The Rowans, 21 Pentland Avenue, Edinburgh

The Rowans, 21 Pentland Avenue, Edinburgh

This is a 2-storey and attic Art and Crafts house, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1901, with significant additions and alterations by George D MacNiven in 1912, Alexander A Foote in 1929, and further work circa 1985. The building adopts a roughly Z-plan layout with distinctive architectural features including a jerkin-headed gable to the north, an entrance turret and swept porch to the west, an advanced piend-roofed bay to the south, and a 1929 square tower with ball-finialled pavilion roof also to the south. A 1912 single-storey and attic garage, converted to a granny-flat around 1985, forms a wing to the northeast.

The exterior is constructed from pink-painted harled sandstone with red sandstone cills and other dressings. The porch features rake-jointed snecked sandstone. Roofs are of red tile with rendered corniced and coped stacks topped with tall red clay cans. Windows are predominantly timber casements with leaded lights, supplemented by some 6-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Cast-iron downpipes feature decorative hoppers.

The north (road) elevation is irregularly fenestrated, with a service door at ground level featuring a plate glass fanlight and wrought-iron over-door lamp. The roof was raised in 1912. The former garage, now converted to a granny flat, projects slightly forward on this elevation and features a timber panelled door with a circa 1985 4-light flat-roofed dormer.

The west (entrance) elevation presents the main approach, with a piend-roofed section and an advanced 2-storey turret at centre. The timber panelled front door sits in a roll-moulded surround beneath a swept-roofed porch, with a 3-light window to the rear of the porch. An advanced gable projects to the outer right, jettied out at first floor, with an advanced chimney breast at ground level. A first floor window features a decoratively carved deep lintel.

The south (principal/garden) elevation was significantly altered in 1929. An advanced 2-storey bay at centre contains a 4-light window and glazed door at ground level and a 6-light window to the first floor. The 1929 square tower to the right has a canted corner at ground level, corbelled to square at first floor, with sandstone ledges clasping the outer corners at first floor cill level.

The east (side) elevation has been considerably altered and irregularly fenestrated. A tall staircase window sits at centre with a 1929 flat-roofed dormer above. An asymmetric gable to the left features a tall off-centre stack. A square pavilion-roofed tower at the outer left has canted corners corbelled to square at first floor. A small 1912 M-gable appears to the right of the staircase window. A long outshot extends to the outer right, its south elevation comprising a 2-storey section to the left with quadripartite windows at both floors (the roof was raised in 1912), and a 1912 single-storey former garage to the outer right with a large 1980s flat-roofed dormer to the attic.

The interior features a bowed entrance vestibule with decorative cornice and a window with wiggly leaded glazing. The sitting room retains an original chimneypiece with sandstone inset and original brass fender. The dining room includes an alcove. A staircase with plain timber banister and large leaded window is lined with plaster plaques, some original and some later. The main bedroom has a coved ceiling and later plaster plaques. The upstairs drawing room features a coved ceiling, deep cornice, and original decorative plasterwork. A bathroom, dating from circa 1912, contains a large cast-iron bath with very decorative feet and old cream tiles. A spare bedroom displays an incised decorative plaster frieze (not by Lorimer). A secondary bedroom fireplace includes a timber mantelpiece with shelves down both sides, sandstone inset, and decorative cast-iron grate with swivelling kettle stand. Timber panelled doors throughout are fitted with brass Lorimer handles. Many early brass light switches retain decorative detailing.