NANTUCKET PHOTO DIARY

I wanted to share a few more photos from last week on Nantucket before we head back this weekend. I’ve loved hearing from a bunch of you who are using my Nantucket guide to plan your upcoming trips to the island and you’ll see several of my recommendations (plus one new-to-me spot) in this little photo diary! I’m also going to work on blog posts about my favorite beaches and my favorite cocktails on Nantucket per two of your suggestions on this post so stay tuned for those in the next few weeks!

brant point nantucket

My favorite view in the world is from the ferry heading to Nantucket as it rounds Brant Point lighthouse. There are often beachgoers and fishermen waving from the beach and it’s such a warm welcome to the island!

met on main nantucket

We always have brunch at Met on Main at least once per visit. Will loves to tell a story from when we lived in Dallas where I woke up one weekend morning and said, “Where was that place we had the amazing biscuits?” and then him reminding me it was not in Dallas but rather on Nantucket a solid 1,800 miles away. So basically I dream about them year-round and you can’t go to the island and not try them. I noticed they’ve been taken off the breakfast menu this year but don’t you worry — I asked our waitress if they were still available and she brought out an order on the spot. ??

ralph lauren home homeport novelty marine wallpaper at met on main nantucket

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t particularly drawn to Met on Main for the blue and white decor. The back patio is my favorite if the weather cooperates and I always tell my friends they can’t leave without seeing the wallpaper in the bathroom. One of you messaged me the wallpaper name on Instagram (you guys just get me) and it’s Ralph Lauren Home’s Homeport Novelty Marine wallpaper. I’ve only been able to find it on websites that ship within the U.K. but if you ever find it in the U.S., let a girl know because I want to cover my entire life in it.

sconset bridge nantucket

My favorite thing to do is grab an iced coffee from ‘Sconset Market and stroll across the bridge to the Summer House where we had our wedding reception. Now I can’t see the bridge without thinking of all 130 of our guests parading across it on our wedding day and it makes me so happy!

sconset bluff walk nantucket

If you’ve read my Nantucket guide you know I’m a big fan of the ‘Sconset bluff walk through the backyards of oceanfront homes on Baxter Road. I can’t think of a more beautiful view, especially this particular morning when it felt like we had the path to ourselves.

american flag on sconset bluff walk nantucket

This picture-perfect set-up is in the backyard of the house my great-great-grandfather built in 1889. Sadly the house is no longer in our family but you can read the story here if you’re interested!

sankaty lighthouse nantucket

My favorite lighthouse on the island is Sankaty (where my parents took their wedding photos in 1986 and where we took ours last September!). We have a longstanding family tradition of trying to be the first to yell “I see Sankaty!” from the Milestone Road as well as making a lap around the lighthouse when we arrive. Will spotted it first this time, a sure sign that a) he’s slowly but surely becoming a New Englander and b) I need to step up my game on our next trip.

design darling nantucket lightship basket

While we’re on the subject of Nantucket favorites, I’d like to go on the record and say this is my personal brand in a single photo. Beloved lightship basket in one hand, beloved cookie dough from Juice Bar in the other. I seriously eat like a toddler when I’m on Nantucket but when you dream about something nine months out of the year, you’ve gotta really live it up for those three months you can have it, you know?

climbing roses nantucket

I literally made Will pull over the car when we drove past this cottage covered in the prettiest pink climbing roses. These were some of the first flowers in bloom during our trip in mid-June so I can’t wait to see the island in full bloom in July and August.

polo ralph lauren knit cotton oxford shirt

I’ve been borderline psycho about sun protection since my Fraxel treatment last month and don’t go anywhere without a straw hat (or baseball cap), oversized sunnies, and my current favorite SPF.

turquoise fiat jolly on nantucket

We spotted the cutest little turquoise Fiat Jolly in town which I immediately added to my life goals bucket list. Can you even?!

polo ralph lauren knit oxford shirt on design darling

I’m a chronic outfit repeater in real life but I feel like I sometimes shoot my newest acquisitions for the blog vs. showcasing the items I wear constantly in my day-to-day life. I wear one of these knit oxford shirts at least once a week (I have it in all three colors as well as a striped version #oops) over jeans, tucked into high-waisted shorts, or knotted. You’ve also seen these scalloped shorts in this post and these navy espadrilles in basically every outfit from our trip to France earlier this month.

pink climbing roses nantucket

I can’t wait until we own a house and I can dabble in a little gardening. My parents are both obsessed (we had the most incredible peony garden growing up!) so maybe I inherited one of their green thumbs and just haven’t discovered it yet? A girl can dream…

ralph lauren knit cotton oxford shirt

Very representative of my Nantucket packing list.

peter beaton car nantucket

I love spotting the Peter Beaton car around town and think this might be the summer I splurge on one of their hats for myself. My Grandy has worn their ‘Sconset hat at least as long as I’ve been alive and I think it’d be fun to have her help me find my own signature style. I can’t wait for her to get to the island in July!

brant point american flag

Nothing tops the Fourth of July on Nantucket (besides maybe our wedding? ?). I love seeing the American flag at Brant Point and little flags tucked into window boxes all over town and ‘Sconset.

nautilus nantucket ack nauti and blackout barbie

This trip we finally got to try a spot that’s been on my list forever and isn’t even on my Nantucket guide yet (a bonus to those of you who have made it this far!). Nautilus only takes same-day reservations so I never bother to check in during the busy summer months when we’re usually with a group of family or friends but we happened to be passing by just the two of us and they happened to have an empty table for two. We went back two nights later for drinks with a friend because the cocktails are just that good. Will ordered the ACK Nauti and I had the Blackout Barbie… we felt ridiculous saying the names out loud but they were so delish and made with fresh Bartlett’s strawberries picked that morning. And we sat next to the interior designer Mary McDonald whom I’ve had a teensy bit of a girl crush on since the show Million Dollar Decorators so I tried to keep it cool but basically spent our entire meal stealing glances in her direction because she is so fabulous and has the most beautiful skin and okay I wasn’t the least bit cool about it.

design darling outdoor shower

I will take an outdoor shower on Nantucket in any weather at any time of the day or night. I honestly love coming home to an outdoor shower more than I love the beach itself.

old north wharf nantucket

A last glimpse of Old North Wharf as we boarded the ferry home. I can’t wait to be back with lots of family and friends all next week!

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