On the heels of the Nantucket by Design festival, The Vale London and Clarence House hosted The Summer Picnic in partnership with Elizabeth Markel of Markel Interior Design, welcoming around 95 members of the design community to a festive afternoon at her beautiful home on the island. 

The event was designed as a playful way to experience the brands’ collections firsthand: The Vale London’s new trim line whimsically decorated the candy station, and fabrics from both brands were thoughtfully featured throughout the grounds. Upon arrival, guests picked up picnic baskets lined in The Vale London and Clarence House fabrics, then set off to explore several charmingly styled food and beverage stations. After filling their baskets, they settled onto picnic blankets and poufs upholstered in the brands’ latest outdoor textiles to enjoy their sandwiches and treats, including snacks and cocktails from local sponsors Nantucket Crisps and Nantucket Red. In between bites, they played a spot of croquet on the lawn and perused a special pop-up from nearby boutique Current Vintage.

Notable attendees included Benjamin Deaton of Benjamin Deaton Interiors; Tori Mellott of Tuckernuck; designer Michael Mitchell; Audrey Sterk of Audrey Sterk Design; Vani Sayeed of Vani Sayeed Studios; Sarah Wetenhall of The Hedges Inn and The Colony Hotel; and the team from Yellow House Architects.

Reflecting on the event, Melinda Marquardt, founder and creative director of The Vale London, shared: “The idea was to create something that felt relaxed, a little oasis from the madness of Design Week, and something slightly unexpected. We wanted guests to genuinely enjoy the beauty of Nantucket while experiencing our fabrics, wallcoverings and trims in a much more tactile and personal way. Seeing people picnic on the fabrics, carry baskets lined with them, play croquet on the lawn, and discover the collections throughout the garden made the entire afternoon feel very special.”