Martha Reveals the Story Behind Her Viral Pool Selfie

By now, you've probably seen the selfie—our founder posing in front of her pool at her home in East Hampton, New York. The viral Instagram post has more than 200,000 likes and nearly 10,000 comments, as of Thursday afternoon. "My pool in East Hampton is the place to be on a 89 degree day!" Martha captioned her photo. "When I built the pool thirty years ago it was designed to be as chlorine-free as possible, with a natural concrete finish-no paint- and it fit in a long narrow space between the house and the property line. I made it extra deep for diving and with no protruding steps so we could really race the length without worrying about obstacles. After all these years, It is a fun place to swim!!!"

Plenty of commenters called her an "icon" and "gorgeous," and many agreed that they hoped to look that good when they're 78 (Martha turns 79 on August 3rd). But the stunning photo was somewhat spontaneous according to Martha.

"Well, I had just had a very dear friend over for lunch and then I took a long swim and I was getting out of the pool. I was trying to take pictures of my gardens out there. And then the camera automatically went to, you know, selfie mode. I don't know why," Martha told CNN. "And I looked at it and I looked so nice because of the sun streaming down. So, I snapped the picture and I sent it to the internet."

Martha has been quarantining on her farm in Bedford, New York with three of her employees—gardener Ryan McCallister, her driver Carlos, and housekeeper Elvira—since March, but decided to take a getaway to her home in the Hamptons. While the photo may have inspired many of Martha's followers to elevate their poolside look, the image is just a glimpse into what the lifestyle expert has to share with the world.

Later this month, her new television show, Martha Knows Best, will premiere on HGTV. The six-episode series will be an opportunity for Martha to offer advice on how to spend time at home while quarantining, along with her expert gardening and farming tips.

"What I'm trying to do is show the practical, doing things that everybody can do, no matter how big or small your property is and establishing good gardening practices," she said. "It's a very practical show and people will really understand how to make things." Of course, it wouldn't be a Martha Stewart special without her friend, Snoop Dogg. The hip-hop star and co-host of Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party will make a guest appearance on the show, along with other celebrity guests including Jay Leno, Lupita Nyong'o, and Hailey Bieber. Martha's new show premieres July 31.