The second-floor study incorporates built-in bookshelves for Haseltine's extensive library.
His Italianate-style brick home, with its three-stories of art-filled rooms, provides a retreat from a hectic schedule of activities on numerous boards, think tanks and international organizations. Part museum, part salon, it continues to serve as a laboratory for aesthetic experiments.
Haseltine purchased the corner-lot property 13 years ago, soon after founding Human Genome Sciences, Inc., and slowly began renovating. “The interiors had been over-decorated,” he says. “The first thing I did was take out the carpets and chandeliers. The theme was to simplify and make it more comfortable.”
The 61-year-old bachelor shares the six-bedroom home with younger brother Eric and often hosts family gatherings that include his two grown children, Mara and Alexander, and sister Florence. He also frequently entertains friends, scientist colleagues and politicians in small, informal parties. “It’s a home open to both Republicans and Democrats,” the self-described “Independent” says with a smile. “I use it as a salon where people can come together and exchange ideas.”
