15 Carlton Terrace, Edinburgh

15 Carlton Terrace is a significant example of a late Georgian townhouse, designed by William Playfair and constructed between 1821 and 1825, with building continuing into the mid-1830s. It forms part of a long, hairpin-curved terrace of 19 classical townhouses. Numbers 1-4 and 14-19 present straight, three-bay frontages, whereas numbers 5-13 have a wedge-shaped plan with a curved four-bay front. The building is primarily two storeys with a basement, topped by a balustraded parapet; panelled parapets are features of numbers 1, 14 and 17.

The exterior is constructed from droved ashlar for the basement, polished ashlar for the upper floors, and coursed squared rubble with droved margins for the side and rear elevations. A base course defines the basement, with dividing bands marking the transitions between the basement and ground floors, and the ground and first floors. A modillioned eaves cornice tops the front elevations, while the rear has a simpler eaves band. Raised door surrounds are accentuated by consoled cornices. The fenestration is regular, with architraved and corniced windows. Ground floor windows have panelled aprons, and first-floor windows are complemented by cast-iron balconnettes.

The north (principal) elevation is three storeys and basement with a later attic addition above the modillioned cornice. The basement level features a timber-panelled door with a three-light fanlight centrally placed, flanked by windows. The ground floor has a platt arching over a basement recess, leading to a two-leaf timber-panelled door with a rectangular fanlight on the right-hand bay. A second-floor cill course runs across, and the attic windows have aprons.

The south (rear) elevation is three bays wide, with a full-height, piend-roofed bay projecting from the centre. An additional mansard-style storey sits within the central roof valley.

The windows are predominantly fitted with 12-pane glazing, with 15-pane glazing to the first floor on the front elevation. They are set within timber sash and case frames. The roof is double-pitched, covered with graded grey slate, and incorporates stone skews and skewputts. Rendered and ashlar sections face forward on the left stack; the rear has rendered mutual stacks on both sides, all corniced and topped with predominantly circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are also present.

Original stone railings with cast-iron detailing, including dog bars, spear-head finials, and a distinctive circled border, enclose the basement recess and platt at the front. A random rubble boundary wall, with flat coping, forms the rear garden boundary.

The interior retains notable features. The ground floor lobby has a geometric and encaustic tiled floor, fine plasterwork, and a compartmented ceiling. The former drawing room on the east side boasts good plasterwork, shallow relief patterning, and a timber chimneypiece. The front room to the west also has decorative plasterwork. The stair and stair hall feature an oval cupola within a compartmented ceiling, stone stairs with timber balusters and newels, a cast-iron tray rest on the first floor, wrought iron lamp brackets on the first and second floors, and good plasterwork on the ceilings, landings, and ground floor, including a swagged frieze along the upper walls.