homes. Best of all, it’ s a great time and she gets to see people that she hasn’ t seen for a year. Martha not only has been a longtime friend of Bunny and her husband, John Roselli, who is an antiquarian, she is also very familiar with the Berkshires and loves returning to the region for Trade Secrets. Her first house was located in Middlefield, Massachusetts, and she holds fond memories that she loves to share.
“ It was just like the perfect beginner weekend house from New York,” says Martha.“ Drive up to the Berkshires, start creating a garden, have a new group of friends, and learn about a whole new community. It was a very nice kind of life. We learned our home-building skills and gardening skills, all there on our little 50-acre farm. There was only one TV in our neighborhood. We all gathered to watch the first man walk on the moon.”
Martha has come a long, long way from that first house that didn’ t even have running water or electricity when they first moved in. A recent endeavor of hers is the Martha Stewart Iconic Estate Housing Collection. She is working with Hapi Home, a technology-led prefab home developer specializing in precision-engineered, light-gauge steel frame kits designed for rapid, on-site assembly. She’ s putting one on a piece of property for a small staff home.“ They’ re really gorgeous,” she says. Hapi Home asked Martha’ s team to design four homes inspired by her own legendary residences: Bedford, Lily Pond, Skylands, and Perry Street, reimagined for today and built with Hapi’ s system.“ They’ re very charming, and they’ re certainly worth a look at if you’ re thinking of building something,” says Martha.
“ I had a very big business with KB Home, one of the premier builders, which was not exactly prefabricated but mass fabricated homes in big communities,” continues Martha.“ It was a very successful venture. People still write to me who are living in some of the Martha homes, telling me how much they’ re enjoying their homes. It’ s part of our business. We are homemakers.”
Martha also has a new skincare line, Elm Biosciences, which you can buy online or through your dermatologist. And she’ s working on a software program called HINT( Home Intelligence), an app for organizing your living space.
Another exciting event coming up is the opening of The Bedford by Martha Stewart, a restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Inspired by her iconic 1925 country farmhouse, The Bedford brings her celebrated style, hospitality, and personal favorites directly to the heart of the Grand Pequot Tower.( See sidebar.)
“ She’ s amazing,” says Bunny.“ There isn’ t anything that you bring up that Martha isn’ t going to try. I admire that about her.”
The two longtime friends don’ t see much of each other during the year because they’ re each working on their own projects. But they will definitely converge in May for Trade Secrets— something they are both looking forward to.
“ Everybody is so pleasant and so nice,” says Martha.“ It’ s just a delightful day.” n
A TASTE OF Martha’ s Farmhouse
AT FOX WOODS
Get a taste of Martha’ s world when The Bedford by Martha Stewart officially opens on March 14 at Foxwoods Resort Casino’ s Grand Pequot Tower in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Inspired by her iconic 1925 home in Bedford, New York, this is her second restaurant and her first on the East Coast. It will serve up a menu of Martha’ s personal favorites, including her Kurobuta Pork Chop, Niçoise Salad, and her Big Martha Pierogies. Guests also can enjoy signature cocktails like the Martha-tini and frozen pomegranate Martha-rita at the restaurant, which features a neutral color palette and a kitchen with white marble countertops.
Foxwoods is a popular destination for many in the Berkshires— just a few hours away and a lot closer than The Bedford at Paris Las Vegas, which opened in August 2022. The restaurant’ s debut at Foxwoods follows the success of the Christmas by Martha Stewart holiday décor installation, which transformed the Grand Pequot lobby into a showcase of Martha’ s signature holiday style. The Bedford will serve breakfast and dinner seven days a week, with lunch available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on March 13, and reservations are now open for dinner service at foxwoods. com / thebedford.
The Bedford by Martha Stewart is the latest addition to the lineup of dining, entertainment, and hospitality at Foxwoods, which offers over 1,900 luxury hotel rooms, shopping at Tanger Outlets, expansive gaming floors throughout the resort, and more. The entertainment portfolio features globally acclaimed artists, such as Patti LaBelle & Gladys Knight( March 15), Jay Leno with special guest Arsenio Hall( March 20), Cheap Trick( March 21), Marcello Hernádez( May 23), Jerry Seinfeld( July 18) and Nikki Glaser( August 14).