Louis Coilliot, a French ceramic entrepreneur, was fond of enamelled lava and wanted to popularise the technique. To do so, Coilliot commissioned Hector Guimard, an architect he had met at the 1897 fair La Céramique et tous les arts du feu, ("Ceramic Arts & Glass Making"), to apply the technique to his house's façade. Coilliot's factory and warehouse were located to the rear of his house, and therefore the façade held a double purpose, both decorating the front of his home and advertising his business.