home
T
he Italianate Victorian home of Lynn and
Sengal Selassie isn’t the couple’s first
Montclair address; for 12 years, the fam-
ily lived a block away. But, “We always
admired the wraparound porch and the
charm of the columns,” says Lynn Selassie.
“We were always passing by, and when
it came on the market four years ago, we
bought it.”
Though the kids originally protested that they didn’t want
to leave their “memories” behind, Selassie says that they soon
thrilled to the much larger backyard, where they roast marshmal-
lows over the firepit in the fall. And everyone loves the way the
exterior looks decorated for Christmas. “With the arched doorway
and balcony with railings, the home looks exactly as if it were
meant to have the garlands and wreaths,” says Selassie, who buys
garlands in bulk at the Brookside Garden Center and makes the
bows by hand; the wreaths are from area florist Matthew Franklin.
THROUGH THE LUNETTES
The home’s arched front door hints at a recurrent architectural theme:
lunettes — open, arched entryways — that are abundant throughout the house.
(Above) Two can be seen from inside the dining room, whose walls are done in
Venetian plaster with a wax finish. (Right) The custom chairs, window treatments
and chandelier were styled by Michael Maher Design in West Orange; the floral
arrangement on the dining room table comes from Blooms in Hand, owned by
florist Anna Coy of Montclair. The Selassies purchased the artwork over the
mantel in Montreal, because the “bright colors bring a shot of life to the room,
and we felt it would be a perfect fit,” says Selassie.
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HOLIDAY 2018 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE