Taylor Swift to spend $2.7 million on Rhode Island mansion upgrade

Just weeks after finishing her historic Eras Tour, Taylor Swift is diving into a major house renovation. 

The singer-songwriter is embarking on a major remodelling project on her Rhode Island mansion, ‘Holiday House’. 

According to planning documents obtained by Us Weekly, Swift plans to add a 37-square-metre extension to the beachfront mansion in the Watch Hill neighbourhood of Rhode Island. 

She plans to turn one of the existing bedrooms into an “enlarged bedroom suite” and lounge, the documents reportedly state. 

Swift will also add an additional bedroom to the property, and plans to remodel the kitchen. 

In total, the project will cost $US1.7 million ($AU2.7 million). The work will be undertaken by a team of local contractors led by David W. Shafovaloff, who is known for high-end Rhode Island renovations. 

‘Holiday House’, also known as ‘High Watch’, was first built in 1930. It became infamous in the 1940s after the oil heiress and socialite Rebekah Harkness bought the property and led a lavish lifestyle. 

The home, and Harkness’s time there, featured prominently in Swift’s song ‘the last great american dynasty.’

In the song, Swift writes that Rebekah “filled the pool with champagne” and “in a feud with the neighbour / She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green”. 

Both of these events took place in real life. 

‘Holiday House’ sits on five acres of grounds and looks out over the Atlantic Ocean. There is more than 200 metres of private beachfront, and Swift frequently hosts parties in the garden. 

In August 2024, 17 months into the Eras Tour, Swift spent some time at the estate with friends Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds to enjoy a brief pause from work.