As December sweeps in on New Providence Island, a stunning locale nestled 184 miles southeast of Miami within the beautiful Bahamian archipelago, one might search in vain for the traditional trappings of winter festivities. Instead of crackling fires and frost-covered evergreen boughs, you’ll discover the warmth of sun-soaked days, vibrant celebrations, and the refreshing caress of ocean breezes. Here, horse-drawn sleighs and icy snowmen are replaced by leisurely strolls on the island’s spectacular alabaster beaches that overlook the mesmerizing blue-green shallows of the Atlantic. (It’s certainly a trade-off worth embracing.) However, the holiday season still arrives infused with the same spirit of whimsy and enchantment, especially for the close-knit circle of friends and family surrounding Amanda Lindroth, the esteemed hostess and accomplished interior designer whose roots lie in South Florida.
The festive magic emerging in this vibrant region defies traditional Rockwellian themes; instead, it is woven from the tapestry of the island’s diverse global community and a allgemeine conviviality that transcends the holiday season. This unique atmosphere first captivated Lindroth when she visited New Providence in 1988 as a young newlywed. “Living here, you have Greek friends and English friends and French friends and Portuguese friends,” she shares, eyes sparkling with nostalgia. “It’s a fascinating place filled with fascinating people.” It was only after returning a few years later, ultimately for the long haul, that she fully embraced this alchemy. Though she experienced a divorce, fate smiled upon her when she met her second husband, Orjan Lindroth, a Swedish-born developer, in Nassau.
Photo: Patricia Lyons
Lindroth captures moments of joy while relaxing on the vintage Schooner Queen, anchored at New Providence Island’s picturesque Old Fort Bay, where she hosted a delightful holiday parade; the post-parade dinner featured candelabras adorned with bougainvillea and peppermint-striped tapers illuminated atop a narrow banquet table. “The closer people are together,” Lindroth muses, “the more they gossip, the more they flirt.”
During her life in the Bahamas, Lindroth discovered both a platform and a purpose for her creative talents through transforming homes for herself and her friends. Inspired by the lush splendor of the landscape and the classical elegance of the Caribbean’s historic architecture—alongside the effortlessly refined vibe of the expat lifestyle—the self-taught designer cultivated an impressive clientele. Today, her decorating offices span Nassau, Palm Beach, and Charleston, South Carolina, while she has also penned two celebrated design books, including Island Dreaming, which made its debut in October.
“I love the comfort of good English interiors and the symmetry of good French ones,” Lindroth explains, describing the tropics-infused old-world charm that defines her Lindroth Design firm. Yet, it’s the easygoing elegance, distinctly Bahamian, that breathes life into Lindroth’s spaces: whitewashed walls enriched with intricate moldings, antique furniture displaying cherished family heirloom shell collections, playful textiles bursting with cheerful colors and fun prints. Her meticulously designed guest rooms offer handmade canopy beds, expansive verandas, rattan seating, and charming wicker lighting. “These are holiday homes,” Lindroth emphasizes about her local projects, “and understanding how our clients entertain and live is a crucial part of creating intimacy. We want their guests to walk in for the first time and be dazzled.”
The same ethos shines through in her own gatherings. Lindroth approaches entertaining with a perfect balance of sumptuous details and thoughtful comfort. Whether hosting a Christmas dinner party, an elegant Easter brunch, or a spontaneous Saturday-night celebration, a palpable sense of joy infuses every occasion. The consummate hostess even designed her beloved family residence, Hope Hill, an enchanting manor perched cliffside above the Atlantic Ocean, with entertaining in mind. Prior to its sale last year after the passing of her beloved husband, it served as the romantic backdrop for countless glittering celebrations—nights seared into the memories of guests not solely for their opulence but for the relaxed joie de vivre that permeated the air. “It’s that Amanda magic,” reflects Carlye Jane Dougherty, a family friend and art director for Lindroth Design. “Her dinner parties evoke a sense of fancy, yet they remain incredibly entertaining—never stuffy.”
Traditional johnnycakes are artfully punctuated with maraschino cherries and rosemary; a stunning lime tower centerpiece is crafted using a Styrofoam cone, bamboo skewers, limes, and areca palm fronds from Lindroth’s garden; Christmas dinners blend classic Bahamian dishes like a spiral ham crowned with pomegranate seeds (“We have a list of things we excel at for parties, and we always revert to that,” she remarks).
“You learn by watching others,” Lindroth reflects. “When I first arrived in Nassau and New Providence, we were treated to lavish dinner parties, and I cataloged their details in my mind. There was a certain formality to them, a very English approach to entertaining.” While she has reinvented that classic format to reflect her unique style, its essence still underpins the rhythm of her gatherings. Seated cocktails lead into a formal dinner on the veranda, where thoughtful seating arrangements and deceptively simple yet lavish meals fuel stimulating conversations. Lindroth’s party playlists often favor 1970s folk rock, featuring artists like Cat Stevens and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but the actual soundtrack is provided by the distant crash of the Atlantic waves, the gentle rustling of palm fronds carried by the evening breeze, and the symphony of cicadas serenading the night. After dinner, guests migrate to the living room for an English-style coffee and tea service, plus a round (or three) of nightcaps—depending on the crowd.
Photo: Patricia Lyons
At the raft-up, signature Rum Dum cocktails are served alongside decadent bites; candy-striped fabric sourced from Joann for a mere two dollars per yard becomes a festive new awning for the boat. “I hurried to every Joann between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach,” Lindroth’s art director Dougherty remembers, “and purchased everything they had.”
In Lindroth’s view, an unforgettable evening begins long before the first guest crosses the threshold. “The doors should be flung open, the lights dimmed, and candles lit throughout the house,” she insists. Ample seating should be provided, alongside a well-stocked bar, and plenty of extras to ensure comfort. Her three decades of experience in the Bahamas have taught her how quickly an intimate gathering can expand into a grand affair. “When planning parties here,” she advises, “we generally purchase everything in dozens.”
This maxim echoes particularly loudly during the holiday season, when residents welcome family and friends flying in from near and far. Lindroth adapts her menu this time of year to reflect local festive traditions: pigeon peas and rice, fluffy johnnycakes, a glorious spiral ham embellished with pomegranate seeds and juicy pineapple, and the family’s beloved coleslaw—a tangy, fiery version crafted by longtime family cook Crimson “Crimmy” Roberts, featuring tiny Bahamian bird peppers grown in her garden. The holiday decor also gets a twinkling glow-up with strings of lights and sparkling tinsel. Boldly embracing a big-is-better philosophy, Lindroth is well-known for her Clark Griswold approach to tree selection—though the evergreens arriving on the island are typically shipped in from Canada.
The festivities took on an even more whimsical flair after her daughter, Eliza, was born. The family embraced the island’s spirited Christmas golf cart parade, competing with a Whoville-like enthusiasm that has earned them numerous blue ribbons. Even decades later, it remains a cherished family tradition. “One year, we didn’t win because a friend invited Amish carpenters to morph her golf cart into a Christmas cabin,” Lindroth recalls with laughter. And true to Bahamian style, there’s also an annual boat parade. Each year, the family decorates their thirty-six-foot Schooner Queen, a beautifully restored 1970s fishing vessel, to participate alongside a flotilla of Optimist sailboats and miniature superyachts.
Photo: Patricia Lyons
Witness a wicker boat seat draped in wreaths and garlands of Norfolk Island pine; a jolly dinghy adorned with oversized ornaments adds to the festive charm.
Photo: Patricia Lyons
The tropical vibe is further enhanced by blending palm fronds with traditional pine accents; a “sailboat” place card, crafted from a mandarin orange, bamboo skewer, vibrant green linen, and peppermint-striped twine; combining high-end (Herend china and silver) with accessible (plastic red Crate & Barrel goblets) reflects Lindroth’s philosophy that “no dinner party is fun if it’s stuffy.”
At the event highlighted in these pages, the parade glided through the picturesque Old Fort Bay and featured an inviting afternoon raft-up. This beloved local pastime allows friends and family to anchor together, enjoy a swim, kayak, and “drink lots of rosé,” adds Lindroth. She and Dougherty curated a menu inspired by the culinary splendor of the nineteenth-century, showcasing a majestic Auguste Escoffier-influenced shrimp-and-lobster-tail tower crafted with Bahamian spiny lobster and a Marie Rose dip— an indulgent cocktail sauce featuring mayonnaise blended in. Complementing the array were chilled stone crab claws elegantly displayed in a silver Champagne bucket. In addition to the customary rosé, they stirred up refreshing batches of local Rum Dum cocktails, a delightful concoction of light and dark rums, fresh lemon juice, egg whites, and simple syrup, created by the beloved bartender Wilfred Sands of New Providence.
The festive gathering concluded with an enchanting alfresco dinner on Old Fort Beach, once a notorious haunt for infamous pirates like Edward Teach and Anne Bonny—now transformed into a serene coastal paradise requiring little additional staging. Even so, Lindroth and Dougherty adorned the dining table with exquisite Herend china and shimmering sterling silver, enhancing it with oversized candelabras dressed with peppermint-striped tapers, while vibrant streams of blooming bougainvillea twined together created an atmosphere both whimsical and lovely. “The effect is simply enchanting,” Dougherty notes—much like Lindroth herself.
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin is a Garden & Gun contributing editor and a full-time freelance writer covering a broad spectrum of topics including hospitality and travel, arts and culture, and design. An avid reader and aspiring baker, she recently left Nashville to return to her roots in Charleston, South Carolina, where she resides with her husband, their twins, and an exuberant golden retriever.
How does Amanda Lindroth’s design philosophy reflect the spirit of the Bahamas?
Lindroth’s affinity for the Bahamas is palpable, and her warm-hearted approach to both design and gatherings has made her a beloved figure in her community. The blending of cultures and the celebratory spirit of the islands infuse her homes with life and joy. Whether hosting an extravagant holiday bash or an intimate dinner, her focus on creating memorable experiences for her guests is a testament to her knack for hospitality. “It’s all about connection,” she emphasizes, and it’s clear that this belief resonates throughout her carefully curated events, characterized by a vibrant mix of flavor, aesthetics, and heartfelt service.
As the sun sets over New Providence Island, casting a golden hue on her home, Lindroth embodies the ethos of Bahamian living—one of warmth, openness, and a celebratory spirit. Every detail, from the décor to the menu, reflects a dedication to making each gathering feel special and unique, ensuring that her home continues to be a cherished gathering place for family and friends for years to come. It’s not just about design or entertainment—it’s about creating moments that linger in the hearts of those who share them.