Private house owned by the architect Jean-Baptiste Dewin

This remarkable middle class house was designed in the geometric Art Nouveau style. It was the private home of the architect Jean-Baptiste Dewin (his signature may be seen on the left of the front door). Here, he applied his meticulous style of pure, geometric shapes embellished with beautifully stylised mosaics depicting images of animals and plants (owls, falcons and flowers).

EXTERIOR

This admirable, understated façade was inspired by the Vienna Secession and includes superb decorative motifs, which are repeated in various places. For example, the three-petalled flower in red, black and gold tones is a recurring motif in the stained glass windows and mosaics. Below the prominently overhanging cornice, on each side of a row of these stylised flowers, stand two wild-eyed, staring owls.  These mosaics have a bold colour palette: black and white blend into pink and gold tesserae.

INTERIORS

The traditional interior features the standard layout of three adjoining rooms. Nevertheless, the sumptuous original interior decor consisting of various marbles, terrazzo, stained glass windows and stencil paintings endow the whole ensemble with distinction and class. Much of this decor still survives and has been beautifully restored (2016),  so that it has regained its splendour.