Martha Stewart Spends Weekend Enjoying North Fork Delights

NORTH FORK, NY — Martha Stewart is in on a secret that locals have known for years: Summertime on the North Fork is sheer magic.

Stewart spent the weekend making the rounds on the North Fork, according to many who saw the style maven stopping at a yard sale to hunt for treasures, shopping on Main Road, and even sitting down for a meal.

According to Lori Guyer, owner of the White Flower Farmhouse in Southold — Guyer also organizes tag and estate sales — Stewart turned up at an estate sale in Orient on Friday.

"We'd been open all day and we were done with the sale. It was time to close the doors and head out," Guyer said. "Everyone had left and we were tidying up. All of a sudden, a group of women came in. My sister was upstairs folding clothes and I was putting books on shelves. We weren't really paying attention; we just let them shop for 20 minutes. We didn't even look at them."

Then, Guyer said, she was walking through the living room with a pile of items when a woman said, "'How much are these?' I looked up and it was Martha Stewart, looking right at me," Guyer said.

Guyer said she wanted to remain "cool", so she just told Stewart the price — $15 each — and Stewart bought the books and some other items.

Guyer, whose shop and aesthetic is reminiscent of Stewart's iconic style, has long admired her sensibilities.

"I've been a fan of Martha since the first magazine issue came out," she said. "I love her because she always decorated her homes with a mix of estate sale finds, vintage pieces and antiques — and that's my whole vibe."

Stewart, she said, was "absolutely stunning, with flawless skin and makeup and a straw hat."

Despite her admiration for Stewart, Guyer let her shop in peace and then helped her to the car with the books. "It's the North Fork; we let people do their thing," she said. "We're not like the Hamptons."

It's not the first time celebrities have stopped by; Guyer has also met the Coen brothers and Frances McDormand browsing through her offerings.

Patrice Conklin, who was working at the White Flower Farmhouse when Stewart came in, said despite her fame, "she was very unassuming. The customers didn't realize it was her, until someone said, 'Oh, Martha.' She was so sweet and very gracious, and had no problem taking pictures."

Conklin added: "I was a bit starstruck, because, you know, it's Martha Stewart! I've read her magazines and her books. I was really excited."

One customer, Conklin said, had no idea at first that it was Stewart."She looked at her and said, 'Oh, you look great. The way you're dressed, you fit right in here. Maybe they'll give you a job.'"

Later, when she learned who it was, the woman told Conklin, "I cannot believe I said that to Martha Stewart." Conklin laughed.

Conklin agreed that Stewart was the reason for all that came after, including shops like the White Flower Farmhouse. "Having her in the shop was just really validating," Conklin said. "It was great."

After, Stewart stopped in the Treasure Exchange, the shop run by the Southold Historical Musuem.

"Shopping for gently used items has become quite trendy," representatives for the museum said.

"Last weekend, Martha Stewart stopped in at the Treasure Exchange in Southold as part of her trip to the North Fork," Kristen Matejka of the Southold Historical Museum said. "She was the guest of her publicist, Susan Magrino, who said that she loves the Treasure Exchange herself and has found 'many wonderful things there.' She said that Ms. Stewart enjoyed the shop too and purchased a few items. The Southold Historical Museum was happy to welcome them to their Treasure Exchange shop."

And to top off her North Fork Day, Stewart and her friends stopped for a meal at Maroni Cuisine on Main Road.

"I mean, what more can a girl ask for!" owner Maria Maroni wrote on Instagram. "Martha Stewart and her friends dining at our new Southold restaurant and saying words like 'extraordinary.' Thank you, Martha Stewart, we are extremely honored and grateful! So proud of my team and family. They are the ones who are doing an extraordinary job!"