By Leslie Linsley

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

September 2025

A saying becomes a cliché when it’s been repeated so many times it’s lost its originality. But some cliches prove their worth and deliver what they promise, no matter how many times you say, or hear them. September may not be a secret, but it really is the best month to be on Nantucket. 

Nantucket has everything money can’t buy. It’s that intangible feeling you get as the ferry rounds Brant Point and you’re on your way home after being away. It’s access to miles of open conservation land and free beaches in every direction. It’s being surrounded by connection. Our history is rich and our community enriching. When you’re here you have a sense of belonging. Where else do people boast about how long they’ve been coming to a place?  And if you own a home on Nantucket, you want to keep it in good working order and make it function as best it can so you can relax and enjoy the privilege of being here. 

Fall offers a new beginning. Assess small repairs that can be done now and what needs ordering so you aren’t disappointed in the spring. Check out new products for upgrading the look and maintenance in window treatments, floor coverings, windows and doors, lighting and more. Improvements to consider: Enlarge your deck, create a bookcase wall, add a window seat or a bench with cubbies and hooks in your mudroom. Before the memory of summer fades, rethink areas you use most, finding ways to make your home function better for next season. Buy one new piece of furniture to make a statement in your living room or bedroom. Protect your outdoor furniture and replace what’s needed so you’re on top of things next season.

Taking Stock & Stocking Up

If you’ll be on island for the holidays, think ahead for a well-stocked kitchen, from cutting board to candles, napkins to tablecloths. Stay equipped with the right pans, knives and essentials for setting a celebratory table. Just a handful of the “right” tools will keep your inventory purposeful, streamlined and long lasting. Reminder: measuring cups, spoons, mixing bowls, and baking pans for cookie making with the kids. 

Refresh a room with a new paint color. This fall Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball introduce shades of green inspired by nature.  A good accent color for a living room wall is Saybrook Sage from Benjamin Moore. The influence is taken from dune grasses, and provides a subtle, sophisticated and refreshingly contemporary look. This color also provides a rich background for wood furniture in a dining room. Farrow & Ball’s Dibber 312 is a muddy green named after the hole-making tool for planting seeds. An interesting color for a library or a kitchen with a farmhouse vibe.

It's a Win Win Project!

Does your home respond to your needs as it once did? What small changes are possible?

1.     Add a cottagy feel to a plain room with beadboard or wainscoting. This nod to Nantucket’s boatbuilding past feels both historic and current. Paint the boards bright white or a coastal shade like Benjamin Moore’s Icy Blue.

2.     Extend the life of your deck with a coat of paint. Whale Gray from Benjamin Moore is a soft, neutral gray that pairs well with our weathered shingles. 

3.     An alternative is Benjamin Moore’s Woodluxe, a line of oil- and water-based exterior stains to protect your deck, fence, outdoor furniture, and any exterior wood surfaces. 

4.     In Key West, where I go in the winter, the ceilings of porches are painted pale blue. This is thought to trick bees and insects into thinking the ceiling is the sky, driving them away from porch sitters.  The idea has made its way north and Benjamin Moore’s Clear Skies is the perfect color for this. Create a sitting area with a built-in bench, a colorful cushion\and pillows, and a hanging plant.

5.     Make a kitchen look larger, lighter and more contemporary by replacing upper cabinets with open shelves. Style them with white dishes and baskets. I have large blue and yellow banded mixing bowls along my top shelf.

6.     No island home should be without an outdoor shower. Build it now for a summer game changer. I just added a second one!

7.     Add island charm all “Sconset cottages have with a trellis or garden arbor. Plant roses in the spring to grow up the side of your house or over the arbor.