ferry will inevitably be cancelled, or the overflow of family on a holiday weekend. Elevate an air mattress with all the comforts derived from good sheets, pillows and comforter, and don’t forget the mattress pad. 

            I was looking for a weatherproof door mat and found one that’s washable, resistant to saltwater and quick drying. However practical, my aesthetic sense drew me to a fish shaped mat outlined in blue by Librett. It’s as durable as the other, and while not as large, I liked the fish best. What can I say? Good design always wins my vote.