Sunlit Updated Victorian - Chef`s kitchen, library and sunroom, Boston 20 min by car or train

Step through the door of this 1886 Victorian and you`re not stepping into a rental — you`re stepping into a home. Soaring ceilings that are tall the way old houses meant them to be. Ornate gilt crown molding. Original dark wood pocket doors. Floors with the right creak. A full modern remodel underneath all of it. Curated art on the walls. Designer furniture in every room. This is a home that was lived in before you arrived, and it feels like one. There are two places to work, two places to eat, and four off-street parking spots waiting when you pull in.
You`re in Melrose`s historic East Side, walk five minutes to downtown Melrose — cafés, a French bakery, restaurants, bars, and groceries all within easy reach. Reach Boston by car in 20 minutes or use the nearby Orange Line T or Commuter Rail.
20 minutes to: Freedom Trail, Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, The North End, USS Constitution & Museum, New England Aquarium, Museum of Science, Boston Duck Tours,
25 minutes to: Fenway Park, Salem, Marblehead, Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Peabody Essex Museum
Four bedrooms — two kings, two queens — plus a rollaway twin when you need a ninth guest, each thoughtfully appointed with curated art, quality linens, and real closet space. All of them have ample windows for the sun, or curtains for the mornings that call for it.
The kitchen alone would justify the trip. Six-burner Thermador range with a grill. Sub-Zero refrigerator. Double Gaggenau ovens, one with a pizza stone. Professional stainless hood. Marble island. Open floating shelves. The small stuff done right too — a Moccamaster for coffee, a Vitamix for smoothies, a Zojirushi rice cooker, a Philips Airfryer, a bagel cutter. Cook a real dinner. Bake a pizza from scratch. This kitchen can keep up with you.
When dinner is ready, the formal dining room seats the group at a green marble table under a hand-crafted mosaic chandelier. Or take it to the sunroom — three walls of glass, a built-in banquette, trees just outside — which becomes your morning coffee spot within the first hour and your default gathering place by night two.
The library will make you want to stay in — a full wall of floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases, board games on the lower shelves, comfortable chairs, and an arched Victorian doorway connecting back to the living room.
The primary king bedroom opens through French doors into a private sitting room and workspace — a suite-like arrangement for couples or families traveling with another adult.
A dedicated home office with a standing/sitting desk, Herman Miller Aeron chair, and 4K monitor handles focused work. A second standing desk with ergonomic chair means two people can work simultaneously without getting in each other`s way.
The den is where the evening slows down. A plaid sofa, a tufted Chesterfield chair, a large flat-screen with soundbar — a room that`s comfortable and functional. Original gilt crown molding overhead, warm hardwood floors, the same dark wood trim. Put something on and settle in.
Ceiling smart speakers running through the kitchen, library, and dining areas fill the main living spaces with music while you cook, eat, or unwind.
The full bath earns its place: a walk-in glass shower, white penny tile, and a skylight overhead that fills the space with natural light. The half bath feels like a small art installation with a birch log pedestal sink, mosaic tile, branch arrangement, and etched calligraphy.
For families we have a mini-crib, Pack `n Play and high chair, and a full-size LG washer and dryer are on-site. Four off-street parking spots are yours. This is a no-pets home.
The front porch has turned columns, a coral door, and chairs already waiting. The garden runs alongside the house with a stone and river rock path, weeping wisteria, lavender, and clipped hedges.
Message us — we`d love to help you plan the perfect stay.
Quiet hours 11pm–7am — please be respectful of neighbors
Visitors welcome; only registered guests may stay overnight
No parties or events
No smoking indoors — $500 fee for violations; smoking permitted outside
No pets unless pre-approved
No illegal activity
Any damage will be charged to the guest at cost of repair