The coming season of LIFE ON MAR’S, The Home Makeover Show is our third, and purposefully filled with variety. After all, variety is the spice of life–and design, too. Our focus is simple: to experience a little bit of everything across Connecticut. This season we sought out to renovate the most diverse mix of homes yet: from cottages to grand estates.
Boy were our prayers answered: nothing personifies grand more than a castle! Yes: a real castle. How delighted I was when a fan recognized me at our local antique center and quickly introduced me to her friend Susi who, along with her husband, was just closing her real estate purchase of a castle in Cornwall, Connecticut.
Did you just have my reaction? “There’s a castle in Cornwall?” As I learned more I realized that it really is a castle, underscoring how much there is to discover in this state!
This enchanting, petite castle is nestled on 280 acres surrounded by state forest and private land trusts totaling 1,000 acres. It was the creation of Charlotte Bronson Hunnewell and her husband Dr. Walter Martin; they started it shortly after their marriage in 1921, and it was finished in 1925. It features a main house with expansive courtyard, three guest cottages, swimming pool, and more. 
It is built in a style affectionately called “storybook architecture”, reflecting how the wealthy built for fun and not for protection from enemies. All stone, with brick and plaster and wood, it feels solid, and other than the large entertaining spaces it feels intimate inside.
Needless to say, the years and Mother Nature have taken a toll on this glorious place and now its time for some major restoration and renovations. The new owners are committed to bringing this hidden jewel back to life, and it will be great fun to watch.
Team MAR is thrilled and delighted to be part of this transformation and look forward to sharing the progress with you all. But for now take a look at this video for some beautiful footage and breathtaking details of this castle. https://vimeo.com/131991592
