Martha Stewart Responds to ‘Harsh’ Criticism of Living Room Renovation

Martha Stewart has opened up about the “harsh” reaction she received about her living room in her Maine home.

In addition to a photo of the room she posted on July 3, the 83-year-old lifestyle guru defended her newly renovated living room against criticism from her followers. The photo showed an area of ​​the large room, featuring a couch, chairs, and a sofa gathered around a coffee table next to a wall featuring a fireplace and several framed lithographs of birds by Carroll Tyson, titled “6Audubon of Maine.”

In the caption, she wrote, “I rarely read all the comments that come in after I post, but since I was so happy with the transformation of my Maine living room, I scrolled through many of the comments and was surprised at the harsh judgment displayed by so many!!!”

She added that she completed the renovation and decorating with “helpers from Maine,” writing that they spent three hours replacing old furniture with brand new pieces. The “helpers from Maine” were “thrilled” that the new pieces fit the mood of the room and were proportionate to the space.

She said it wasn’t the final look of the room, but rather an attempt to fill the space “quickly and efficiently” rather than a professional installation by a decorator.

“Turning a house into a home or a room into a beautiful living space takes way more than three hours,” she continued, noting that she would keep her followers updated on the rest of the decorating process. “Of course, there will be color, plants, mirrors, a new rug or two, and other art and objects.” She added, “Stay tuned!!!”

Stewart’s Maine vacation home, called Skylands, is located in the Seal Harbor area of ​​Mount Desert and was purchased in 1997, according to her official website. She was in the middle of renovating her 12-bedroom home and decided to share the progress she had made on her living room.

She captioned the July 3 post: “It was a big day to rearrange the furniture in the three main lounges in Skylands. We replaced the lounge furniture from blue-gray fabrics to creamy pale butter yellow fabrics.”

“The library is much cozier now and the faux bois table is now the card table,” she added, noting that “all the yellow upholstery” in the new furniture came from her Hamptons home on Lily Pond Lane. “I love the rustic yet elegant charm of this lovely 1925 home.”

But to his surprise, the public was quick to label his decor and furnishings as “stuffy” and “sterile.”

“This doesn’t look warm and welcoming,” one person wrote. “It looks more like a furniture showroom than a home. It’s sad to see.”

“This looks like a quirky B&B,” another commented. “The lack of color is dull. It looks like an elegant retirement home. I like the boldness of the multiple bird prints. But that’s the only imaginative thing about the house. It all feels like a B&B foyer or worse, grandma’s house.”

“Not gonna lie, I love you. I’ve been watching you for 30 years. It reminds me of a haunted mansion,” someone else admitted.

Others defended Stewart’s living room renovation, with one writing: “Your living room is beautiful, Martha. Ignore the negative comments. People who talk negatively about others are not happy with themselves.”

“Sorry to the haters, they don’t know what they’re looking at,” another added. “I understand the comfort and functionality of this space. It makes perfect sense.”