32 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

This is a substantial townhouse built in Edinburgh between 1826 and 1833, designed by William Playfair as part of a long terrace of 34 classical townhouses. Number 32 retains its original two-storey and attic form, whereas many others have been extended with a third storey. The terrace is punctuated by two three-storey pavilions with advanced three-bay sections at each end (covering numbers 11-16 and 23-28), and a twelve-bay, three-storey section to the western end (numbers 1-4). The terrace steps down at intervals to follow the natural slope of the road.

The building is constructed with droved ashlar stone to the basement level, polished ashlar to the upper floors and a rear elevation of coursed squared rubble with dressed margins. The principal elevation features a base course, dividing bands between the basement and ground floor, and between the ground and first floors. A continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with a Greek key border runs along the front of the first floor. Other details include a band course above the first-floor windows, an eaves cornice, and a blocking course. The doorway is framed by fluted attached Greek Doric columns. The windows are regularly spaced, with architraved surrounds on the ground and first floors. Ground-floor windows have panelled aprons. The rear elevation features a three-storey section.

The principal (southeast) elevation has a basement level with a timber-panelled and glazed door featuring a letterbox fanlight. A window is situated to the left side of the door; and to the right, an area has been enclosed by a wall with two windows. A flight of steps and platt lead to the ground floor entrance, which also has a timber-panelled and glazed door with fanlight. The rear (northwest) elevation is a two-bay, three-storey section with an eaves course.

Most windows have twelve panes of glass, with four panes on the front elevation’s ground and first floors, and fifteen panes to the right bay on the rear first floor. The building has an M-roof with a central valley and a mansard profile to the front, covered with graded grey slate. Stone skewbacks and skewputts are also present. Chimneys with octagonal flues and circular cans are located on the west side.

Original cast-iron railings with dog bars, spear-head finials, and a distinctive circled border define the front boundary along the basement recess. A wrought iron lamp standard is positioned to the left of the platt. At the rear, random rubble walls with flat coping form the garden boundary.

The interior of the ground floor features a lobby with encaustic and geometric tiled flooring, good plasterwork, and a compartmented ceiling. The former dining room has a timber chimney piece and plasterwork, while the west-facing room also boasts good plasterwork. The first-floor former drawing room has moulded wall borders, plasterwork (including to the ceiling), and a classical white marble chimney piece. A stone cantilevered staircase with cast-iron balusters leads to the upper floors. A cast-iron tray rest is located on the first floor. Wrought and cast-iron lamp brackets adorn the first and second floors. The stairwell includes an oval cupola with a deep cavetto surround and simple plastered ceilings to the upper landings.