The Calvet House was built between 1899-1904 as a residence and business property for a wealthy textile manufacturer. It's believed to be the most traditional of his Barcelonian creations, which is probably due to the location of the building – it sits between older residences in the heart of the city's most elegant sections. The symmetry and orderly harmony of the facade are highly atypical of the architect's style; however, the intricate details of the top gable, bulging balconies and the entrance are wittily Modernist.

The entrance to Casa Calvet is flanked with columns formed to resemble stacked bobbins, which is as an allusion to the business of its original occupants. The three heads sculpted at the top of the facade are also allusions to the owners – one of them is the owner's father, Sant Pere Màrtir Calvet i Carbonell and the other two are patron saints of his hometown, Villasar. Lluís Permanyer observes the peculiar, carefully arranged details: "the gallery at ground level is the facade's most outstanding feature, a daring combination of wrought iron and stone in which decorative historical elements such as a cypress, an olive tree, horns of plenty, and the Catalan coat of arms can be discerned."