A House Atop a Hill

Widely regarded as Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic design, Hill House sits atop a hill overlooking the River Clyde in Helensburgh, a half hour train ride west of Glasgow. Built for publisher Walter Blackie’s family, the house is surrounded by a collection of Arts & Crafts-inspired mansions for Glasgow’s burgeoning industrial elite. Before designing the building, CRM spent days observing the family and their daily routines. Then, along with his wife Margaret Macdonald, he designed nearly everything inside the house – furniture, lighting, wallpaper, and textiles. He even designed the gardens and gave instructions that the trees should be trimmed as he drew them. The thorough stamp of Mackintosh on every aspect of the property can be viewed as personally oppressive or a complete work of art – undoubtedly most people would prefer letting their own personality creep into their surroundings.