5 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

5 Regent Terrace is a 34-house classical townhouse terrace designed by William Playfair and built between 1826 and 1833, forming part of a larger development. The terrace steps down to follow the slope of the road, with two prominent 3-storey pavilions punctuating its length (Nos 11-16 and 23-28), along with a 12-bay section at the western end (Nos 1-4). Originally two storeys with a basement and attic, many houses now have a third storey added.

The exterior is constructed of droved ashlar on the basement level, polished ashlar above, with coursed squared rubble and dressed margins to the rear elevation. The principal elevation features a base course, dividing bands, a continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with a Greek key border to the first floor, and an eaves cornice. A doorpiece with fluted attached Greek Doric columns provides the main entrance. The windows are regularly spaced and architraved on the upper floors, with panelled aprons to the ground floor.

The principal (southeast) elevation has a painted basement and ground floor. The central bay of the basement includes a timber-panelled door with a 4-light fanlight, a window to the left, and a blocked area behind a wall with a bipartite window to the right. A recessed area with steps leads to a two-leaf timber-panelled door with a letterbox fanlight on the ground floor.

The rear (northwest) elevation is three bays wide with a piend-roofed extension to the centre, incorporating a single-storey ground floor extension.

The windows are mostly sash and case with predominantly plate glass, although some basement windows and one rear window contain 12-pane glazing. The roof is in an M-shape with a central valley, covered in graded grey slate. Stone skews and skewputts are present, along with rendered corniced stacks to the east and west, a small wallhead stack to the rear, and predominantly circular cans.

The front garden is enclosed by stone walls with flat coping, and cast-iron railings with dog bars, spear-head finials, and a distinctive circled border, edging the basement recess. Random rubble walls form the rear garden boundary.

The interior retains notable features. The ground floor lobby has an ornate encaustic tiled floor, compartmented ceiling, excellent plasterwork, a screen of polished granite Ionic columns, and a painted stone chimney piece with marble panels. The former dining room features good plasterwork, corniced doorpieces, and a classical black marble chimneypiece. A double folding door leads through to a rear room with good plasterwork. A stone cantilevered staircase features ornate cast-iron balusters, and an oval cupola is set into the ceiling. The landings have good plasterwork, and the ground floor inner hall incorporates geometric and encaustic tiles.