There's something about Shelter Island that makes everything feel possible and nothing feel urgent. Maybe it's the way you have to take a ferry to get there, or how the whole place feels like a secret only locals know about. Shelter Island, NY sits between the North and South Forks of Long Island, about 2 hours’ drive from Brooklyn and accessible only by ferry.
Our friends Brock and Shannon work in film and just started a fragrance brand called 84.Shelter. They split their time between LA, NY, and this sprawling shingled house. A group of us are visiting while they're away. A group of old friends, becoming temporary residents, learning the island's rhythms through their thoughtful, beautiful life.
The routine writes itself. Coffee in the garden while someone reads the weather report out loud. A walk to the general store for provisions that somehow takes two hours because everyone walks slowly while chatting. Afternoons dissolve into swimming competitions and elaborate salad construction.
We discover the island's best-kept secrets through trial and error. The hidden beach where you can find good shells. Which farm stand has the sweetest corn and best tomatoes. The vintage furniture shop with the great lamps. Someone always knows a shortcut; someone else always gets us lost trying to find it.
Evenings become cooking marathons. We plan elaborate dinners that require three grocery runs and constant wine consultation. The kitchen fills with chopped vegetables and heated debates about whether the pasta is ready. By the time we sit down to eat, we're already planning tomorrow's menu.
The nights stretch long on the porch (or by the fire on the cooler nights), candles flickering while we solve the world's problems and tell stories that somehow never come up in the city. Someone has a deck of tarot cards. Someone else cheats at gin rummy and pretends they don't.
Back in the city, we're already plotting our return, comparing calendars, and dreaming up new menus.
Want more? Find Brock @houghtonprojects.interiors and Shannon @shannonlords and @84.shelter