On the Market: A Dramatic Victorian Manse by Coolidge Corner
Gold ceilings, vintage design, and "rooms" of English gardens grace this remarkable Brookline property.
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
269 Kent St., Brookline
Price: $3,997,000
Size: 6,227 square feet
Bedrooms: 8
Baths: 3.5
As much as it looks like a movie set for a European period piece, this arresting residence lies right here in Brookline—a half mile outside of Coolidge Corner. You might have noticed the stone and stucco exterior capped with a red tile roof while walking by with an armful of Trader Joe’s groceries, but the view from behind the meticulously shaped wall of hedges would stop you in your tracks.
The Victorian was built in the early 1900s, and many of the rooms let you step back into the 20th century. The owners intentionally maintained the antique look to honor the home’s historical character, as you can see in the reception hall, which they learned from old newspaper clippings originally sported a gold ceiling. After discovering a corner that had never been painted over, the owners had the color replicated and the ceiling repainted.
The kitchen is another time capsule, complete with vintage wallpaper, red marble counters, Art Deco light fixtures, and a bold floor painted by a local artist to mimic 1940s linoleum. All throughout the home, original stained glass windows, carved wooden mantels, and oak paneling hark back to the home’s golden age. “To try to match the quality of materials and workmanship today would be cost prohibitive and nearly impossible,” explains listing agent Fabrizio Gentili.
While the interior design feels firmly anchored in a moment in time, the grounds and gardens surrounding the home are timeless. A checkerboard pathway of pavers and grass squares ushers you up to the front door, where you can turn right to walk along the driveway and underneath a porte-cochère covered in climbing roses. It’s a yard Gentili describes as being made up of “rooms,” so loop around the back to find another outdoor chamber: a fenced-in bluestone patio overlooking lush English gardens. Among the grounds, you’ll also come across a bubblegum pink playhouse complete with a sleeping loft, a storage closet enclosed by a pair of Victorian doors rescued from a Brooklyn brownstone, and a greenhouse made of vintage windows. Needless to say, the outdoor rooms offer just as much of a treasure hunt as the ones inside.
For information, contact Ethan Felleman or Fabrizio Gentili, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, sothebysrealty.com.
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Photo via Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
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