Gattonside, Melrose, The Rigg

Gattonside, located in Melrose, is a single-storey, three-bay Modernist flat-roof house designed by Peter Womersley in 1957. It features a square plan based on a 3-foot grid and is connected to a former garage by a covered walkway that creates a courtyard. The house is situated in a secluded garden with views of the Eildon Hills. It is constructed from sand lime brick and has floor-to-ceiling plate glass timber-framed windows, along with a painted timber fascia board.

The windows are predominantly timber-framed, with a single glazed unframed sliding door leading to the bedroom, and some later sliding patio-style doors.

Inside, the house boasts a fine open-plan modernist interior design, with an original layout centered around a 9-foot cedar boarded core that houses the boiler, heating system, and a top-lit bathroom. The interior features a signature fireplace design with a black marble mantle that extends from the interior to the exterior, bench seating around a sunken main living area, boarded hardwood ceilings, original Formica kitchen fittings, fitted cupboards in the dressing room, and a mix of original timber, vinyl, and black acotile flooring throughout. The space is further enhanced by contemporary 1950s furniture, including Womersley's original stereo sideboard.