Collection by Jessica Dailey
Native flora features heavily in the design, like the modern interpretations of 19th-century botanical drawings found in the guest rooms. The artwork on the far right is made with poetry from a colonial-era journal that the in-house design team found at the local public library.
The showers are clad in ceramic tiles painted to celebrate native plants and flowers.
Life House’s design team oversaw every detail of the project. It's helmed by Jenny Bukovec, previously of Rockwell Group, and includes Lei Xing as senior designer and Tacho Elizondo as product designer.
The aesthetic is meant to evoke a "nonchalant innkeeper." Gallery walls include framed vintage Gucci scarves and custom works by the design team, including graphite sketches, surrealist collages, and watercolor paintings.
Much of the furniture in the public spaces is vintage, sourced from local shops and collectors.
A built-in banquette clad in House of Hackney's Meh Mey print in a velvet blush wraps around the communal kitchen, which is currently closed to guests due to COVID-19.
The smaller garden is adjacent to the Innkeeper's Suite, which is Zeidan's favorite room. "I like to stay there because it feels like I have this private terrace," he says.
A bespoke golden runner with a tiger illustration drawn by a member of the design team welcomes guests in the entry. The pendant is jade Morano glass with gold fringe.
Life House's COVID-19 precautions include allowing guests to opt-out of housekeeping and twice-daily cleanings of the public spaces.
Throughout the hotel, moldings are painted to celebrate the building's original architectural details.
In its previous life, the courtyard was "an afterthought," sparsely outfitted with plastic furniture. "For us, it was an opportunity to do something special," says Rami Zeidan, CEO and founder of Life House.
The 1830s mansion that is now Life House Nantucket was originally built by whaler Captain Robert Calder and opened as an inn in 1870.