Domus, 542 Colne Road, Burnley

Domus, 542 Colne Road, Burnley

This is a two-storey modernist house of brown brick built into a hillside, with concrete floor and wall plates rendered to the exterior. The building is arranged on a T-shaped plan, with a main rectangular block running north-south containing an open-plan living and dining room on the ground floor, lower wings projecting to either side at the north end, and the kitchen, bedrooms and associated rooms also on the ground floor. The lower ground floor, accessed by staircase from the entrance hallway, contains a large party room, a bedroom (formerly a darkroom), and a large double garage.

The main elevation faces west over a large garden and comprises the two-level main block with lower wings, a raised rectangular pool projecting to the right with walls of grey unshaped slate, and an original patio in the middle. Strong horizontal lines are created by white rendered concrete floor and wall plates. The main block is supported on slender square-section concrete columns, with a shallow concrete vaulted ceiling to the open-plan living space. The north wing has an original motorised steel concertina door to the double garage on the lower ground floor and an original spiral staircase rising to a full-width concrete balcony with metal balustrading and square-section timber handrail. The master bedroom and kitchen have full-height picture windows with sliding panes opening onto the balcony. The main block has picture windows on both floors; the lower level has a sliding pane opening onto the patio, the upper level a sliding pane opening onto a similarly detailed balcony the width of the right-hand bay, and shallow segmental clerestorey windows. The pool overhangs the balcony and is fed by roof drainage running in a channel beneath the upper level, cascading down three steps into the pool before being pumped back up. The patio has original hexagonal tiling with a large circle of stone setts in front.

From the east, the drive makes the building appear single-storey. A lower wing projects to the right, containing the main entrance set to the rear of an open internal porch. The porch side walls are faced in original marble panels, and the projecting screen wall to the left of the slate steps is crazy-patterned stonework. The original timber door has a single glass panel and side light with letter box, flanked by shallow curved stone walls forming flower beds. To the right is a full-height glazed panel and shallow rectangular oriel window. The east elevation of the higher block has brick walls with two full-height narrow panes glazed with red glass.

The entrance door leads into a hall with bold terrazzo marble tiles. The right-hand and rear walls have vertical walnut plank panelling incorporating full-height doors with aluminium handles, and an open-tread wooden staircase descends to the lower ground floor, enclosed by a balustrade with square-section timber rails of varying widths. Original light switches and an original art installation on a timber-clad pillar remain beside the stairwell.

The open-plan living and dining room features a higher shallow vaulted ceiling and is partially screened by a freestanding screen wall faced in wide rosewood veneer panels. An open timberwork frame between the screen and the opposing wall lowers the ceiling height over the dining end. A similarly veneered lighting canopy with central hanging light fitting is attached to the frame. The room has large square cream-coloured terrazzo tiles separated by narrow brass bands.

The kitchen occupies the west side with white painted brick walls and modern fitted units; the original rubbish chute to a lower ground storage room survives but is no longer in use. Adjacent is the master bedroom with original fitted wardrobes and built-in dressing table in silky oak veneer with aluminium handles. The east wall is panelled with two full-height doors opening into an ensuite bathroom (refitted but retaining original metal towel loops) and a separate dressing room lit by a circular skylight, with original fitted wardrobes and drawers.

Opening off the entrance hall is a small room, originally a cloakroom now a study, lit by a circular skylight, with a separate toilet beyond retaining original wc and sink. Adjacent to the entrance door on the west side is a corner room originally a secretary's room with a removed hatch; the adjacent large bedroom originally had a removable concertina wall. This room retains original fitted rosewood veneered wardrobes and built-in dressing table, and opens into a bathroom with original cast iron rebated bath, sink, wc and metal towel loops.

The lower ground floor steps open into an L-shaped party room with original acoustic ceiling tiles, timber floor with under-lit circular glass dance floor of segmental sections, and original timber doors with aluminium handles. The east wall has an original abstract light-box installation. The north-west corner contains an original bar with rectangular timber and green textured tile counter on a plinth beneath a suspended timber-edged canopy, lit shelves for bottles and glasses, and three fixed aluminium and leather bar stools. An internal doorway opens into the garage. A small cloakroom with external door onto the patio and separate wc both have painted brick walls and original fixtures. The north-east corner bedroom, formerly a darkroom, retains original cupboard doors, though shutters have been removed.