Martha Stewart’s Teal Dining Room Tiles and Vintage Ceramics Turned My Skepticism Into Design Obsession – This Controversial Color Finally Works
Teal ceramics take center stage in Martha Stewart's Lily Pond dining room – and the result is spectacular
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Martha Stewart may have sold her Lily Pond Lane cottage in 2021, but it still claims a spot on my mood board – and that won't be changing any time soon.
Dating back to 1870s, the East Hampton home is a coastal dreamland. Every room is bursting with design inspiration, but one space has been on my mind recently: the porch, which Martha transformed into a three-season room with a dining area.
Shop the Lily Pond Dining Room Edit
Teal tiles can feel like a risky choice, but there are plenty of ways to channel Martha's look – from rustic teal mixing bowls to elegant vases.
With a vibrant teal hue and a rustic finish, I think these Zellige tiles are the perfect way to recreate Martha's look. I've never been so keen to try the color drenching trend – and with such a bold shade, too.
This resin bowl is guaranteed to create a striking wall display – though it would be equally as impactful as a table centerpiece at a dinner party. I love the swirling white details.
For a more understated take on the teal trend, I'd pick up a few of these elegant pasta bowls. Designed and crafted in Portugal, they'll bring a warm, artisanal feel to your dining setup.
If you want to add a pop of color to your space without spending a fortune, head to Target. These bowls are part of Joanna Gaines' Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection, and they're ideal for entertaining.
Le Creuset pieces will always bring heritage charm to your dining room, and this sea salt shade is ideal for a coastal-inspired space. It's a wonderful way to honor Martha's Lily Pond home.
Add rustic flair and subtle texture to your shelving with this classic Mason Cash bowl. Home bakers will know just how timeless (and durable) these stoneware pieces are.
Fans of Martha Stewart will know that she's partial to the fresh teal color that's showcased in this space – so it's no surprise that she makes use of it in both the flooring and the decor. Naturally, blue tiles could feel like a daring choice, but to me, they form the perfect foundation. Illuminated by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the tiles lend a real brightness to the room.
It's always a challenge to breathe new life into areas like this one; since it started life as a porch, this space could feel like an afterthought. By choosing uplifting colors like teal, however, Martha brings a sense of intentionality to the design – and matching the shelving display to the flooring only reinforces this.
Of course, if teal tiles seem bold, a huge collection of matching ceramics is just as controversial. Yet these aren't just any ceramics; in a blog post detailing the Lily Pond renovation, Martha revealed that they're vintage McCoy pieces – an American brand which produced pottery during the early 20th century.
While the floor tiles fill the room with light and provide echoes of the breezy landscape outside, the teal ceramics tie the look together, creating a striking contrast against the mahogany shelving and earthy walls. Martha demonstrates that decorating with blue can bring a joyful, airy feel to more rustic spaces like this one.
Experts say that this shade of blue often reads as cool-toned – but in Martha's space, it feels peaceful rather than chilly.
'Teal sits at the intersection of blue and green, which gives it both calm and vitality,' explains Nawal Motawi, founder and creative director of Motawi Tileworks. 'In a dining space, it feels grounding without being heavy, and reflective without being flashy – especially when used across a floor where it can interact with light throughout the day. Here, the warm mahogany shelving acts as a natural counterbalance to the tile, creating visual tension that keeps the room from feeling flat.'
When it comes to Martha's display of ceramics, meanwhile, textural details make a huge impact: the grooves and scoring on each piece brings further dimension to the room.
'Repeating the teal tone in ceramics reinforces the color story while allowing for variation in texture and finish,' says Nawal. 'This is why the space feels layered rather than overly matched.'
If you're hunting for colorful dining room ideas, I'd say that this is the perfect example. Striking but never garish, Martha's use of color is always masterful.
