Lilybank House, 42 Bute Gardens, Glasgow

Lilybank House is a symmetrical, three-bay, two-storey classical villa of polished ashlar in the style of David Hamilton, built around 1850 and altered by two of Scotland's premier architectural firms, A & G Thomson (1863-65) and Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh (1894-95; 1900 and 1908).

The main villa has a slightly advance central bay with arched windows to the ground floor. There is a cill band at the 1st floor and a corniced parapet above, panelled to the centre. The rear elevation is four-bay, two-storey and basement, with advanced outer bays. The tall floriate incised chimneycans were added by Thomson (1863-65).

The south wing addition (by Alexander & George Thomson) is single storey and basement. Steps (with die parapet walls) lead up to a large tetrastyle Greek Ionic portico. It has a roll-moulded plinth forming a cill band and pedestal. There are two wide bays to the left of entrance, each with narrow windows. The south elevation has a pedimented advanced gable with a tripartite, mullioned window. The west wall has one window in the outer bay. The rear elevation is pedimented with a raised gable, breaking forward, with a tripartite window and smaller windows in the flanking bays. The chimney stacks are axial, with independent flues, linked at the top, and with tall floriate incised chimneycans.

The north wing addition (remodelled by Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh) is lower in height and also has three bays, with the outer right bay set forward. It is stylistically in keeping with the mid-19th century villa, with round arched windows to the ground floor and a corniced parapet. There is an arched entrance in bay to the left with a glazed fanlight. The north elevation is three-bay with an advancing central bay. There are blind arched niches in the ground floor outer bays. The tall wallhead chimney stacks are linked by the parapet. There is a further corniced wallhead stack to the rear.

The interior was seen in 1988. The main villa is top lit, with a corniced entrance hall with anta pilastered, etched glass door. The south wing entrance hall has elaborate plasterwork with Greek detailing including a carved pillar screen and cornicing. Stencil decorations were discovered in the south wing during refurbishment in 2005.

The roofs are grey slate. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

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