Seven Serena & Lily Favorites for a Spring Refresh

I can’t believe that spring is almost here! Spring always makes me want to freshen things up around the house, and I always turn to Serena & Lily. Their breezy style aligns with the look I have in my home and all of their products are high quality. It is also a dream come true to sell my artwork in their stores!

I have so many favorites from Serena & Lily, but here are my top seven:

  1. I love these pillow covers because they’re linen and suede, and how easily you can pair these with other throw pillows because of how simple they are. 

  2. This dog bed is so cute! I love how it looks and so does our pup. Ha! Oh and the best part about it is that it's super easy to maintain and clean. 

  3. No living room is complete without a great piece of art! Serena is hanging in my home. It comes in multiple sizes so you can find one that best fits your living room. It even comes as a shelfie, if that suits your home better! (A shelfie makes an amazing gift too!)

  4. I think wallpaper changes the vibe of a room and adds so much character. I am obsessed with this island palm wallpaper in particular. It’s simple, yet striking and doesn’t overpower the room. It would be super cute in a powder room or bedroom too.

  5. I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a throw blanket. We have way more than we actually need. This throw blanket is perfect for the spring because it’s light and airy. It would look great in any home.

  6. One of my favorite parts about Nantucket is seeing all the fun beach cars people drive. This book showcases “Beach Rides” in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. I recently got my dream beach ride, so naturally I had to get this book for my home. It’s the perfect coffee table book for your living room. 

  7. I’m obsessed with candles! This candle is one of my favorites. The scent reminds me of the ocean air on a warm summer night and there’s truly nothing better than that. 

There is currently a spring sale going on! It ends on March 28th. Use code SPRING for 20% off.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

“Put in a fiberglass pool” they said. “It will be easy”.

 

I’ll start by saying we absolutely love our pool and I am so happy that we did it – but boy, was it a process. Our pool came over on a barge and was lifted over our house with a crane!

 

In March of 2021 we ordered our fiberglass pool with the hope that we would be swimming by that summer. As everyone who tried to do anything during covid knows, “best laid plans” and all.

 

Fast forward a year (and a month, but who is counting?)

 

The pool arrived on island and was sitting in our yard on April 1, 2022. I kind of thought they just dug a hole, buried the pool, added some water and voila. But alas, no – you literally need every single subcontractor on the island. Ok slight exaggeration, but that’s what it felt like.

 

You need a surveyor, an electrician, someone to move a lot of dirt, a plumber or a representative from the gas company, a stone mason, irrigation, and a landscaper. Oh, and on Nantucket you need an architect or landscape architect to get you through the HDC process (even if your pool can’t be seen from the street or the neighbors’ homes).

 

We are really lucky that we were able to assemble a fantastic team to help Future Pools get.it.done. A major shout out to Kevin Dineen of Nantucket Electrical Contractors; Neil Paterson and Scotty McIver at Neil Paterson Inc. – best stone selection around; Seth Lynn who did all of the gorgeous stonework and probably never wants to hear about pool brackets ever again; Paul Santos for making sure we “colored within the lines” of our property; Julius Pasys for helping us plan where everything should go in the backyard, so that if we wanted to do future work we could; Steve Hollister and Tom Olcott for getting us through the HDC; Yates Island Gas for making sure we had heat to the pool; Greg Raith for all of his help moving so.much.dirt; Waterworks for redoing the irrigation it felt like we had just put in (and had to chop to pieces during the install); Nantucket Lightshop for help with the exterior lighting plan; Surfside Hydrangea for having the most beautiful plant and tree selection; and Narval Marks for making our landscaping dreams come true.  

 

I also have to share this picture of Neil hand digging trenches. MVP.

 

The amazing part is that by July 1st we were swimming. Everything was planted and we had grass. Even though we had to wait 13 months for the pool to arrive (did I mention the fiberglass shortage Leisure Pools told us about after the fact?), the install only took exactly three months.

 

It went from this on April 1st….

 

To this on July 1st

 

Some commonly asked questions & answers:

 

* our pool color was graphite grey.

* pool float is by Oliver James but Frontgate as a great option as well.

* favorite beach towels are from Serena & Lily and Kassatax.

* for our coping and patio we used a granite called blue mist instead of bluestone because it is more durable in New England weather, heats up a bit less than bluestone (although it still gets hot!) and the color looked great with the pool.

* our outdoor furniture is Kingsley Bates from Arrowhead on island, and the outdoor sofas are from Restoration Hardware.

* our landscape lighting is from Nantucket Lightshop.

* the pool was made by Leisure Pools, installed by Future Pools (and the village that is Nantucket).

 

What else would you like to know?!

 

What to pack for Nantucket? All of your Tuckernuck favorites, of course.

Did you know Tuckernuck got their name from a tiny island off of Nantucket called Tuckernuck? Tuckernuck is one of my favorite online shopping destinations for outfits, accessories and home decor. They truly have it all! 

When they started carrying my shelfies™, I couldn’t have been more excited! Their classic yet modern style aligns exactly with what I look for when it comes to shopping for clothes and home decor, so it was a dream come true getting to collaborate with them!  

Now for the fun part - I’ve decided to come up with a list of my 10 favorite items from Tuckernuck. It definitely was not easy choosing only 10 pieces, but I thought it would be best to start here and share with you 10 must-haves. 

  1. My favorite thing to shop for on Tuckernuck is dresses! I am a sucker for a midi dress and Tuckernuck has so many to offer and at various price points! I love this dress because you can easily dress it up or down depending on the occasion. You can pair it with heels to dress it up for a special occasion or pair it flats for a more casual night. The weather on Nantucket can get chilly, even at nights in the summer, so I love that this dress can be easily worn with a white jean jacket on a cool summer night. One last thing - this is Tuckernuck’s brand so it can only be found on Tuckernuck!

  2. Because the weather on Nantucket can be cool even in the summer, I always love having transitional sweaters that can be worn in different seasons. This sweater is definitely a go to piece for me. I love that it is lightweight and comes in both pink and white. I find that it’s super easy to style. You can wear it simply on its own with blue jeans or layer it with a button-down shirt. Another reason why I love this sweater is the price tag. It’s so hard to find affordable, yet high quality sweaters, but this sweater is both.  

  3. If you’ve ever visited Nantucket, you know that a pair of white jeans is a must! I’m obsessed with these jeans specifically. They’re high waisted and hit right at the ankle so they’re super flattering. They’re also so easy to style. You can wear almost any top with them and boom you’re ready to go! 

  4. Of course, if you’re coming to Nantucket during the summer you need a beach bag bag. I love an item that is versatile and that’s exactly what this bag is! You can bring it to the beach, to town or to dinner and it will fit the occasion. It fits everything you need and is of amazing quality. 

  5. Whenever I leave the island, I always love to take a piece of it with me. This necklace is the perfect way to do so. Nantucket is not only my home currently, but I grew up spending summers here, so it has a very special place in my heart. I love that this necklace is double sided and can be worn easily with any outfit. You can even layer it with another necklace! 

  6. I’m obsessed with this dress and cannot wait to wear it this summer! This dress screams Nantucket to me with the vibrant florals. It also has pockets which are always a plus. You can pair this dress with the Nantucket pendant mentioned above, as well as a pair of flats or heels to dress it up or down depending on the occasion and you’ll be ready to go for a summer night. 

  7. Speaking of flats, these are one of my favorite pairs of shoes for the summer. They’re a best seller on Tuckernuck for a reason. They come in both cognac and white. They’re super easy to slip on and pair with a sundress or jeans. I find myself wearing these multiple times a week in the summer because they look and feel great. 

  8. There’s something about a striped sweater on a cool summer night in Nantucket that just makes sense. This sweater is a transition piece and is playful, yet classic.  You can pair this sweater with white jeans, gold jewelry and you’re ready for a casual summer night. 

  9. Whenever I go to take photos on the beach, I love to be comfortable. So, if you’re like me, you love athleisure. These leggings are super cute and the gray and lilac combination is perfect for the spring and summer. You can wear these for a run on Milestone or just walking around town, either way you’ll look and feel great in them!

  10. Last but not least, my shelfie is a must for your home! It fits perfectly in any room, and you will always have a piece of Nantucket with you, even if you’re off island. Tuckernuck is featuring four of my shelfies so you can even get two or three for your home and place them together. They’re a great gift to give as well as they’re small enough that they can fit in any home! 

Like I said, it was so hard to narrow my choices down to only 10 of my favorites from Tuckernuck. There are so many more pieces that I love from Tuckernuck. Maybe I’ll do another blog post in the future, but for now I will leave you with these!

WHAT'S NEXT FOR OUR HOUSE? PART ONE.

“WHAT’S NEXT FOR OUR HOUSE?” AND OTHER THINGS A SPOUSE DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR AFTER RECENTLY COMPLETING A RENOVATION.

Turns out, I am a project junkie. Which would be cool if I was handy, but I am not. 

As you know from reading about our renovation, I had an absolute blast throughout the process. I would do it again in a heartbeat if the right opportunity came up. Selecting the flooring and windows, deciding on the width of the v-groove – and yes, even choosing white paint. Give me all of the decisions.

 So now that the house is “finished”, my attention has turned to our outdoor living spaces (maybe because we’ve been inside for 8 weeks and counting?!)

(Note: Neil did not like the quotes around “finished”).

We have an existing brick patio, and I am strongly considering whitewashing the brick. I think a more muted, neutral brick color will blend in with the landscaping, which consists of a lot of greens, purples, whites and light pinks, pea stone gravel, and blue stone steps. And the whitewashed brick would contrast well with the grey and black exterior of our house.

AllModern first popped on my radar when one of my younger sisters was furnishing her first apartment, and a couple of hours down a rabbit hole later, I had completely planned a new look for our patio and backyard.

OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE REFRESH

LAUREN MARTTILA x ALLMODERN

I’m not sure about you, but I am ready to see friends and family again, so I really want to create a space that would allow for that. 

I immediately fell in love with this outdoor sofa, chair and table set. I was drawn to the texture, and the aesthetics jived with the interior of our home. I want the outdoor living space to feel like an extension of our interior, so I added in some outdoor throw pillows as well – you can never have too many pillows.

(I also like to bring the outside in, which I did with “Grey Lady”).

If you have the space, chaise lounges are a must for outdoor reading (and naps). Bonus: these come with cushions. I’d add these planters and fill them with flowers to compliment the planted beds around the house.

Next up is a large dining table. Neil loves to cook, I love to eat – and I am really looking forward to being able to have friends and family around the table this summer. 

As a perfect way to close out the night, I envision sitting in this chair set around a cozy firepit. 

Oh, and did I mention I want to add a pool?! (See what I did there? Whitewashing brick and new outdoor furniture doesn’t sound so over-the-top now).

If you’re looking for more ideas and inspiration for outdoor living, here are a few blog posts from AllModern to get you started: Small Patio Ideas for a Year-Round Vacay | 11 Modern Backyard Ideas | 9 Small Balcony Ideas to Spice Up Your Summer.