19 Carlton Terrace, Edinburgh

19 Carlton Terrace, Edinburgh

William Playfair designed this building between 1821 and 1825, with construction taking place from the late 1820s to mid-1830s. It forms part of a long hairpin-curved terrace of 19 classical town houses. The terrace divides into three sections: Nos 1–4 and 14–19 are rectangular-plan houses with straight three-bay front elevations, while Nos 5–13 are wedge-plan houses with curved four-bay front elevations. The building is predominantly two storeys with a basement, topped by a balustraded parapet; panelled parapets appear on Nos 1, 14 and 17.

The façades employ droved ashlar to the basements and polished ashlar to the upper floors. Side and rear elevations are predominantly coursed squared rubble with droved margins. A base course runs to the basements, with dividing bands separating the basement from ground floor and ground from first floor. The front elevation features a modillioned eaves cornice, while rear elevations have an eaves band. Door surrounds are raised with consoled cornices. Fenestration is regular throughout: ground-floor windows are architraved and corniced with panelled aprons, while first-floor windows are architraved with cast-iron balconnettes.

The principal north elevation has a modern timber door with two-light fanlight to the basement centre, with windows to left and right. To the ground floor, the left bay features a platt overarching the basement recess, leading to a timber-panelled door with rectangular stained glass fanlight. The west side elevation is a single bay, while the south rear elevation is two bays.

Windows predominantly contain four-pane glazing; basement windows to the principal elevation have twelve-pane glazing. All are timber sash and case windows. The double-pitched roof is covered with graded grey slate, with stone skews and skewputts. Front left and rear right have mutual ashlar ridge stacks with individual octagonal flues; the west elevation has two ashlar wallhead stacks, the left stack featuring a canted front. Stacks are corniced with predominantly circular cans.

The front boundary features stone coping surmounted by cast-iron railings with dog bars, spear-head finials and a distinctive circled border, edging both the basement recess and platt. A wrought iron lamp standard stands to the left of the platt. To the rear, the garden boundary comprises random rubble walls with predominantly flat coping and a timber-boarded door to the west wall.

The ground-floor interior includes an entrance lobby with a pilastered and corniced doorpiece, a round-headed niche to the right, and a compartmented ceiling with good plasterwork. The former dining room features a pilastered chimneypiece, corniced and pilastered doorpieces, and good plasterwork cornicing and ceiling rose. Rear rooms to the west and east have good and simple plasterwork cornicing and ceiling roses respectively.

The first floor contains a former drawing room with a classical white marble chimneypiece, corniced and pilastered doorpiece with moulded swag and tail details, papier-mâché swagged frieze to the walls, and good plasterwork including ceiling rose. A basket-arched opening connects to the front east room, which has a classical grey marble chimneypiece and good plasterwork including ceiling rose. The remainder of the first floor features simple plasterwork.

The stair and stair hall feature an oval cupola above the stairwell in a compartmented ceiling with good plasterwork. Stone stairs have cast-iron balusters. Wrought iron lamp brackets and a tray rest are located at the first floor, with good plasterwork to landings and stair hall throughout.