Large condo in Boston's Back Bay has new kitchen
By June Albritton
Large condo in Boston's Back Bay has new kitchen
The Back Bay has been called one of the loveliest neighborhoods in the country, and the houses, mainly red brick, were designed by well-known architects who practiced between 1860 and 1900.
They have been models for homes in all parts of the country.
Two of those architects were Oscar L. Shillings, who was born in Maine in 1852, and N.H. Chadwick, who was from Vermont.
The two men came to Boston around 1870 and in 1875 founded the firm of Chadwick and Shillings Builders. An ad in the Boston Evening Transcript listed their office as being in Room 31 of the Equitable Building with hours from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Their business bought unimproved lots and built homes on them. Samuel Dudley Kelley was the architect for many of their projects.
At the time that A.F. Parsons published a directory of Boston firms, Chadwick and Shilling were said to have built more than 100 homes in the Back Bay.
On June 7, 1880, two building permits were filled out for properties on Marlborough Street.
Both forms listed the projects as one building in a block of two dwellings.
The architect of each was S.D. Kelley; the builder of each was Samuel Shillings.
The recently updated kitchen features granite counters, white cabinetry and high-end stainless steel appliances.
The owner of 180 Marlborough was listed as Chadwick and Shillings, and the owner of 182 Marlborough was Samuel Shillings.
In 1925 the home at 180 Marlborough was converted to apartments, and 182 Marlborough remained as a single-family home until it was turned into nine apartments in 1962. By December of 1977 the apartments had become condominiums.
Roberta Orlandino of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is marketing Unit 3 at 182 Marlborough St.
The beautiful unit is a floor-through on the parlor level with both front and back bays.
It was renovated in 1998, and the kitchen and master bath were updated recently.
The two-bedroom, two-bath home with a chef’s kitchen, hardwood floors and gorgeous moldings is listed at $870,000.
The second bedroom has built-in shelves for books and a television and floor cabinets that conceal a washer and dryer.
The home is about half way down the block between Dartmouth and Exeter streets. The large front garden is bordered by a short hedge that divides it from its neighbor and a cast iron fence along the sidewalks. The fence is draped with a climbing hydrangea.
In the garden are a large fern, a hydrangea shrub, hostas, astilbe, an iron urn filled with decorative plants, and three decorative stepping stones set in a bed of moss. The angular front bay of the home juts out into the garden.
An attractive paneled entry hall painted white is the overture to Unit 3. Inside, a foyer with a coat closet is across from an alcove, a nice spot for a large secretary/desk there now or for a small dining room table. The alcove is separated from the kitchen by a granite-topped bar. A door on the right opens to a wonderful living room.
The ceiling of the living room is circled with six tiers of magnificent carved molding, balanced by wide baseboards.
The angular front bay holds three full-size, double-hung one-over-one windows that actually open.
The windows are high enough from the ground that, although it is easy to see what is happening on the street, it is not easy for people on the street to see inside.
The master bedroom at the back of the home has a three-window bay and a high ceiling rimmed with ornate crown molding.
A sealed transom tops each of the three windows, and the one in the middle is filled with leaded glass. The other two have eight squares of bull’s eye glass so that all three windows allow more light to enter.
The fireplace with a carved mantelpiece has a surround and hearth of imported tile. The fireplace chimney was recently relined. All of it is set off by beautiful, gleaming hardwood.
The kitchen is also beautiful. The large cabinets are white, the appliances are stainless steel, and the countertops are light colored mottled granite, lit by undercabinet lighting.
The refrigerator/freezer and two-drawer dishwasher are Fisher & Paykel. The range, microwave and exhaust are Jenn Air. White squares of tile set on a diagonal form a lovely backsplash.
The master bedroom is enhanced by the beautiful original hardwood floor that is made of thin strips of light wood decorated by strips of darker wood at the back of the room.
A brick walkway leads up to the handsome entry to 182 Marlborough St.
The spacious room feels even larger because of the high ceiling that is ringed by five tiers of wonderfully carved crown molding.
There are two closets in the room, both with built-ins. A chandelier hangs from a ceiling medallion. At the back of the room, an expansive three-window bay overlooks the wide attractive alley that separates the home from the houses on Commonwealth Avenue.
The en suite master bath is luxurious with a marble-tiled floor, vanity top and shower floor and surround. The shower is glass-enclosed.
The second bath off the back hallway is crisp and welcoming with walls of white tile lined with navy blue tile. The floor has white tile punctuated by small squares of navy blue tile.
The second bedroom has very creative built-ins. A built-in wall cabinet is next to built-in shelving that now holds books and a television. Above both are more storage cabinets. The floor cabinets open to display the surprise of a Miele clothes washer and dryer. The room has tasteful crown molding and a large window.
The comfortable hot water baseboard heat in the unit is included in the condo fee.
DETAILS
Address: 182 Marlborough St., Unit 3, Back Bay
BR/BA: Two bedrooms, two baths
Size: 1,138 +/- square feet
Age: 1880; 1962; 1998; recent updates
Price: $870,000
Taxes: $7,696 (FY 2011 with residential exemption)
Condo fee: $464 per month (includes heat and hot water)
Features of the building: Handsome, well-maintained nine-unit building in a supreme Back Bay location; fenced front garden, attractive lobby, professionally managed.
Features of the home: Beautiful features, both original and reproduced; chef’s granite and stainless steel kitchen with top appliances; built-ins, front and back angular bays, fireplace, exquisite moldings, lovely hardwood floors, top in-unit washer and dryer, marble en suite master bath, baseboard hot water heat, recessed lighting.
Close by: Commonwealth Avenue Mall, shopping on Newbury, Boylston and Charles streets; the Public Garden, Arthur Fiedler bridge to the Hatch Shell.
Contact: Roberta Orlandino, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 137 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116. Phones: 617-266-4430 (office) or 617-312-1511 (cell).
Websites: www.nemoves.com or www.RobertaOrlandino.com
An open house will be held at this property Sunday, Nov. 13, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
