Penthouse at the Vendome is filled with sunlight
The Hotel Vendome at 160 Commonwealth Ave. was built in 1871 in the Back Bay and became the premier place to live in Boston.
It was so desirable that a large addition was added in 1881.
Today, the building now contains 110 condominiums that are as desirable as the hotel once was.
Roberta Orlandino of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has listed No. 712, a recently updated penthouse at the Vendome, for $767,000.
Its 1,378 +/- square feet include two bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, a living room with dining area, a study and lots of storage.
The Hotel Vendome was filled with luxuries, and cost a million dollars to build at a time when that amount was unheard of. It was the hotel of choice of many famous visitors to Boston, including at least two presidents.
In 1882 the hotel became the first commercial building in Boston to have electric lighting when the dining room was lit.
The building is in the French Second Empire style and constructed of white Italian and Tuckahoe marble. It is gorgeous. It contains a restaurant in the lowest level and professional offices, art galleries, and decorators in the commercial spaces.
The living room features high windows and a cathedral ceiling with white beams. The end walls are exposed brick.
A separate condominium entrance off the west side of the lobby has a 24-hour concierge who screens visitors before they enter one of the two condominium elevators.
No. 712 is on the seventh floor, west of the main front entrance of the building. Just past the front door of the unit the hallway contains an atrium with a huge tent skylight. It is possible to lean over the railing to see all the way down to the lowest level.
Inside the unit a row of high windows flows across the entire north side of the home, providing wonderful light while maintaining privacy. In fact, a former owner used the living room as an art gallery.
The wide foyer just inside the front door is lined with closets.
One of those closets contains a full size Bosch washer and dryer that is vented to the outside.
The hall to the kitchen is to the left, the hall to the bedrooms is to the right, and the living room is straight ahead.
The recently renovated kitchen includes hardwood bamboo flooring, custom cherry cabinets and granite counters.
The recently renovated kitchen features hardwood bamboo flooring, custom cherry cabinets and granite countertops. There are several pantries as well as a built-in wine rack and bookshelves.
The stainless steel appliances are Frigidaire Professional series and include a range with four cooking surfaces plus a warming unit and a refrigerator/freezer with a serving area for water and ice on the outside of the door. A stainless steel vented hood covers the range. The room is spacious, with plenty of room for a dining table.
The living room end walls are exposed brick and there are exposed white beams. The feeling is loft-like, enhanced by the 10-foot 3-inch cathedral ceiling height. One end is a dining room and the other the sitting area of the living room.
Stairs on the south side of the room lead to a raised study that is separated from the living room by wood rails supported by metal balusters. The study has views of the Back Bay. Beneath the study is a storage area.
The hallway to the bedrooms is lined with white built-ins. There are cabinets, bookshelves and display shelving the full length of the hallway.
One of the two bedrooms has a wall of exposed brick, and both have high windows like those in the living room.
A full bath and two bedrooms are at the end.
Light and bright describes the bathroom because of the dressing room type lighting. The soaking tub/shower has a rain forest showerhead.
The two bedrooms have large closets and the same type of high windows and exposed beams as the living room. One of the bedrooms has a wall of exposed brick.
The home has central air conditioning. The foyer, kitchen and study have hardwood bamboo flooring. Other areas have wall-to-wall carpeting. Designer recessed lighting illuminates the home. There is on-site building management, and pets are allowed. A concierge is on duty 24 hours a day.
The location is wonderful, at the corner of Dartmouth Street and Commonwealth Avenue, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall is just across the street. The Public Garden is just down the street, and Newbury Street shopping is just a block away. The restaurant on the lower level of the building has outdoor seating in the summer.
The 1871 corner building was designed by William G. Preston. The main building, which is the 1881 addition, was by J.B. Ober and R. Rand. Renovations and rebuilding took place from 1971 through 1975 and were by Stahl Bennett.
In 1971 the hotel was sold, and the new owners decided to change the building’s use. During the renovations in 1972, a fire started in the back corner of the original building. In three hours the fire was under control, but some firefighters remained for the cleanup.
Suddenly the part of the building collapsed from the weight of the water, crushing nine firefighters with the debris. A memorial to those fallen firefighters was erected in their honor in 1997 on the Commonwealth Mall across the street from the Vendome.
DETAILS
Address: The Vendome, 160 Commonwealth Ave., No. 712, Back Bay
BR/BA: Two bedrooms, one bath
Age: 1871; 1881; 1975; recent updates
Price: $767,000
Size: 1,378 +/- square feet
Taxes: $7,417 (with residential exemption)
Condo fee: $811 per month
Features of the building: Gorgeous mixed-use building faced with white Italian and Tuckahoe marble; commercial spaces include professional offices, decorators, an art gallery, and a restaurant with indoor and outside seating; separate condominium area has on-site management and a 24-hour concierge; pet-friendly.
Features of the unit: Recently renovated penthouse with eat-in chef’s kitchen, professional appliances, custom cabinets, and granite counters; laundry closet with washer and dryer vented outside; open loft-like living room and dining area; bright light from many high windows; exposed brick, cathedral ceiling, exposed white beams; raised open study.
Close by: Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Public Garden, Newbury Street shops, the Public Garden and Charles Street dining and shops; easy access to MBTA Green Line at Copley and Orange Line (and Amtrak) at Back Bay Station, Routes 93 and 90.
Contact: Roberta Orlandino, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 137 Newbury St., Boston MA 02116. Phones: 617-266-4430 (office) or 617-796-5626 (cell).
Web sites: www.NewEnglandMoves.com, www.BostonBackBayHomes.com or www.robertaorlandino.com.
An open house will be held Sunday, Jan. 31, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
