Editor's note: Every Sunday, Fortune publishes a story fromour magazine archives. This week we turn to a 2005 story about Martha Stewart trying to stage a comeback, after the business tycoon served time following charges of insider trading. It has been a bumpy road since, butStewart has proven to be a survivor.Last week, the domestic diva was named non-executive chairman of the media and merchandise company she created, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Stewart had returned to the board last year at the end of a five-year legal ban that prohibited her from serving as a board member or as an executive of a public company. Now back in the helm of the boardroom, she will help set the direction of the business at a time when her brand is under pressure. Martha Stewart Living reported narrower losses during the first quarter. And while Stewart's daily talk show on the Hallmark Channel was recently dropped, it has been picked up by PBS and will air in the Fall. Can Stewart turn things around?

The inside story of how the unsinkable Ms.Stewartstaged her comeback--transforming her board, remaking public opinion, invading prime time. Now the hard part: making it last.

By Patricia Sellers, Reporter Associate Eugenia Levenson

IFMARTHAStewart's troubles have dimmed her self-confidence, you'd never know it from talking with her. When she was offered a starring role in The Apprentice, she tells me one afternoon, "I thought I was replacing The Donald. It was even discussed that I would be firing The Donald on the first show." It's a cold, damp October day, andStewartis holding forth in her tidy, glass-walled office on the 24th floor of her company's Midtown Manhattan headquarters. Her prime-time NBC TV show, The Apprentice:MarthaStewart, has launched with lackluster ratings, but the blame, as she sees it, lies not with her performance or her personal brand being a tad overexposed but with the overexposure of The Apprentice itself. Not until shortly before she "got home," she says--from a five-month federal prison stay--did she learn that Trump's show would remain on the air too. And when did Trump learn that she intended to bump him off his own show? "I don't think he ever knew," she says.

Stewartbetrays no disappointment in her show's numbers. In fact, she describes it as a triumph. "We're getting six to seven million viewers a night," she says. "Guess what? That's damn good. People walk away from the show thinking, 'What a nice company that is,' and 'Boy, do they do good things.'" Would a runaway hit have been better? Of course. But in her view, she is getting prime-time product placement--the product, of course, isMartha--just when she needs it most. Her face is on billboards and buses across the country. It's a tremendous promotional platform, more valuable than millions in ad dollars could buy.

And so the redemption ofMarthaStewart--media mogul, multimedia superstar--continues. Maybe you loathe her. Maybe you love her. Either way, it's hard not to be amazed by her dramatic reversal of fortune. A year ago she was incarcerated at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in the hills of West Virginia, for lying to government investigators about a suspicious stock trade. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,"Stewartsays. "I fell in a hole." Today, at 64, she is ubiquitous. Her flagship magazine,MarthaStewartLiving, has seen ad pages jump 48%; her new advice book, TheMarthaRules, is on the New York Times bestseller list. She's landed a syndicated daytime TV show, a $30 million satellite radio deal with Sirius, a DVD deal with Warner Home Video, a music deal with Sony BMG, even a partnership with KB Home to buildMarthaStewart--branded residential communities. After plunging from a peak of $295.6 million in 2001 to $187.4 million last year, revenues at her company,MarthaStewartLiving Omnimedia (MSLO), are rebounding to an expected $208 million this year; after the company's seven consecutive quarters of losses, Wall Street projects a return to profitability in 2006.

None of it happened by chance. As I learned in the course of a year's reporting and multiple interviews withStewart, she plotted this comeback with her signature painstaking precision--practically from the day she was convicted. While she benefited from America's well-known fascination with celebrity resuscitations, her return may be the strongest evidence yet of her strategic sense and business acumen.Stewarthas installed first-rate management at MSLO: CEO Susan Lyne, the former top programmer at ABC, and chairman Charles Koppelman, the onetime boss of EMI Records North America. (Don't let his role asStewart's smiling, cigar-chomping sidekick on The Apprentice fool you; he's a power in the company.)Stewart's operatic fall and thunderous return speak volumes about the resiliency of this entrepreneur who was America's first self-made female billionaire. She's No. 21 on our2005Most Powerful Women list, and she earned it the hard way.

Make no mistake: Serious risks persist forStewartand her company. She is a convicted felon and, her ongoing appeal and protestations of victimhood notwithstanding, was put away by a jury of four men and eight women who voted guilty on four counts. A Securities and Exchange Commission insider-trading investigation is pending. With her history of going from darling to devil to darling in the public eye, the mood could turn against her once more--and may already be souring. Her company's stock, which doubled during her prison stay, is down 47% since her release in March, reducing the value ofStewart's personal holdings from $1 billion to just over $500 million. Press accounts, once brutal and then ebullient, have turned chilly again. Is she overexposed? Perhaps, but she knows only one way to operate: full speed ahead. She never had a plan B for her comeback. And arguably, she doesn't need one. "I have learned,"Stewartsays, "that I really cannot be destroyed."

In July 2004 I metMarthaStewartfor dinner at Rebecca's, one of her favorite restaurants in Greenwich, Conn. It was just three days after she had been sentenced to five months in prison plus five months of house arrest--a fate she'd hoped to avoid even after her conviction. Advertisers were fleeing her flagship magazine, revenues were tanking companywide, profits were gone, and MSLO stock was trading at $11 a share. (Four years earlier it had been as high as $34). She'd been ridiculed on the front page of the New York Post two days before in a cut-and-paste picture of her in prison stripes.

Given all that,Stewartwas remarkably composed, dining on grilled tuna, enjoying a glass of white wine. "My daughter told me that all this makes me more interesting," she joked. "Great, if only I didn't have to go through it." She was struggling with whether to go to prison then or hold out through the legal appeal process. She called it "my conundrum." When I asked, perhaps foolishly, if she was at all curious about or intrigued by the idea of going to jail, her reply was classicMartha, tough and no-nonsense, delivered with a touch of hauteur: "Curious?! Intrigued?! No!"

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Remodeling Martha (Fortune 2005)

Updated: May 25, 2012 11:25PM

Designer wins awards

Normandy designer John Long received an Honorable Mention for the Remodeling Excellence Award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry Greater Chicagoland for a kitchen renovation he completed in Chicago.

The recognition was in the Residential Kitchen $30,000 to $60,000 category.

Long allowed the kitchen to be completely transformed in a contemporary way the clients didnt believe seemed possible at first, based on the original structural layout and perceived limitations of the home. In addition to the NARI recognition, Long also received a First Place award in the same competition for an exterior renovation he completed in Glen Ellyn.

Normandy Remodeling of Hinsdale, formerly known as Normandy Builders, is a design/build remodeling firm. It has earned the title of Remodeler of the Year by Professional Remodeler Magazine, as well as the distinction of GuildQuality Guildmaster Award in 2008-12.

Long has more than 30 years of professional experience, knowledge of architectural style and construction. He attended Eastern Illinois and Indiana universities, and the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in technology education. In addition, he is National Kitchen & Bath Association-trained.

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News Brief

News

Friday, May 25, 2012

Special to the Bedford Journal

Homeowners who are planning to outfit their kitchens with state-of-the-art fittings and appliances, looking for remodeling ideas or simply just checking out cutting-edge kitchen trends can find inspiration when the Palace Theatre hosts its eighth annual Kitchen Tour, on Sunday, June 3.

This event features six kitchens in Manchester and Bedford.

Tour-goers can get inspired by the fabulous kitchen designs in the featured homes. They may start wherever they like, explore one or all of the homes and stops along the way and finish when they want, said Kerri Christopher, director of public relations at the Palace Theatre.

Its a self-guided tour. Attendees first start the process at Granite State Cabinetry at 384 Route 101 in Bedford. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m., where maps will be distributed to guide attendees to each home. Attendees may view the homes and featured stops on the tour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Christopher emphasizes that, far from being just places of food preparation, the kitchens on this tour are works of art in and of themselves.

These newly-remodeled kitchens demonstrate how you can maximize the utility of a small space, while other, larger kitchens are showcases for displaying the latest and greatest appliances and design trends, she said.

The houses on the tour are designer showcase homes. Granite State Cabinetry and Barons Major Brands will be showcasing at a number of locations on the tour this year.

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Palace Theatre to hold 8th annual Kitchen Tour in Manchester, Bedford

Mock-up design of what Roger's kitchen should look like when completed.

World-Herald reporter Roger Buddenberg and his wife are embarking on a major home remodeling project. He'll blog about the ups and downs, delays and accomplishments at omaha.com/living

* * *

The Hounds

May 23

We aren't actually remodeling the dogs, of course. Although if that were possible ...

I bring them up because at first they were an obstacle to the project. (Note to self: "Obstacle" would be a good dog name.) Boarding two Lab-sized mutts for weeks and weeks would have been prohibitively costly. Instead, family friends (who have a dog of their own) came to the rescue. They have dog-sat.

The mutts return to our house for weekend furloughs, during which the poor creatures wonder, "What has happened to the place?" and, more important, "Where has the best dog-nap couch gone?" and "What time is supper?"

Soon they'll be home for good. The project is in the home stretch painting, the last bits of trim, a few last appliance hookups, a final floor finishing and the like.

Dogs make poor remodelers, as a rule. Both of ours shed a lot of hair a problem when painting. One is always happy, always interrupting, often mischievous. The other is crabby and naps a lot. (I'm told I resemble one of them.) In short, inviting them to a home improvement project would be like inviting the Bumpus hounds to Christmas dinner.

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Home remodeling blog: The dogs return to a new kitchen

DALLAS, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Home Systems, Inc. (USHS) today announced that it has entered the Canadian market, contracting with an established retailer to deliver kitchen and bath refacing products to Canadian Tire customers in Canada under the business name Canadian Tire Home Services.

To facilitate the expansion, U.S. Home Systems formed a new Canadian subsidiary, Canadian Home Systems, Ltd. (CHS), which has entered into a three year Services Agreement with Canadian Tire Financial Services Limited (CTFS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX-CTC.a) (CTC.TO).

Murray Gross, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented "This expansion represents another major step in the execution of our growth strategy. The strength of the Canadian Tire brand in Canada is truly unique with instant recognition by Canadian shoppers. Canadian Tire has product offerings in automotive, living, fixing, playing, apparel and financial services. We believe that more than 90% of Canadians live within 15 minutes of one of Canadian Tire's 488 stores. We have strong expectations that the introduction of our kitchen and bath products and services will be well received by customers in Canada and we look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with CTFS."

The rollout of the program to Canadian Tire customers will commence in early July 2012 with the initial phase in the Greater Toronto Area. To facilitate the expansion of U.S. Home Systems into the Greater Toronto Area market, CHS will initially open two sales and installation centers, one of which will also serve as its Canadian corporate administrative office. CHS and CTFS will expand the program throughout the Province of Ontario by December 31, 2012. If both CHS and CTFS agree that the initial phase is successful, the program will be fully implemented in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Management anticipates the roll out will be completed by December 2014.

USHS announced that the major terms of the agreement between CHS and CTFS included an exclusive arrangement between the parties in Canada under the business name Canadian Tire Home Services. Subject to certain conditions, the agreement can automatically be extended for successive two year terms.

Mr. Gross continued "Our Canadian operations will be similar to our current U.S. business activities in that our personnel will follow up leads generated by Canadian Tire Home Services or us with in-house visits with prospective Canadian Tire customers for our products. We will provide the products, labor and installation services necessary to complete customer orders and we will be required to make necessary repairs to address customer complaints or warranty claims."

About Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX-CTC.a) (CTC.TO) is one of Canada's most-shopped general retailers and the country's largest sporting goods retailer, with more than 1700 retail and gasoline outlets from coast-to-coast. Its primary retail business categories Automotive, Living, Fixing, Sports, Playing and Apparel are supported and strengthened by its Financial Services division, which offers such products and services as Canadian Tire Home Services, credit cards, retail deposits, in-store financing, product warranties, and insurance. Nearly 68,000 people are employees across the Canadian Tire enterprise, which was founded in 1922 and remains one of Canada's most recognized and trusted brands.

About U.S. Home Systems, Inc.

U.S. Home Systems, Inc. (www.ushomesystems.com) manufactures or procures, designs, sells and installs custom quality specialty home improvement products. The Company's product lines include kitchen cabinet refacing products utilized in kitchen remodeling, bathroom tub liners and wall surround products utilized in bathroom remodeling, and storage organization systems for closets and garages. The Company manufactures its own cabinet refacing products and bathroom cabinetry.

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U.S. Home Systems Enters Canadian Market

ALPHARETTA, Ga., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2012 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS),held April 24 - 26, 2012, drew thousands ofprofessionalsto Chicago's McCormick Place, the site of the largest event in the industry. The National Kitchen & Bath Association's annual show and conference brought together 550 exhibiting companies with 16,091 industry buyers and specifiers, a ten percent increase from 2011. This included independent kitchen and bath designers, custom builders, remodelers, architects, dealers and retailers.Three hundred media outlets converged on the convention centerto see the latest products and hottest technology and trends, anda bustling press room was clear indication of the high level of media activity surrounding the Show.With 32,078 confirmed registrations, this year's event felt a surge of energy and revitalization, delivering on the promise to provide a new experience and opportunity to touch the future.

"KBIS provides the unique opportunity to network and gain critical insights into a changing market, and this year's show had an array of innovative and inspirational products and designs from our exhibitor partners. KBIS 2012 showed that our industry is reinventing itself and utilizing insights from the marketplace to develop new products and designs that change how we interact in both the kitchen and bath," said Jim Scott, managing director of KBIS.

With an exceptional schedule of events, expert speakers and premiere exhibits, industry trends emerged throughout KBIS. Renowned kitchen and bath design bloggers, including Caitlin Grogan, digital content director of Kitchens.com and iBaths.com, Leslie Clagett of KBCulture.com, Susan Serra of The Kitchen Designer, Brandon A. Smith, LEED AP, Principal, d.coop and Marilyn Russell, President/Principal Designer of Design Magnifique, participated in a KBIS panel exploring trend spotting in the design world and cited the following top industry trends based on their experience at KBIS 2012.

Finish Frenzy With the economy improving, homeowners are more likely to spend on products that add to the beauty of their home, including a shift in color palettes throughout a variety of design mediums. Sinks and tiles were draped in color, while black faucets and other earthly hues experienced a resurgence in both the kitchen and bath. Exhibitors also embraced the exploration of lighter shades. White and grey were popular in natural stone tile and quartz surfaces, as well as appliances, and attendees embraced the unique movement and light color incorporated into the new products. Serra notes, "We're also seeing what I like to call 'smart texture' which includes products that are outside of today's clear trends, yet easy to adopt into any kitchen design for a more personal design alternative. For example, updated granite-like countertops with pops of color in the pattern or a fresh take on the use of stained glass or retro tile for the backsplash

speak to today's aesthetic and are offered by both small and large manufacturers."

Colliding Generations KBIS 2012 strongly emphasized the impact of colliding generations in the marketplace through the unveiling of its UNcontained exhibit. Products at the show reflected the unique desires and characteristics of each generation, including exhibitors striving to make aging in place easier for the Zoomer (ages 45-65) and Prime Timer (ages 66-plus) generations. Designs included

cabinets that opened at the touch of a button, shades controlled by a hand-held remote, walk-in tubs with digital technology and hardware in extended sizes. These products also fit right in with the younger generations, who appreciate technology and products that make their busy lives easier. According to Grogan, "Hand-in-hand with the aging-in-place trend, are products designed to last. More products encourage the homeowner to design with taste, rather than resale value, in mind. Black matte finishes, for instance, offer the homeowner an opportunity to showcase their personal style."

The Age of Fashion This year's show presented a unique shift toward a fashion aesthetic. Many exhibitors debuted fashion-forward styles and partnerships with designers reflecting society's fascination with the cutting-edge. From ovens with fire-engine red exteriors to bathroom mirrors that function as works of art, many areas of KBIS reflected the feel a fashion runway.

Integrated Solutions As consumers try to do more with less space, exhibitors took storage to the next level in 2012 by integrating products seamlessly into the home. From refrigerators that blend right into cabinetry to drawer inserts that provide quick access to hard to reach spots, these new storage solutions generated new, unexpected openings for work spaces. Concealed kitchen shelving and extra wide sinks boasting functional colanders and cutting boards within were also heavily featured, as storage possibilities spread from not only closets and the garage but to the kitchen and bath as well.

Technology Takeover Twitter dominated the show floor at KBIS this year with multiple tweet-ups, in-person meetings for members of Twitter, and the quick spread of constant online chatter surrounding must-see products and trends. Many exhibitors also debuted advanced technology in their booths, from products that include smart phone applications to designs that mix light and sound in the bathroom. Toilets can now determine how long you've been sitting, or open the lid as one walks towards it and even wall sockets are built smarter to now incorporate direct USBs plug-ins for consumers using laptops and charging their phones in the hub of their home, the kitchen.

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Top Kitchen and Bath Industry Trends Revealed At KBIS 2012

Are you thinking about remodeling your drab kitchen? Be warned: Remodeling projects will not always fill your pockets with cash when your home sells. In fact, you might not recoup the entire cost of the project.

Experts warn against dumping thousands of dollars into a renovation before researching the project.

Know what other homes in your neighborhood are selling for, said Michelle Jennings Wiebe, founder and president of Studio M Interior Design in Tampa, Fla. You want your home to be in a similar range. If you spend $100,000 on a kitchen remodel, and other similar comparable homes have $20,000 kitchens, then you will not recoup your investment.

Prepare for problems

While the Great Recession forced many homeowners to delay selling their homes, kitchen remodels jumped 36 percent in the third quarter of 2011, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

The biggest issues that homeowners face with renovations are the problems that arise during demolition. Budgets should include money for unexpected expenses.

I would recommend adding at least a 20 percent contingency to any budget, Wiebe said.

She offered these recommendations when tackling renovations:

Hire a highly recommended general contractor with at least three references with past jobs comparable to your remodel job.

If you are doing the work yourself, make sure you know what you are doing. Its common for homeowners to hire designers and contractors after attempting a renovation.

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The downside of upgrades

A new survey released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that common remodeling projects have increased, compared to a similar survey from 2010.

Kitchen and bath projects remain the most popular remodeling jobs with homeowners increasingly upgrading both rooms and making major repairs as they decide to stay in their current homes longer. Nearly 50 percent of remodelers report seeing an increase in the number of homeowners who undertake remodels to avoid moving compared to the 2010 findings.

Both kitchen and bath remodeling projects were up 17 percent from two years ago, with baths cited as a common job by 78 percent of remodelers and kitchens at 69 percent. Since 2009, baths and kitchens have switched places in popularity, with bath remodels moving into the top spot as the most common type of remodeling project.

Repairs and replacements of old components and the desire for upgraded amenities were cited as the top reasons for customers to hire a remodeler. More than 60 percent of remodelers reported increased demand for repairs and replacements of old components in the past two years, while more than half of remodelers said that the desire for upgraded amenities increased. In contrast, more than 20 percent of remodelers said there was a decrease in customers remodeling to increase home values as an investment.

In addition to kitchens and baths, other popular remodeling categories included window/door replacements (44 percent), whole house remodels (35 percent), room additions (33 percent) and handyman services (31 percent).

For complete survey results, click here.

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Kitchens and Baths Remain Top Remodeling Jobs

ORANGE PARK, Fla. --Sandra Lott had to pay a second company to remodel her kitchen because the first company took her money and did nothing and she doesn't know where the company is located.

"They go back from Miami to South Carolina to Jacksonville," said Lott.

In 2009, the Army Reserves nurse used money earned while serving in Iraq to pay a company called Extreme Kitchen Exclusive for a makeover.

"A family member recommended them," said Lott.

She paid them $8,609 up front, but it did nothing. She went to her credit cardand recovered $5,000 for the cabinets. Lott said the company still owes her $3,609, which was paid by check,for granite countertops that were never delivered.

"We just want a refund," said Lott, "because nothing has ever been done."

Calls to the company'sMiamiand South Carolina locations were unnecessary. The president of Extreme Kitchen Exclusive is Scott Schneidermesser.

Public records show he has been president of a number of kitchen remodeling companies since 2006, all out of business.

Tom Stephens, president of the Better Business Bureau, says Schneidermesser's company is not a member and it had one complaint with his South Florida counterpart.

"They did resolve the complaint, It was a serious complaint," said Stephens, "no way for me to tell what it was, but it could mean taking money and not doing the work, something like that."

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Kitchen Remodel Company Leaves First Coast Home Undone

A new survey released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows common remodeling projects have increased, compared to a similar survey from 2010. The survey, released in conjunction with National Home Remodeling Month, describes the changes the remodeling market has undergone in recent years.

Remodelers report that kitchen and bathroom projects remain the most popular remodeling jobs with home owners increasingly upgrading both rooms and making major repairs as they decide to stay in their current homes longer. Nearly 50 percent of remodelers report seeing an increase in the number of home owners who undertake remodels to avoid moving compared to the 2010 findings.

Both kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects were up 17 percent from two years ago, with bathroom remodels cited as a common job by 78 percent of remodelers and kitchen remodels at 69 percent. Since 2009, bathrooms and kitchens have switched places in popularity, with bathroom remodels moving into the top spot as the most common type of remodeling project.

As the priorities of home owners shift, remodelers have to adjust to the needs of their clients, says NAHB Remodelers Chairman George Geep Moore Jr., GMB, CAPS, GMR and owner/president of Moore-Built Construction & Restoration Inc. in Elm Grove, La. And while the motivation behind a home owners decision to remodel may have changed, their desire for quality, professional results have not. Professional remodelers remain committed to the highest industry standards.

Repairs and replacements of old components and the desire for upgraded amenities were cited as the top reasons for customers to hire a remodeler. More than 60 percent of remodelers reported increased demand for repairs and replacements of old components in the past two years, while more than half of remodelers said that the desire for upgraded amenities increased. In contrast, more than 20 percent of remodelers said there was a decrease in customers remodeling to increase home values as an investment.

In addition to kitchens and baths, other popular remodeling categories included window/door replacements (44 percent), whole house remodels (35 percent), room additions (33 percent) and handyman services (31 percent).

Home owners are repurposing spaces and making more efficient use of their homes square footage, Moore says. Whether it be young families or couples aging in their homes, people want to let their house adapt with their needs as they change over time.

For more information about remodeling, visit http://www.nahb.org/remodel.

Copyright 2011 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.

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Kitchens and Bathrooms Remain Top Remodeling Jobs