17-19 Smith's Place, Edinburgh

This is a substantial, symmetrical classical house, built in 1815. It is located at 17-19 Smith's Place, Edinburgh, and has a rectangular, double-pile plan with a projection to the rear. The front elevation is of polished sandstone ashlar over a pebble-rusticated basement, with dressings appearing droved at the centre. The rear elevations are of coursed rubble with droved dressings.

The principal (west) elevation has three bays, arranged symmetrically over a raised basement. A round-arched doorway is centrally positioned at the principal floor level, slightly advanced. Above this is a tripartite window, and the eaves feature a pediment with swagged urns and a blind thermal window within the tympanum. Venetian windows are present at the principal floor level, with balustraded aprons, and blindness over the arches in the outer bays. A ten-step stone forestair oversails the basement leading to the front door. The south elevation has two bays with windows only at the second floor level. The rear (east) elevation has four bays, with a projecting two-bay centrepiece containing a bipartite window on the third floor, and irregularly placed windows to flanking sections; a French window at the principal floor level, in the left bay of the centrepiece, is accessed by a concrete stair with a decorative cast-iron handrail. The north elevation features two bays with blind windows at the second floor level.

Timber sash and case windows are present throughout, with plate glass at the principal floor and in the fourth bay of the east elevation. Twelve-pane windows are on the first floor, the principal floor third bay, and nine-pane windows in the basement third bay, while elsewhere four-pane windows are used. The roof is a grey slate piended covering, with a piend-roofed, slate-hung canted dormer windows to the outer bays at the rear, featuring a six-pane window in the centre. A wrought-iron handrail serves the forestair, and a weathervane is attached to the northwest chimney, with a gilded flag finial. Cast-iron downpipes and guttering are on the rear projection. Iron bars protect the basement windows. Chimneys are constructed of coped ashlar.

The interior retains original features, including cornices, six-panel doors, and marble chimney pieces in almost all rooms on the principal and first floors. There is panelling in the southwest room on the principal floor, with decorative plaster pilasters flanking the Venetian window, mirroring the design in the northwest room. A full-height, oval scale and platt stair has cast iron balusters, a timber handrail, and a cupola above, all surrounded by a coved and corniced detail. Curved, architraved doors lead off the stairwell. A marble greyhound sculpture, recently painted gold, sits in the vestibule above the entrance door.

Original wrought-iron gates flanked by square ashlar piers capped with urns are supported by modern wrought-iron railings to the front of the building. A garden gate is positioned at the south end of the principal front.