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Vanessa Carlton Shared Her “Haunted New England” Home on Instagram

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Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via…read more
published Oct 22, 2021
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In late August, Vanessa Carlton revealed to her followers that she and her family had found their “forever house” a year after moving to New England in 2020. Now, Carlton is taking us along for the ride as she and her design team renovate and restore her 223-year-old home — and the first pic from a completed bathroom is giving major haunted mansion vibes (in the best way possible).

“Covid shot us into the stratosphere (or rather back to my hometown area),” Carlton wrote in a caption of an Aug. 22 Instagram post, explaining how the move was so that her son could attend her childhood Montessori school. Carlton was even a substitute teacher there during the past year.

“Now, I believe we’ve found our forever house,” she continued. “We’ve been working hard on bringing this [223-year-old house] into full bloom … There are fireplaces in each bedroom in this Federal Colonial queen. We chose to leave this mantle fully exposed with a clear wood protector. Natural. I love the whimsy of artful human hands coming together with nature with little interruption.”

Then, on Oct. 15, Carlton posted a pic from inside a bathroom somewhere in the house. Dark paneled walls paired with gothic House of Hackney wallpaper and antique candlesticks? Spooky yet inviting.

“Welcome to haunted New England,” Carlton captioned the post. “Enormous thanks to @hamiltongraystudio and @eshibuilders for helping us restore this home (built in 1798!). They don’t make ‘em like this anymore, but they should.”

And over on designer Kate Hamilton’s feed, we see even more sneak peeks of what’s going on inside the Federal Colonial restoration project.

“As my friend says, you are no longer just a homeowner, you are a curator now,” Carlton wrote in her August post. “We are indeed. And it is such a relief to be stewards of a wonderful home.”

Keep the hauntingly beautiful reveal pics coming, Vanessa!