Martha Stewart Says She's Surprised by ‘Harsh’ Comments About Her Living Room Transformation at Maine Home

Martha Stewart responded to the “harsh” comments she received about her living room transformation at her home in Maine. 

Stewart, 82, pushed back against the comments in an Instagram post on July 4 and said she was “surprised at the harsh judgment so many displayed.”

“I rarely read all the comments that come in after I post,” she said. “But because I was so happy at the transformation of my Maine living room, I did go through many of the comments.”

“My Maine helpers [and I] spent three hours moving out the old furniture and putting in the new [pieces],” she continued. “We were pleased that the pieces actually fit the room and were proportionate to the large size of the space.”

Stewart clarified that the change was not done by “professional decorators” but was an “attempt to [make a] change quickly and efficiently.” 

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Stewart initially posted the living room transformation on Instagram July 3. She shared that she “switched the living room from grey blue upholstery to a creamy pale buttery yellow,” which she noted came from a home she previously owned on Lily Pond Lane in the Hamptons.

The lifestyle expert concluded her post and said she loved "the rustic yet elegant charm of this lovely 1925 house.”

Many in the comments criticized the design Stewart ended up choosing for the transformation and the “lack of color” in the living room. Some commenters thought that the area looked “cluttered” and “sterile” and one critic said the room “looks like a Marriott suite living room in 1987.”

One commenter even said that the transformation “looks more like a furniture showroom than a home.” 

“Making a house a home, or a room a beautiful livable space takes a lot more than three hours,” she added in her July 4 post, responding to the comments. “Of course there will be color, plants, mirrors, a new rug or two and other art and objects. Stay tuned!”