54. Van Stappen House [Quaker House]

This cottage-style house, with its Art Nouveau-inspired interiors, was built by George Hobé in 1899 for a stockbroker, Jean-Julien Van Stappen, who set up his office on the ground floor and lived on the upper floors with his family and servants. The house is centred around a bow window that allows light to flood into an elegant interior featuring superb wood panelling and stained-glass windows. It is worth noting that the architect, the son of a cabinetmaker, had devoted the early part of his career to furniture design and was one of the first Belgian designers of Art Nouveau furniture.