In 1997, Martha Stewart paid just shy of $6 million to acquire Skylands, a 63‑acre estate overlooking Seal Harbor on Mount Desert Island. The property had belonged to Edsel Ford and his wife Eleanor since its completion in 1925, and had been sold to a private family in 1980 after Eleanor’s death.
Stewart hired landscape architect Patrick Chassé to revive Jens Jensen’s original design, which blended mossy woods, ferns, and granite outcrops. Chassé restored a council ring and re‑installed native plantings, bringing the terrain back to its natural character.
Unlike typical celebrity homes, Stewart retained the house’s original furnishings, including Ford silverware and Pewabic‑tiled bathrooms. She added only a handful of contemporary pieces, citing the estate’s status as a living museum.
The estate has served as a creative laboratory for Stewart, who spends July and August there and uses the setting to inspire new shows and books. Architectural Digest noted that the property’s historic character feeds into her current design aesthetic.
Today, Skylands remains a private retreat; Stewart continues to maintain the landscape and architecture, and occasionally opens the house’s interior to industry professionals for workshops.