Two combined Boston condos could create grand living space

Imagine a magnificent and spacious residence in the Back Bay on just two floors on the sunny side of Commonwealth Avenue that comprises more than 7,200 square feet of living space.

Lili Banani of Coldwell Banker Residential has listed two residences within the stately limestone H.M. Sears mansion at 287 Commonwealth Ave. that together would create such a home.

Separately, they are just as distinctive. Unit 4, listed at $5.3 million, has six bedrooms, five baths and two powder rooms.

Unit 5, offered at $2.1 million, has three bedrooms and three en suite baths.

Herbert Mason Sears, a banker with the prominent firm of Lee Higginson & Company, built the four-story home in 1892 at a cost of $80,000.

The architectural firm of Rotch & Tilden designed the wide bowfront building with beautiful carved details at the cornice and above the windows and front entry.

Before the property was converted to condominiums in 1998, it had been a single-family home until 1943.

From 1964 to 1997, the International Institute of Boston owned the property.

Corinthian columns frame the recessed double doors with glass insets, which open into a grand reception hall with wainscoting and a soaring ceiling.

A short flight of carpeted stairs leads to the elevator, which provides direct, keyed access on either side of the cab.

Unit 4 occupies the entire width of the second floor, which was the piano nobile in the original home, plus nearly half of the floor above. Total square footage is about 5,263 square feet.

The elevator opens into a large foyer that directs you into a grand, formal oval living room, entirely paneled with beautiful quarter-sawn oak.

The ceiling is about 11 feet high, and ornate crown molding encircles the room, which features an elegant wood-burning fireplace with marble inlay and built-in shelves encased in glass. A curved folding door hides a convenient wet bar.

French doors open into a formal dining room, which also has a wood-burning fireplace, flanked by built-in shelves.

Adjoining it is a reading room, with a small fireplace with tiles and a wooden mantel.

It’s a comfortable space with a window with interior shutters.

The sun-drenched formal dining room in Unit 4 has a beautiful fireplace with a marble surround and custom-built bookcases.

A set of glass doors transitions into the French country kitchen. Abundant cabinets with glass fronts line the wall, where there is another fireplace! This one is gas.

The cabinets are painted a soft buttercup yellow, and the Sub-Zero refrigerator has matching paneling.

A wood-topped peninsula with a sink and dishwasher divide the kitchen between the informal dining area and the workspace, which includes Thermador double ovens, a four-burner gas cooktop, a second sink and a KitchenAid compactor.

A small hall with storage closets leads to the private areas where there are four bedrooms, including the master

The first bedroom has an en suite bath with a combination tub/shower and a built-in desk.

The second and third bedrooms share a bath off the hall. One of these bedrooms also has a built-in desk; the other one has a delightful fireplace.

The French country kitchen in Unit 4 is expansive and is a perfect spot for casual dining.

The master suite includes two walk-in closets and a luxurious en suite bath with a marble-topped vanity with two sinks, a glass-enclosed shower and a Japanese soaking tub.

The hall continues past the bedroom and a half bath and returns to the elevator. Next to it is a stunning staircase that leads to more living space.

Directly above the living room is an oval family room with a huge gas fireplace and bookshelves on one wall. Built-in cabinetry that includes an entertainment center spans the opposite wall. Recessed lighting and crown molding rim the room.

Another wet bar is tucked into the curve of the interior wall, and beyond this space is a laundry room.

A hall from the family room passes the staircase and the elevator and continues to a home office, which can access the laundry, and a powder room.

Beyond are two more bedrooms, the larger of which has a fireplace with a pink marble surround and an en suite bath with a soaking tub and marble-tiled shower.

Directly above the oval-shaped living room in Unit 4 is a family room with a large gas fireplace and built-in bookshelves.

The bath in the second bedroom has a marble-topped vanity and combination tub/shower.

Unit 5 has 1,962 square feet of space and comprises the flat façade portion of the third floor.

Here, the elevator opens into a grand foyer with a vaulted ceiling and tall columns, echoing the building’s entry, and straight ahead is an elegant formal dining room.

To the right is a large living room with deep crown molding and recessed lighting.

An entire wall comprises a tall fireplace with a large marble surround and Corinthian columns, flanked by floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinets. 

Next to the living room is a family room or study with a fireplace and French doors that can close off this space.

On the other side of the dining room is the eat-in kitchen. Polished black granite counters contrast with the white cabinetry. A huge pantry with pocket doors offers more storage.

High-end appliances include a paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator, a wine refrigerator, a gas cooktop with a white tiled backsplash, Thermador double wall ovens and a Bosch dishwasher.

An unusual nicety is the pass-through from the kitchen to the foyer, which looks like art but is actually leaded glass casement windows.

Leaded glass casement windows are actually a pass-through from the kitchen to the reception hall that flows into the dining room.

The master bedroom is generous and has two large closets on either side of a short corridor to the master bath, which includes both a water-jet soaking tub and a glass-enclosed shower.

The second bedroom has an en suite bath as well with a combination tub/shower.

These residences reflect exceptional craftsmanship with the latest conveniences of modern day living without excluding the finer details of Boston’s “Golden Age” of the late 19th century. The choice of one or both of these condominiums would be satisfying.

DETAILS

Address: H.M. Sears Mansion, 287 Commonwealth Ave., Back Bay

Unit 4: Six-plus bedrooms, five-plus baths, 5,263 square feet, $5.3 million. Taxes, $61,682; condo fee, $1,738 per month

Unit 5: Three bedrooms, three baths, 1,96 square feet, $2.1 million. Taxes, $19,773; condo fee, $557 per month

Features of units: Beautifully appointed condos in six-unit building with state-of-the-art kitchens, luxurious en suite baths; quarter-sawn oak paneling and flooring; ornate crown molding; central air conditioning in-unit laundries; elevator; one deeded parking space for Unit 5, three deeded spaces for Unit 4.

Close by: Commonwealth Avenue Mall and statue of Argentina president Domingo Sarmiento; Newbury Street shops and restaurants; Copley Place and Prudential Center; Charles River Esplanade; Boston Public Library; MBTA Green Line at Copley station and Orange Line and commuter rail and Amtrak at Back Bay station; easy access to Storrow Drive, Routes 90 and 93.

Contact: Lili Banani, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 160 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02116. Phone: 617-267-2909.

Website: www.NewEnglandMoves.com

This property may be seen by appointment.