Summer Entertaining

Summer entertaining on the island has almost nothing to do with the food. It has to do with the light, and the length of the table, and whether there are enough chairs — mismatched is fine, borrowed is better — for the friends who always come uninvited. It has to do with a linen tablecloth that has been washed a hundred times, and a pitcher of something cold, and a pair of hurricane lanterns you'll light around eight-thirty when the sun finally gives in.

The pieces in this collection are chosen for that kind of table. A hand-painted cake stand that lives on the counter year-round because it's too pretty to put away. A pair of striped napkins folded twice and slid under a jute ring. A footed ice bucket, a scalloped platter, a wedding basket for the bread. Serveware that is beautiful enough to leave out and sturdy enough to survive a summer of it.

None of it needs to match. In fact it shouldn't. The best Nantucket tables are the ones that look as if they were set from three different cupboards over three generations — a little chipped, a little chinoiserie, a little bit French, a little bit lightship. Set it once, take a picture, and then don't overthink the next hundred suppers. The table already knows what to do.