In New England and Long Island, Architects and Designers Are Going Back to the Future

In a three-part split image, a traditional house covered in wall decorations, wooden frames, and rattan furniture is showcased alongside a modernist house, in the center, and an ever more contemporary take on modernism, on the right.

While July and August are quiet months for the creative industry, a series of design weeks and standalone events across Newport, Nantucket, and the Hamptons have kept New England and the broader Northeastern United States abuzz. At the top of the agenda: Discussing the now and the next of the area's layered architectural and interior design scene.

From Connecticut to Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, New England is considered by some to be "the birthplace of America," dating back to 1620, when British settlers established the Plymouth Colony in today's eponymous Massachusetts town. With a surface of nearly 72,000 square miles and a leading role in US history and culture, as far as interior design trends go, New England has long been synonymous with charming comfort, researched craftsmanship, and balance.