Building Business: The Cottages at White Elephant

Capturing the colors of Nantucket, designer Donna Elle creates accommodations travelers will never want to leave. Photo by Jeffery Allen

Designer Donna Elle is called upon to cultivate a group of cottages at Nantucket’s famed White Elephant that instantly say ‘Seaside Summer.’

Photographs and artistic renditions of Nantucket are often resplendent with images of picket fences and gardens galore, but nothing will truly match actually being there. The island is known for catering perfectly to all those who touch its shores, offering fun and enchantment to willing adventurers or a bit of salvation to others through its familiar and idyllic setting. As most would imagine, these characteristics and sentiments can be rightly found throughout the various properties on Nantucket, including a favorite retreat, The Cottages at White Elephant. The recent redesign of these cottages by award-winning island designer Donna Elle has infused new life and direction into the overall décor, captivating guests upon arrival and embracing them throughout their stay.    

Located on scenic Nantucket Harbor, The Cottages boast unique architectural features and embody the sophisticated style of the island. It is the very nature of these elements that Donna Elle leveraged in renovating this historic property. “Each cottage is named after a flower that thrives on the island, like honeysuckle and hydrangea. This drives the sense of being there,” Elle explains. “It was this symbolic representation that made my design mission so clear: embrace this essence within the redesign and provide the full experience of being on Nantucket.” The transformation was spot-on accurate.