Design No. 33 — A Suburban Villa
This design is also one for a suburban villa, or a small country house, on a rather larger scale than the preceding. This villa, dressed with a plain Italian elevation, and of smaller dimensions as to plan, has been erected on several sites near London. The front of the present design was partly taken from a plate in “Nash’s Mansions,” at the request of a gentleman who very much admired it, and who was anxious to have a semi-detached villa of the same character. The villa was therefore designed so that another could be placed by the side of it. The two gables form the centre, the chimney stack is between them on the roof; the front was to have a sunk area, topped by a Gothic balustrade, and as there were no principal rooms on the basement floor in the front of the house, this was easily given; the rooms at the back looked into the garden, and these had the ground in front of them sloped up.
The ground plan shows an entrance hall a, 14 ft. by 10 ft., with a commodious staircase b, 18 ft. by 12 ft., to the left. There was a closet to the right; a lift from the basement could easily be obtained here. The study c, was about 16 ft. square, and was entered from the hall; the dining-room e, had a bay window, and was in the centre of the building; it measured 20 ft. square. The drawing-room d, was very large, being 31 ft. in length by 16 ft. in breadth, with a large window at each end; this was often considered objectionable, as the occupants of the room can always be seen from the opposite houses, but as this was intended for a semi-detached villa, windows could not be obtained at the side.
The one-pair plan contains one large and three small bedrooms, with a closet. Over the porch was placed a conservatory, and by its side the tower staircase led up to the attic. This contained four good-sized bedrooms, each with a fireplace; there was a housemaid’s closet, and a place for the slate cistern to supply the lower part of the house with water; a small cistern on a higher level was placed on the roof of the tower. Another room could easily have been obtained on this floor, by continuing the passage at the housemaid’s closet through the centre room, and this was proposed, but it was objected to, as it could not be rendered light and airy. A second staircase, from the attic to the basement, could have been formed in the tower, the two closets being placed in a similar position to the one on the first floor. The staircase in the tower led on to the roof. The section shows the height of the various rooms, there being no variation throughout the floors. It was intended to carry out the style of the exterior in the interior—a medley between the Gothic and Elizabethan; the proprietor having a very large collection of old-fashioned carvings of various styles and dates, picked up at sales, or purchased in Wardour Street (at that time more celebrated for such antiquities than at present). The walls were to be covered with gilt leather and rich tapestries, and with this the architect did not intend to meddle, leaving it all to the taste and skill of the owner, although he has finished several interiors with such materials.
The basement plan shows the kitchen f, the scullery g, and larder h; q is the wine cellar, and j the butler’s pantry. Then there were two large rooms looking towards the garden, and these were unappropriated. The butler’s small pantry had a window looking into the side area; the servants’ door was on the staircase; the coal cellar was placed under the steps leading to the porch.
The building was to be constructed in brick and cement, with the porch and external balustrade in stone. The expense would have amounted to 4600l., or the double villa to 9000l.