It is generally considered one of the first buildings in that style (along with the Hôtel Tassel by Victor Horta, built at the same time) because of its highly innovative plan and its ground-breaking use of materials and decoration.

Through Beyaert, Hankar became an admirer of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the French architect who advocated the use of innovative new materials such as iron and glass, while drawing from historical architecture for inspiration.

For decorative touches below the windows and the roofline, Hankar brought together the talents of several of his artist friends, including the sculptor René Janssens and the painter Albert Ciamberlani, who adorned the façade with sgraffito, or layers of plaster tinted in pastel colours onto a moistened surface, a technique popular in Renaissance Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The interplay between heavy neo-Renaissance elements and materials versus light Art Nouveau detailing and decoration results in a vivid composition.

Based on this model, he built several houses for his artist friends, including Janssens, Ciamberlani, the designer, silversmith and jeweller Philippe Wolfers, as well as the painter Léon Bartholomé.