16 Carlton Terrace, Edinburgh

16 Carlton Terrace is a significant example of a late Georgian townhouse, designed by William Playfair between 1821 and 1825 and constructed from the late 1820s to the mid-1830s. It forms part of a long, hairpin-shaped terrace of 19 classical townhouses, located within Edinburgh. Numbers 1-4 and 14-19 are rectangular in plan with straightforward three-bay frontages, while numbers 5-13, including number 16, are wedge-shaped with curved four-bay front elevations. The building is predominantly two storeys with a basement, and incorporates a balustraded parapet. Panelled parapets are a feature of numbers 1, 14, and 17.

The exterior is constructed from droved ashlar to the basement, polished ashlar to the upper floors, and predominantly coursed squared rubble with droved margins to the side and rear elevations. A visible base course distinguishes the basement, with dividing bands marking the levels between the basement and ground floors, and the ground and first floors. A modillioned eaves cornice runs along the front elevations, while a simpler eaves band is present at the rear. Raised door surrounds feature consoled cornices. The windows are regularly spaced and framed by architraves and cornices, with panelled aprons to the ground floor and cast-iron balconnettes to the first floor.

The north (principal) elevation is three storeys and basement in height, with a later addition of an attic storey above the modillioned cornice. The basement level includes a timber-panelled door with a three-light fanlight in the centre bay, flanked by windows. To the right bay of the ground floor is a step with marble surfacing, engraved with the words “Carlton House”, leading to a two-leaf timber-panelled door with a rectangular fanlight. A second-floor cill course is visible, and the attic storey features windows with aprons.

The south (rear) elevation is a simplified two-bay design.

The windows predominantly feature 12-pane glazing, with 15-pane glazing to the first floor of the front elevation. The windows are timber sash and case. The roof is double-pitched, covered with graded grey slate to both pitched and mansard sections, with stone skews and skewputts. The front elevation incorporates mutual rendered and ashlar stacks, while the rear elevation has mutual stacks to the left and right, all corniced and topped with predominantly circular cans. Some cast-iron rainwater goods are also present.

Iron railings, with a stone coping surmounted by cast-iron dog bars, spear-head finials, and a distinctive circled border, front the building, edging the basement recess and platt. A wrought iron lamp standard is positioned to the right of the platt. To the rear, a random rubble boundary wall with predominantly flat coping defines the garden.

Inside, the ground floor lobby features a geometric and encaustic tiled floor, alongside good plasterwork, two classical plaster bas-reliefs on the walls, and a compartmented ceiling. The former dining room retains good plasterwork and a painted stone classical chimney piece, though the ceiling rose has been replaced. A rear room on the west side also has good plasterwork. The stair and stair hall feature an oval cupola within a compartmented ceiling and stone stairs with cast-iron balusters. Further good plasterwork decorates the ceiling, landings, and ground floor.