Tawny House

Tawny House is a former estate laundry built between about 1738 and 1743 as the east range to Home Farm, constructed as part of William Kent's improvements at Claremont. The building was extended in the 19th century and in several phases during the 20th century. It was converted into a dwelling in 1928, when the interior was substantially remodelled, and was refurbished again in the late 20th century.

The original range faced west onto the courtyard of Home Farm and had a probable cart entrance at the west. Following conversion to a dwelling, the main front is now at the east. The building was extended to each side with single-storey additions in the 19th century and then in successive phases during the 20th century to the south and west. At ground floor, the interior has a central stair hall flanked by dining and living rooms with a study at the north end, as well as bedrooms at the south; the first floor contains bedrooms.

The building is constructed of brown and yellow stock brick covered in stucco (since the late 20th century) with slate roof coverings to the original range, felt roof coverings to the later additions, and red clay chimney pots.

The original range is three bays wide and two storeys high with a hipped roof and three chimney stacks. There is a projecting central entrance bay under a pediment and two flanking bays, all with three-centred arched openings to each floor, and then single-storey wings beyond. The ground floor has a plain plinth with incised ashlar treatment above, slightly projecting quoins, and a projecting storey band with modillions to the central bay and dentils to the flanking bays. The entrance contains a half-glazed wooden door flanked by margin lights and a fanlight. The first floor has plain stucco treatment with a cill band beneath the windows and a deep moulded cornice to the roof and central pediment. At the centre of the pediment is a tablet with a lion's head and cornucopiae, which was added in the later 20th century. The arched windows each contain a pair of casements with fixed margin lights. The remodelled 19th-century single-storey wings generally continue the treatment of the central range and have later 20th-century flat roofs with perforated parapets.

The side and rear elevations continue the architectural treatment described above. The north elevation has an arched window to the single-storey wing and a French doorway to the first floor of the main range, providing access out onto the roof top. The south elevation has a French doorway to the first floor of the main range.

At the rear, on the west elevation of the original block within the kitchen addition, is a former carriage arch to the ground floor, partially infilled and concealed by a modern false ceiling.

The central staircase hall was remodelled in around 1928 and has three-quarter height plank and muntin wall panelling, a chamfered axial beam, and a brick inglenook fireplace. The fireplace has a curved wooden bressummer supported on re-used upended chamfered ceiling beams, possibly taken from elsewhere in the house, built-in wooden seats, and a stone hearth. There is a double winder staircase with square newel posts, turned balusters, a wooden handrail, and splat balusters to the gallery above. A drawing room and study lead off to the north, both with three-quarter height wall panelling and chamfered axial beams. The drawing room has a four-centred arched fireplace with foliage decoration, whilst the study has a cast-iron fireplace with a register grate, decorative tiles, and a wooden surround. A dining room leads off to the south of the hall and has an inserted Louis XVI style marble fireplace. Beyond it, to the south, are two bedrooms and a bathroom. On the first floor of the house are two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a dressing room. The mid-18th-century central range has a trenched purlin roof structure with king post trusses of sawn timbers strengthened with iron straps, which appears to be original.

The kitchen extension, conservatory and veranda at the rear (west), and the annexe at the south end are excluded from the listing. The later 20th- and 21st-century fixtures to the interior are not of special interest.