By Leslie Linsley

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

April 2024

April is finally here, and with it an opportunity to make small tweaks for spring and to uncover new use of spaces. Assess what can be refreshed, even reconsidered, and replaced. A pretty teapot or Mason jar brimming with Daffodils, brings an out-of-the-way space to life and is too intoxicating to ignore.  While familiarity seduces us to return to the traditions we love most, there are new products on the market that help do them better. If you’re just arriving to open your vacation home, get rid of the closed-up musty feeling of winter in closets and drawers with the new shea butter soaps from Michel Design Works. The scent of Wild Hydrangea Blossoms will remind you that summer’s on the way. Big bonus: The packaging is gift-worthy gorgeous!

Don’t underestimate the power of scents when suggesting a mood. Who isn’t craving a room that exudes springtime fresh or the promise of summer? Also check out the sophisticated line of candles, reed diffusers and room sprays, from Apotheke in Housewares. The Sea Salt Grapefruit scent is “just right subtle,” to give your home an amazing infusion of a breeze of salty air. 

The natural beauty of the island influences Nantucketers’ innate ability to entertain with a style that is elusive, unfussy, relaxed, welcoming and ultra-comfortable. If you plan well, sharing your home with friends and family will be effortless.  Daffodil Weekend means lots of parties. Whether it’s a tailgate or an at-home brunch, make the occasion a true celebration with the right  “props”.  The colorful Scout Bags to hold your picnic accessories are on sale while they last. Consider buying more than one for summer beaching. 

Check out the redesigned Garden Department to get a jump on your summer needs, beginning with your outdoor grill and utensils. FYI, the purchase of a gas grill come fully assembled with free delivery. Replace garden tools like trowels and clippers and a new pair of garden gloves, a must! Don’t forget bird feeders and seeds. 

The newly imagined departments are now fully stocked with a boatload of new products, carefully curated to enhance decorating and entertaining unique to the island. For example, Sferra’s new line of tablecloths, placemats, and napkins in an array of gorgeous colors, come in different sizes and dimensions. Yes, the same company that makes those luxurious bed linens, so you know we’re talking quality. 

Home is where time matters most. Reorganize your kitchen space with new utensils that are as good looking as they are useful. And if these things are within easy reach, the prep work won’t seem like work. The right pans, knives, and cutting boards, for example, are the tools we find ourselves reaching for day after day, and therefore, regard them to be worth investing in. Just a handful of high-quality pieces will keep your inventory lean, purposeful, and long-lasting and will be an incentive to declutter. Housewares buyer, Lili Goldberg is positively over the moon about the new line of top-notch performance cookware from Staub and can’t wait for your reaction. 

At the end of the day, who doesn’t crave a sumptuous bedroom? It doesn’t get much better than Signoria Firenze bedding made in the hills of Tuscany. This line of sheets and towels is positively seductive and just might rival the quality of Matouk. Woven from the world’s finest cotton, then dyed and finished with Italian innovative techniques, these Tuscan-made products exude an air of elegance and uncompromising quality. Spoiler Alert! Your houseguests may never leave.