Martha Stewart Lives A Lavish Life

Martha Stewart has spent the bulk of her career telling others how to live a more elaborate and elegant life, and there doesn't seem to be anyone more qualified for the position. The lifestyle expert first came onto the scene in the early 1980s when she released her first cookbook, "Entertaining." 

"I hope to show that there are many ways of entertaining and that each ultimately depends not on pomp or show or elaborate technique, but on thought, effort, and caring," Stewart wrote in the book, as reported by CNN. The cookbook delivered the ins and outs of hosting a party no matter the size of the guest list, and it firmly planted Stewart as one of the foremost authorities on cooking and entertaining. And Stewart was plenty qualified — prior to becoming famous, she ran a successful catering business. (Yeah, Stewart's life has always been luxurious.) 

These days, Stewart doesn't cater, but she does still cook and entertain. She's expanded her skills into an all-encompassing brand that shows novices and veterans alike how to elevate their hosting. And Stewart continually shows just how qualified she is to voice her tips, tricks, and opinions simply by living. Take a closer look inside Martha Stewart's incredibly lavish life. 

Martha Stewart is an East Coaster through and through. The cooking icon grew up in New Jersey, and throughout Stewart's stunning transformation, she's purchased homes in neighboring states, all of which have played a role in helping her build her empire. Martha's most iconic home was Turkey Hill, a farmhouse in Connecticut where she raised her daughter, Alexis Stewart, and wrote "Entertaining," the cookbook that catapulted her into fame. 

"Turkey Hill was a dream place for my family and me for many years. It taught us, it nurtured us, it fed us, and it occupied us in so many wonderful and instructive ways. I would not be who I am today without the vast knowledge I gained there, on that small bit of paradise," Martha said of her bygone home. In 2007, Stewart sold the home, originally listed for $8.9 million. While the final sale price wasn't disclosed, it was surely a major step up from the nearly $47,000 she paid for it in 1971 during her marriage to Andrew Stewart.

After her rise to fame, Martha purchased several other pricey properties. Included in her current portfolio are Skylands, a 12-bedroom estate near Acadia National Park in Maine, and Cantitoe Corners, a farmhouse in New York that acts as Martha's primary residence. Martha also owned a home in the Hamptons for years, but she sold it in 2021 for $16.5 million. Some of that cash may have gone toward another next property purchase in 2024, a $12.3 million place in Manhattan.

Martha Stewart has spent loads of money on her home in Bedford, New York. Unsurprisingly, much of it has gone to one room in particular: the kitchen. While Stewart has multiple places where she can lay her head at night, she spends the bulk of her time in Cantitoe Corners, which features a stunning kitchen that the icon renovated around pandemic times. Stewart detailed the project on her blog, noting that she updated her appliances, countertops, doors, and more. Among the updates were Viking ovens and Pella doors, both of which are known for their high quality and high price tags. 

While Stewart did update her appliances, her old ones were nothing to snooze at. The cookbook author's kitchen once boasted a Salamander broiler, a restaurant-grade appliance which starts at around $5,000, as well as a La San Marco espresso machine, which starts at around $4,000. And the hosting icon has used the latter appliance to satisfy some high-profile guests. "One day I came into my kitchen and I was getting dressed, and sitting right here at the counter — because I had invited them anytime they were in the neighborhood — was President and Mrs. Clinton. They were sitting here waiting for their cappuccinos. It was so much fun to entertain the Clintons," Stewart told People.

Everyone knows she loves to entertain, but what you never knew about Martha Stewart is that she also loves to travel. And when Stewart travels, she visits some of the most luxurious places in the world. Among the countries Stewart has visited are France, Abu Dhabi, Ecuador, England, Cuba, Australia, and the Dominican Republic. She often has to travel for work, so Stewart does what she can to still enjoy herself while on business. "I try to make that work trip always pleasurable in that I look for a new restaurant or something to see," Stewart told The New York Times. "I try to visit a botanic garden. I try to enliven the business trip with something that's personally interesting."

Stewart also travels around the United States. Stewart has been fishing in Alabama, skiing in Vermont, and sunning in Florida. The hosting maven has spent lots of time in the Hamptons as she used to own a home there, and she spends ample time in Maine as she still has a place in the Pine Tree State. "While [in Maine], I do a lot of entertaining, and spending time with my daughter, Alexis, my grandchildren, Jude and Truman, and our many good friends who visit. I also love touring the area's gardens and shops, and hiking the many trails at Acadia National Park," Stewart wrote on her blog.

Martha Stewart has to arrive at her many destinations somehow, and she chooses to get around via private jet. Stewart doesn't appear to own her own aircraft, but the lifestyle guru still shells out a pretty penny every time she eschews a commercial airline. In 2022, Stewart shared on Instagram that she was flying private after a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Assuming she was traveling back to her home state of New York, Stewart spent at least $3,600 on the flight. But given the size of the aircraft (it appeared to be an eight-seat plane), Stewart's flight was likely more expensive (and the cost doesn't account for the eight Eastern redbud trees she brought on board to transport home).

Another time Stewart documented her private travels was ahead of the 2022 Super Bowl. Assuming she flew from New York to Los Angeles for the game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Stewart's flight probably cost at least $6,000 (plus an average of $10,000 for a ticket to the game). The aircraft Stewart traveled in to the Super Bowl was far bigger than the one she took from Tulsa, though, so it's reasonable to assume her bill was far bigger than that. "If you gotta go to the [Super Bowl] this is one way to do it," Stewart said on Instagram, seemingly enjoying caviar, cheese, and crackers while on board.

While Stewart once claimed not to have had any plastic surgery done (she attributed her unbelievable aging to green juice, vitamins, and sunscreen), she later chatted with her dermatologist, Dr. Dan Belkin, about the cosmetic procedures she's had done on an episode of "The Martha Stewart Podcast." And despite prior claims, Stewart has most certainly had work done. 

"We don't do it that often. And for you, I like to use fillers that are what we call biostimulatory fillers. So I would say this is another trend moving a little bit away from hyaluronic acid fillers, like regular fillers," Belkin said of the procedures he's done on Stewart. "We've done a little ultrasound tightening I think, a long time ago. We did a little softwave, which is an ultrasound-based tightening device." 

Such procedures don't come cheap. The biostimulatory fillers can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $9,000 while the ultrasound tightening can cost anywhere from $175 to $5,500 depending on the size of the treatment area. But the cost is worth it the results for Stewart. "I don't think a lot about age, but I don't want to look my age at all. And that's why I really work hard at it," she said. 

When Martha Stewart is traveling by car, she's in beautiful — and expensive — vehicles. One of Stewart's cars is a Mercedes-Benz S560 4MATIC. The lifestyle guru has noted that while she doesn't drive much, she does spend ample time in her car being towed to meetings and other engagements. But she and her drivers are equally as enamored with her Mercedes. "It's such a great car. My drivers and I love its maneuverability and comfort," she said on her blog. Stewart hasn't specified the year of her car's make, but she likely spent at least $95,000 on it, assuming she purchased it brand new.

Stewart also owns an Aston Martin, and she likely spent at least $155,000 purchasing that back in the mid-2000s. "This @AstonMartin sits most of the time covered in the carport . It's about 15 years old , standard shift, not a very good radio , but the car sounds great , drives like a dream once you master the gears," Stewart said of the car on Instagram, adding that she took the vehicle to bring some eggs to a friend. Stewart also has a 1958 Edsel Roundup which she keeps at her home in Maine (which Edsel Ford himself used to own!). The entertainer isn't completely satisfied with just owning these cars, though — Stewart shared on an episode of "Jay Leno's Garage" that she'd like to have her own edition of a luxury vehicle one day.

If Martha Stewart is spotted on a boat, it's more than likely a yacht. And if she's spotted on a yacht, there's a good chance it's her own. Stewart is the longtime owner of a Hinckley Yachts Picnic Boat, and she's her own captain. The cookbook author purchased her boat soon after she purchased her Maine estate. "I bought the most beautiful house on Mount Desert Island, named Skylands — and I just had to have the most beautiful boat to go with the most beautiful house. That's why it's called Skylands II. Plus, David Rockefeller Sr. told me that it was the only boat to get, and I care about fine workmanship," Stewart told Hinckley Yachts.

The exact price of Stewart's yacht is unknown, but today, the brand of boat she owns ranges from around $60,000 to over $2 million, depending on the size and year. The price range was likely lower when Stewart purchased her yacht than it is now, but it was still no cheap sale. In addition to purchasing the boat, Stewart has had to pay to maintain it. "You would think my boat was made yesterday because it's in such good shape and has withstood the test of time. But I also take good care of it. It's kept safe in the harbor on a secure mooring that is checked every year and is fully winterized," Stewart said.

Martha Stewart has expensive taste. While she isn't particularly known for her accessories, the pieces in Stewart's collection are top-notch. "My favorite piece(s) of jewelry are my canary diamond earrings that were a gift from one of my boyfriends," Stewart told Veranda, neglecting to disclose who the man was (but dwell not – she's not looking for a serious romance). 

Whoever it was, he must be wealthy — canary diamonds aren't cheap. Although they're not the rarest of diamonds, they're rare enough to warrant a hefty price tag. Canary diamonds typically cost at least $10,000 per carat. And that's not the only expensive piece of jewelry Stewart has been gifted. After gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, a man gave Stewart a ring that sources suspect is from Cartier and cost anywhere from $1,320 to $14,200. "I did get a ring ... a beautiful ring of a nail wrapped around my finger and he said, 'You nailed it,'" Stewart told Extra of her gift.

The cover star has premium accessories other than jewelry, too, and she's willing to donate some for a good cause. In 2024, Stewart attended the Old Bags Luncheon — a fundraiser for the Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County — in Palm Beach, Florida, as a keynote speaker. Though she didn't note the designer of the bag, Stewart did share that she donated a piece for the cause.

If Martha Stewart is drinking something, it's nice. One of Stewart's favorite alcoholic beverages is champagne, a famously expensive treat. In June of 2024, Stewart hosted a party with a menu of lobster, caviar and potatoes, oysters, and, of course, champagne. The host served various bottles of Krug champagne, which range in price from $125 to over $400 depending on variety and year. "Champagne cocktails were served on the winter house terrace, guests were taken on a guided tour of some of the gardens and stable, and we were seated with the famed wine make, Julie cavil [sic] from Krug who guided us through a great tasting sequence," Stewart wrote on Instagram of the party.

Stewart has also hosted parties with Dom Pérignon as the featured champagne. "I did a great dinner at my house in East Hampton on my porch for about a hundred people to celebrate Dom Pérignon. It was so fantastic. Every celebrity that was in East Hampton was there sitting on my porch eating couscous with champagne. It was fantastic," Stewart told Tasting Table. Although Krug and Dom Pérignon is expensive, it's likely that Stewart didn't foot the bill for these parties as she often works with brands to promote their products. But no matter who was paying, hosting parties for world-famous champagne debuts is a luxury of which few have had the pleasure. 

Martha Stewart is a traditional lady. She's not known for wearing flashy clothing, but rather staple pieces that she's always worn. "I've dressed the same since I was 17. If you look at my pictures on my Instagram, I look pretty much the same," Stewart told Page Six. What Stewart does care about, however, is quality. "I've always loved well-made clothes. My attic is chock full of rack after rack of clothing. I have my first Armani suit that I bought when I started my own company, and some beautiful Armani blouses," Stewart told Footwear News. Of course, quality can come at a price. Today, most Armani blouses will run buyers at least $1,200.

Stewart likes expensive footwear, too. "I like the Clergerie platforms for everyday dress up because I can walk in them," Stewart said, adding that she also likes Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards, Manolo Blahniks, and Valentinos. Although Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards is no longer in business, Manolo Blahnik and Valentino still make shoes. The former start at around $600 while the latter start at around $900. Clergerie shoes, meanwhile, hover at around $500 (a bargain!), depending on the style. "I don't like to go shopping, but Paolo [my stylist] knows what I like. I buy very special clothes," she said. If special is code for expensive, Stewart is correct.