Redholme, 20 Colinton Road, Edinburgh

Redholme is a substantial villa designed by Edward Calvert in 1888, located at 20 Colinton Road, Edinburgh. It is a 2-storey building with attic accommodation, arranged as a 3-bay rectangular plan with a rear wing.

The main front and side elevations are constructed in cream sandstone ashlar, while the rear and wing are built in coursed and squared stugged rubble. The building is distinguished by rich decorative detailing throughout. A base course runs across the facades, with a band course above ground floor level and a banded cill course at first floor. Ornate foliate capitals crown the columns and pilasters, while an eaves cornice features a Greek key pattern frieze. Angle pilasters flank both front and rear elevations, rusticated at ground floor level with moulded panels and sculpted capitals rising into scrolls at first floor.

The south-east front elevation is the principal façade. The central doorpiece is a notable feature, with paired red granite Corinthian columns on panelled ashlar pedestals supporting a frieze, cornice and swagged parapet. The door itself is a 2-leaf panelled type with narrow sidelights, topped by a rectangular plate glass fanlight. Beyond this lies a tiled vestibule with stained glass sidelights to the inner door. At first floor level, a round-arched bipartite window with red granite columnar mullion is set within a slightly advanced scroll-flanked panel. Floral carving enriches the pilasters, and above sits a segmental carved pediment with shell carving in the tympanum. A dormer in ashlar with scroll flanks contains a round-arched bipartite window with red granite columnar mullion and a scrolled open pediment framing an urn.

The outer bays feature full-height canted windows arranged 1-2-1. Ground floor windows have central red granite columnar mullions, whilst first floor windows are topped with aprons of Vitruvian scroll carving. The first floor windows themselves are stilted segmental-arched with central red granite columnar mullions and panelled pilasters. Timber dormers with carved segmental pediments and shell motifs in the tympana rise above to the roof space.

The north-west rear elevation is dominated by a single-storey and attic full-length rear wing with mansard roof. Attic windows have segmental pediments, with single windows to the inner bays and bipartite windows to the outer bays. A corniced wallhead stack occupies the south-west return. Four round-arched stair windows with stained glass roundels depicting the seasons and stained glass oculi above are set within an ashlar dormer featuring a moulded parapet and cast-iron brattishing to the main block. A modern large single-storey flat-roofed extension has been added.

The north-east elevation facing Ettrick Road features segmental-arched windows. At ground floor and first floor level are 2 bipartite windows to the left bays and 2 single windows to the right bays. An ashlar-fronted box dormer with 3 windows and Greek key pattern frieze is framed by scroll-flanked corniced wallhead stacks. The rear wing has a bipartite window on this elevation.

The south-west elevation contains bipartite windows at ground floor to the left bays, and at first floor a bipartite window to the outer left bay with a single window to the bay left of centre. Single windows serve the rear wing. An ashlar-fronted box dormer with 3 windows and Greek key pattern frieze is again framed by scroll-flanked corniced wallhead stacks.

Throughout, windows are timber sash with plate glass glazing. The roof is finished in green slate with piend and platform bellcast design. Five wallhead stacks rise above, plus one central stack, all with ornamental grooved cans. A moulded eaves gutter completes the external detailing.

Internally, the entrance hall is ornamented with caryatid corbels and an anthemion frieze. The stair features a carved timber balustrade. A 5-bay arcaded mezzanine gallery commands the interior space and incorporates a 4-light stained glass window depicting the seasons. Some rooms retain carved timber fireplaces.

The boundary treatment is substantial. To Ettrick Road stands a high rubble boundary wall with semi-circular coping. Tall square gatepiers with ogee coping punctuate the boundary. To Colinton Road, a low rubble wall is accompanied by ornate moulded gatepiers with arched copings enriched with anthemion carving.