Plans for the House for an Art Lover were submitted by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald in response to a competition in a German Magazine in the summer of 1900. The competition brief was to create a country retreat for someone of elegance and taste who loved the arts. As it was a theoretical exercise, the couple were unrestrained by logistics or budget and won a special prize for their efforts.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh is Glasgow’s most famed designer (1868-1928). His first commission was to design a series of tearooms in the city. He became a leading figure in the Art Nouveau movement, and his characteristic straight lines and flowing detail are the hallmark of early 20^th-century style.

The plans of House for an Art Lover lay unused for over 80 years until consulting engineer Graham Roxburgh, who had been involved in the refurbishment of other Mackintosh interiors in Glasgow, decoded to build the House for an Art Lover.

Construction began in 1989 and was completed in 1966. The rooms on the main floor give a real insight into the vision of Mackintosh and the artistic talent of MacDonald.