Living Large: Rachel Slade's Off-Kilter Take on Hub Homes

Splendor in the Grass

Photos courtesy of Landvest

Here’s a nature lover’s retreat in the heart of Brookline: more than three acres of verdant knolls, mature trees, a friendly little brook, and views of Sargent Pond, complete with a pair of resident swans. After a recent $1 million renovation, the circa-1960s abode now features a sizable (and on-trend) kitchen complete with a full-size Sub-Zero freezer and refrigerator, a hunting-lodge-themed family room, and plenty of smaller updates. The 5,152-square-foot home’s layout is a bit challenging—it could benefit from a partial interior reconfiguration—but that’s easily overlooked when you consider the lush landscape. Another possible attraction for buyers? Regular invitations to swanky soirees hosted by John Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry, thanks to a shared property line.

On the Market

Address: 88 Cottage St., Brookline
Listing price: $5.75 million
Listing agent: Terrence Maitland, Landvest, 617-357-8949, landvest.com
Stats: three bedrooms, four baths, one half bath

Historically Restored

As Newbury Street began to devolve into a chain-store morass, preservationists became increasingly worried about the future of the Civil War–era Boston Society of Natural History building (formerly home to Louis Boston) on the corner of Boylston Street. Thankfully, new tenant Restoration Hardware—a.k.a. the Sears catalog for the iPad set—has made a mission of restoring the crumbling icon to its original grandeur. The new showroom is slated to open in early spring.

Going Green

The Boston Design Center could soon boast the -second-largest rooftop garden in the world—55,000 square feet, to be exact. It all hinges on whether Higher Ground Farm can raise the $350,000 needed to get the required infrastructure in place. higher-ground-farm.com

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