Interior Design

Nantucket Looms: A Legacy of Style

With its revered past, Nantucket Looms globally recognized distinctive interiors style—bespoke handwoven textiles, artisanal furnishings, and local art that exudes the island’s heritage—is coveted by today’s tastemakers.

In the early 1960s a reawakening was happening on Nantucket. Into this world stepped Andy Oates and Bill Euler, one skilled in fine arts and the other in the art of hospitality. In 1968 they opened Nantucket Looms, which specialized in needlepoint, crewelwork, handwoven fabrics, and local artwork, forging their Nantucket style aesthetic. This modest homespun charm held great appeal to such style makers as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Bunny Mellon, and interior designer Billy Baldwin.

Nantucket Looms launched an interior design studio in 1998 to much acclaim. The featured recent homes have a sophisticated, comfortable ambience that exemplifies the company’s style—wooden planked floors; natural fiber rugs; muted color palettes in shades of blues, grays, greens, and whites; timeless furniture; and handwoven textiles. Each is adorned with local artwork and crafts inspired by the island's rich maritime history. This fresh approach to design can be applied everywhere; it is a style embraced in the work of many leading interior designers.

About The Author

Founded in 1968, Nantucket Looms is a production weaving studio, home furnishings shop, and interior design studio that has received considerable press. The weaving studio collaborates with designers including Michael S. Smith, Peter Marino, Meg Braff, and David Netto. Linda Jane Holden is a lifestyle writer and author of The Gardens of Bunny Mellon, among other titles. Mitchell Owens is a lifestyle journalist, who is the editor-in-chief of The Magazine Antiques.

  • Publish Date: March 25, 2025
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: House & Home - Decorating & Furnishings
  • Publisher: Rizzoli
  • Trim Size: 8-1/4 x 10
  • Pages: 240
  • US Price: $57.50
  • CDN Price: $75.00
  • ISBN: 978-0-8478-4658-0

Reviews

"For more than 50 years, Nantucket Looms has been creating bespoke textiles and designing homes that embody the island's unique heritage and style. In the studio's first-ever book, readers discover how to seamlessly blend historic local artwork and crafts with fresh color palettes and timeless furnishings through exclusive house tours." — VERANDA

"If you’re exploring Nantucket’s Old North Wharf, it’s hard to miss one of the island’s most charming cottages. A white picket fence lined with hydrangea hugs the sizable lawn that leads up to the tiny home’s powder blue Dutch door. The whole scene screams good summertime vibes, and that’s before you even catch a glimpse of the harbor a few yards away. But what you won’t get if you’re just perusing the town is a look inside the one-room abode—until now. Nantucket Looms, the retail store and design studio known for its handwoven textiles and breezy east coast style, just debuted its first book and this teeny cottage’s interior made its pages. In this excerpt from Nantucket Looms: A Legacy of Style, we get a tour around." — DOMINO

"Some stores are grab-and-go spots. Others, however, are inspiration hubs, transfixing all comers with their curated goods and sparking a full-on design movement. Nantucket Looms is one of those transformative spots. Set on the iconic island off the coast of Massachusetts, the weaving studio founded by Bill Euler and Andrew Oates in 1968 quickly evolved into a bustling boutique (Jackie Kennedy Onassis could be found rummaging its shelves) and launchpad for artisans making the island’s famous heirloom blankets, baskets, and rugs." — HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

"For more than six decades, Nantucket Looms has woven the spirit of the island into every fiber of its textiles, capturing the essence of craftsmanship, heritage, and design with an effortless grace that feels both timeless and deeply personal. Founded in the 1960s, this beloved institution has not only survived the tides of fleeting trends but has anchored itself as a true steward of Nantucket’s artistic and maritime legacy. At the heart of it all is Bess Clarke, president of Nantucket Looms, whose passion for handwoven textiles and artisanal integrity continues to shape the brand’s enduring influence. Now, with the release of Nantucket Looms: A Legacy of Style, the story of this iconic workshop and design house is being beautifully documented, offering a glimpse into homes that embody a philosophy of intentional living—where every textile, antique, and handcrafted detail tells a story. In this exclusive conversation, Bess shares the art of balancing tradition with modern sensibility, the growing appreciation for heirloom-quality craftsmanship, and why the home should be a reflection of personal history rather than passing trends. She also reveals the meticulous process behind each handwoven piece—where a single weaver shepherds every textile from inception to completion—ensuring that Nantucket Looms’ legacy is not just preserved but lived, one thread at a time." — THE HOUSE MAGAZINE

Author Bookshelf: Mitchell Owens