Cool Vision, Boundless Energy: The Hallowed House Joins Chartreuse & co

You may remember Carolyn and Christopher Hallowell, the dynamic sibling duo who rocked the Holiday Makers Market with their maximalist aesthetic and beautifully turned-out furnishings. We just couldn't get enough of their look, their charm, and everything they do. Starting this month, March 2023, The Hallowed House opens its doors here at Chartreuse & co, creating the most enchanting space imaginable on the second floor of the Dairy Barn.

 To help you get to know them, we asked Carolyn and Christopher a few questions about their background and what inspires and motivates them. 

1.  How did you get started in this business?

Our love of antiques, textiles, and art comes from our admiration of bygone eras when craftsmanship was a well-regarded requirement. Growing up in the 90s when particle board, IKEA, and cheap plastic reproductions reigned supreme, we grew up with parents and grandparents who were doers and makers. If you wanted a new piece of furniture, you either found and restored it or built it from scratch. The artwork that filled our childhood home was watercolor scenes painted by our grandfather, and we were given free rein to paint our bedroom walls the colors (and sometimes patterns) of our choice. The list of talents, trades, and craftsmanship we were taught by our family goes on, but this made us understand that quality was not only found in pieces that would stand the test of time but also were made special knowing the story or hands that made them.

As a sibling duo, we had a vision for what our own brand aesthetic and ethos would look like, and we weren’t seeing it walking into stores or finding it online. So in 2022, we decided to try and build our own narrative-driven retail experience. With creative direction and film production backgrounds, we leverage our years of creative industry experience to create and curate pieces for your home with a story to tell. 

2.  What inspires and motivates you?

We're inspired by good storytelling and a clear point of view. That’s why we create collections of pieces that we number and name as chapters. For each chapter, we blend a unique scent, build a color palette, create hand-drawn textiles, and even curate a playlist of songs for the start of a 360 experience. That becomes our foundation to find, curate and breathe new life into special pieces worth treasuring for years to come.

For us, the motivation comes from re-setting the scene with each chapter and creating new ways to layer generations of finds - both new and old - together for a wholly cohesive mood and vibe.

3.  What's your philosophy, guiding light in your business?

Nearly every single piece that we acquire, make, or design has our own unique stamp on it before we sell it; Whether it’s cleaning and rebuilding the gilded frame for a decades-old oil painting, pouring our own custom-scented candles in vintage glassware, or finding unique ways to upholster pieces with our own textiles. With less than 5% of our items sourced as brand new, we work hard to make each piece feel like a Hallowed House branded piece: luxe, sustainable, and memorable.

4.  How do you define your aesthetic?

We will not likely be the brand for those who subscribe to a minimal and perfectly neutral space without a speck of dust. We subscribe to multi-era curated chaos with a bold color palette, lots of texture, and a penchant for the dramatic and macabre. Some call it maximalism, and we say that we are storytellers and purveyors of fine craftsmanship. For us, a space should feel eclectically lived in and luxe with a collection of modern comforts and treasured antiquities. 

-- Carolyn & Christopher

To all that we say, "Bravo!" And we think you will, too. Come see their store launch March 17-19, 2023 here at Chartreuse & co.

Thanks for reading,

Virginia