Wednesday
Jun102009
Holy home
Wed, 10 Jun 2009For as long as I can remember I've always dreamed about converting a building, such as a barn, a mechanics shop, a church, into a home. Well, some folks in the UK have converted done just that. They purchased a church for £92,000, spent £300,000 in renovations, and it's now worth about £650,000. I'm not sure that I could live in a home surrounded by gravestones though....EEEKKK!! Would you want to live here?
I am so disappointed with the decor. So much to work with...those blue sofas gotta go. I think the hole thing is just way too church-y. Photos found here.
Reader Comments (61)
That bathroom is pretty great, though. I don't know about having such an obvious churchy bedroom...might, ahem, inhibit things. But what a space, it's so intriguing to see but can you imagine your kid playing outside with his trucks in the graveyard? i can't.
Great idea gone bad!
No. Not for me or my sisters and brothers...
Would be a nice shop/studio space if all painted out white...
Andrea
I agree on the decor, it looks like 1982 moved in - but the bone of the house = very cool. So much could be done with that space.
I adore the idea of converting a schoolhouse or a barn - the soaring ceilings are what do it for me!
I agree with your last sentence in the post Kim - but I think I could (and given time) have a religious experience in that bathroom. :)
And I love Back Garage's comment re. the graveyard as security system. Ooooooooooooo
I was going to hold my tongue about the blue sofas, but since you mentioned it, blech.
Yeah, I could live there. It's not the dead who concern me. It's the living!
Wow.. this whole thing is just so awkward. They basically made a freaking church apse into a living room...
I really don't think I'd be able to live in such a place.
Amazing! I love this place :)
A little old country church near where I grew up was sold and turned into a home. Renos were going slow, but they opened up their home for the Christmas Candlelight Tour a few years ago, and all I could think was that it was such a FUN space to play and live in. I didn't mind that it still felt like a church--short of major renos, there's not much to do about that. And I like the idea of preserving its churchiness; why try to pretend it wasn't designed for just that?
Wasn't this house on grand designs or some other UK property show??
Anyhow, not to my taste...but each to their own
>Living in an old church ? Why not, but just if the decor is not too church-y as you said. This church looks too late 80s early 90s, and I don't like the colored windows (is there a special word in English for that ?)... I saw an old church converted in a loft, or office, in an old Marie Claire Maison once. It was much more crazy, colored and unexcepted.
Oh, I'd love to do a project with a rundown church or old factory, but I'd definately go for a more fresh design theme. This was a bit bland (but don't get me wrong,it's perfectly fine) I just believe it would have been perfect with a bit of style contrast, something which would highlight the church history. Set it apart from the furnishing...
I agree with the comments on the decor, it could have been so much more, but OH would I ever love to convert a church (hhmmm, must be some sort of pun in there) and complete with cemetery!Bliss! You've shown some great ones from Australia but this is so medieval looking with real character (although those flagstones look cold to hop out onto from a warm bed)
I do hope though that there is some sort of conservation order on the cemetery, as a family history buff I feel it is very important to preserve old graves.
What amazing architectural features! It still feels like a church with a house in it though - there are some things I just wouldn't be comfortable doing in here...
This wasn't the house/church that was on Grand Designs. If you remember they put a jacuzzi in the middle of that one, which I guess some of you guys might prefer, but being typically English I really like this one - grungy furniture, blue sofas and all!
No thank you.
ewwww...
The church itself is pretty, but the interior decor is awful. Why would anyone want a bed on the altar? It might have been cool if they went with a modern decor (obviously not their style, which is fine) but they completely missed the mark with this "renovation". It looks like they just stuck some furniture (and a kitchen) in an empty church. Too bad.
I live in Chicago and there are a number of converted Churches and Synagogues that are now apartments/lofts. No graveyards either. Here is a link to Cribchatters thread on one of the church units I have seen here in Chicago - http://cribchatter.com/?p=2077 - the unit has sold now. Here is a link to a slide show on a converted Synagogue from the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/02/garden/20090402-location-slideshow_index.html
A great piece of art but don't think I can live in it.
I think it is beautiful! I would live there!
oh, this is so, so sad! why would you buy such an amazing place to live, and decorate it with denim couches and other completely unremarkable pieces? what a waste...i can only imagine what amazing things some of us could have done with that home!
fornication in the house of God! o_O
The bedroom open to the dining room bothers me. There should be some kind of partition there. Otherwise, I think it's just fine.
They wouldn't have chosen that building if they didn't want the stained glass and architecture. It would be a shame to waste it. What's the point of living in a converted (and deconsecreated, by the way) church, if it doesn't look like a church anymore?
Fascinating to see such a wide spread of opinion on the place, to respond to a few of the commnets.
Yes the bed is odd (The 20' high thick velvet curtains pull across 'stage curtain style'), it's all open plan because that is in the 'summer' half of the house. The 'winter' half (small kitchen, snug, 3 beds two baths) is all hidden behin the balcony and in the tower - you're only getting half the story.
The decor - well it was all done to be in keeping with the small amount of gothic/victorian decor that had been trashed by the previous owners. (And yes, the sofa's are a bit 1980's as they were bought in the 1980's ... )
oh ... and one more thing ... if you want to buy it ... it's for sale ... http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-for-sale/details/id/SGBV3991872
Thank you for the info Ian!
What's wrong with those blue sofas? They are comfortable and I happen to own them.