Unfortunately, for Violette de Ayala and Stephen Sproul—designer enthusiasts and historic preservationists who share their love of old homes on @oldhouseaddiction—their ghost wasn’t friendly like Casper. At the time, the couple owned a design-build business and had always been drawn to historic homes. So in 2004 they bought a Victorian mansion built in the 1880s in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the historic Oakwood neighborhood, after feeling like the home was quite literally calling to them. Located about four houses down from the governor’s mansion, it came with all you’d expect from a grand, old home: crown molding, tall ceilings, solid wood doors, and six fireplaces. “The home had a gentlemen’s parlor, a women’s lounge, and a rose garden,” adds de Ayala. “And the dining room still had a chandelier that utilized both gas and electricity.”
The couple fell in love with the abode and were eager to start renovating it, …