Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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The library features the home's original chandelier, new wood paneling, and a pair of foo dogs on the mantelpiece. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY RYAN T en years ago, Elena Matlack and her husband, Tom, saw what would be their cherished home in Brookline for the first time. "I walked in and said, "Oh, my god, this house is the greatest! The bones are amazing. I just loved it right away," Matlack recalls. She immediately set her sights on trans- forming the Colonial Revival into a haven for her family and a venue where she could entertain on a grand scale. The house checked off Matlack's master wish list. It was spacious (6,300 square feet). It was inviting (spots for DJ booths and cocktail bars swirled around her head). And it had an intriguing history. Built in 1904 by a group of master craftsmen, the house became a dormitory for the Winsor School for girls during World War II. In the school's bulletin, the headmistress described evenings at the house with "sit-down dinners, a study hall off the dining room, and a congenial atmosphere." "My home is designed to be lived in and enjoyed both for its functionality and for its aesthetic appeal," Matlack says. Entertaining takes place on the ground f loor, where all the rooms connect to the spacious hall- way, which becomes the hub for party revelers as they hop from one room to the next. A sweeping staircase wraps around and above the hallway—the landing is where many a musician has set up to play for a dancing crowd below. If guests seek someplace quieter, they can retreat to the library or the living room, where a grand piano beckons visitors to play a tune. Matlack Philanthropy Begins at Home ONE OF BOSTON'S MOST ELEGANT SOCIALITES, ELENA MATLACK, OPENS UP HER HOME TO SHARE HER DESIGNING AND ENTERTAINING SECRETS. BY CIARA HUNT PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY RYAN continued on page 116 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 115 Haut e P roperty NEWS, STARS, AND TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE 115-116_BC_HP_Opener_Spring14.indd 115 2/7/14 12:07 PM