Lilly Pulitzer Debuts Two Charming Cottages at the Nantucket Hotel
The "barefoot luxury" suites designed by Michael Kramer in collaboration with Lee Jofa and Benjamin Moore exude the fashion brand's happy, island ethos
When one thinks of tropical island vibes, often the whimsical, vibrant prints of Lilly Pulitzer come to mind. As such, it only makes sense that the eponymous fashion brand decided to partner with the Little Gem Resorts’ boutique locations on the islands of Martha’s Vineyard, St. John US Virgin Islands, and Nantucket for its 65th anniversary, with the latter being the most recent to be unveiled during Nantucket by Design. The Nantucket Hotel & Resort tapped their Creative Director and New York based interior designer Michael Kramer of Michael Thomas & Co. to design two cottages on the east side of its beautiful property conveniently located near the island’s historic downtown.
“We were thrilled to partner with Michael and blend his modern coastal design aesthetic with the unexpected whimsy of the Lilly Pulitzer brand,” says Lilly Pulitzer Senior Director of Creative and Brand Development, Heather Van der Mije. “Michael created a ‘wild’ and ‘mild’ Lilly cottage experience that fit the overall vision for the Nantucket Hotel, and we couldn’t be more excited about how it came together.”
The collaboration tells the quintessential story of translating fashion for the home, and Kramer was fortunate to have an array of fabric, trim, and wall covering options from Lilly Pulitzer’s latest collection for Lee Jofa to start with. The poppy, coastal prints, which launched in the spring, dictated the color palette which Kramer masterfully mixed with painted walls, ceiling, and trim drenched in Benjamin Moore’s opulent colors. The bright scheme was a departure for Kramer, a native New Yorker who typically opts for a more subtle design approach.
“I tend to favor muted tones, rich textures, and quiet, barefoot luxury, so this collaboration really pushed me creatively,” Kramer explains. “The challenge was to honor Lilly’s iconic color and pattern while still bringing in structure, restraint, and a sense of calm. I treated the prints almost like artwork, letting them shine in key moments, while grounding the rest of the space in clean lines, saturated colors and curated layers. I picked two patterns and went bold with them doing the wall coverings, lamp shades, drapery, and blankets in one, and the headboard and throw pillows in another. It was just enough to be maximal and also quite simple at the same time. It was a lot of fun—and yes, barefoot luxury came through in the end as I have learned Lilly never wore shoes.”
For the first two-bedroom suite cottage, Kramer chose a soothing blue combination of She’s Got Sol in indigo paired with Costa Verde wallpaper in blue for the first chamber while featuring Island Exotic in blue with a pop of Kelly green on the headboard against the same graphic Costa Verde wallpaper print in a different, sand colorway for the other. Inspired by beach accessories, Kramer tied it all together by painting the connecting living space in a sandy brown called “Straw Hat” by Benjamin Moore. The main room also features a custom hand-shelled fireplace by Lilly Pulitzer with pops of She’s Got Sol in Calypso on the window treatments, throw pillows, and furniture that match a hand-painted mural by Lilly Design studio artists in the eating space/kitchen mimicking the fabric’s motif. While this mural was a custom design, Lee Jofa’s Executive Vice President Creative Director, Stephen Elrod, shares that murals are a signature part of the recently launched collection.
“Each of the collections have been inspired by the current fashion collections and the original artwork created by the Lilly Pulitzer design studio. This collection was unique in that it was the first time we’d worked with the Lilly studio to create mural wallpapers to add to the assortment,” Elrod enumerates.
For the second one-bedroom cottage, Kramer again decided to anchor the bedroom with the Costa Verde wallpaper but this time in green adding in pops of the floral, She’s Got Sol textile on the pillows and custom Pooky Lighting sconce shades. He painted the walls and ceiling of the main living area including the kitchen cabinets in a “Bird’s Egg Blue” by Benjamin Moore continuing the color to the bedroom for the trim and ceiling. Here, again, a custom mural hand-painted by Lilly Pulitzer studio artists and inspired by the Island Exotic wallpaper greets guests as they enter.
“This marks the first time the Lee Jofa x Lilly Pulitzer collection has been used in a hospitality project, and Nantucket proved to be the perfect setting,” Elrod explains. We loved the opportunity to showcase the bold side of the collection in such an immersive, experiential way—often for a residential space, a designer might lean more understated. The beauty of the collection is that it can truly be wild or mild, depending on how it’s used.”
“We wanted the cottages to feel like a true garden escape—bold enough to make you say wow when you walk in, but also calm and layered enough to help you exhale. The idea was to create a space that was joyful and energizing, but still comfortable for you to unwind after exploring Nantucket,” Kramer adds.
For both cottages, Kramer leaned into Lilly’s history with the island including artwork featuring pictures of Lilly herself as well as fine art pieces from the Lilly Pulitzer x Nick Mele collection. In addition to the Lee Jofa collection, the fashion brand’s home collection is used throughout the spaces, and custom Lilly Pulitzer bath towels and bed linens complete the fully immersive experience. After their debut during Nantucket Design Week in July, the cottages are available for bookings now at the year-round resort.
“Nantucket feels like stepping into another world,” Kramer concludes. “It’s as if a Charles Dickens storybook came to life—with cobblestone streets, perfectly weathered shingles, and a kind of cinematic charm you don’t find many places. But what really makes it special is the people. There’s such warmth and character here, and the island has this rare ability to make you slow down and just enjoy being present while feeling like you were transported to the past. It feels like a little bit of magic. Lilly carries that same timeless charm.”