Stalking in church

Hallelujah I've found another church to stalk! Long time readers will know that Kim and I love a good church conversion. There is something about the challenge of doing justice to what is the often imposing, original architecture and accommodating the needs of modern living. On the outside today's offering is a sombre red brick edifice from the 1890s. Inside fresh and contemporary open-plan living merges with heavy old church doors and arches. Link here while it lasts. 

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Adventuring with Lola (a converted school bus)

I love this. I wish I had the balls to do something like this, when I was 19, or now. Thank you Lexis for sharing your story with us. 

Hello my name is Lexis, I am a 19 year old girl from Long Island, New York with a passion to travel and explore new places. My mother and I used to camp with our 1965 Serro Scotty Hilander travel trailer. It was so much fun to take it out to campsites and set up and enjoy the camping experience. My mom wanted something that didn’t need to be towed so she decided she wanted to start a bus conversion. Watching my mother build and complete hers made me realize how nice it would be to have my own little home on wheels. Since we have long, cold winters I felt a bus would be my best choice because it allowed me to have more space since I would be inside more than outside for four to five months depending on how bad the winters were. After months of searching the web and local ads for the right one, I found a little, pale blue, short bus with a ton of bus life potential. The name "Lola"came from the nickname my mother called me growing up. I figured the name would be cute for the bus and would bring along memories with my mom in my travels.

One important thing I wanted my bus interior to have were one of a kind pieces that you couldn't just go out and buy in stores. I receive so many comments about how unique my fabric accents are. Since my mother and grandmother have sewed all their lives, I decided it would be most meaningful to me if they both made me those pieces I wanted for Lola. All of my window and bathroom curtains, chair cushions, toilet skirt, driver seat cover, blankets, and tiny curtains to hide my wheel wells were handmade from scratch by both these amazing women.

I wanted to be able to fit the most I could for the small amount of space I had to work with. Putting the bed in the middle allowed me to fit a bathroom in the far left corner and an end table with storage in the far right corner. Putting the bed where I chose also gave me the option to not have the back door blocked. I wanted to be able to enter in and out of the back door, when parked to enjoy the Long Island coastline view.

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The Steam Hotel

What was once an 18 story steam power plant in Västerås, Sweden is now an absolutely stunning hotel complete with 227 rooms, an 800m2 spa, rooftop restaurant (and another on the main floor), outdoor terrace with pool and gorgeous views of Lake Mälaren. I just got back from a vacation south but holy smokes I am ready to re-pack my bags and head here! Thank you Thomas for the link to these photos of the Steam Hotel via Femina. 

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A conversion with endless potential

Though this home is not really furnished I had to share because I have been dreaming about living in a rough, industrial, loft-like home for at least the past 20 years. Nothing like this exists in Ottawa so I can keep dreaming but if someone has £1,995,000 and is looking for something in London to put your stamp on, scoop this one up! Never mind that it looks like rats were eating the kitchen cupboards, and the painted floorboards are a bit rough...this 3 bedroom, 2,000 sq ft over 4 floors conversion from furniture-restoration workshops built in 1905 has SUCH AMAZING BONES. AH MAH GAWD!!! Listing here via The Modern House.

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A warehouse loft conversion featuring clouds

I wanted to share this awesome warehouse conversion in London that has a bit of a twist. Someone clearly had a lot of time on their hands....and a lot of foam. The foam clouds likely help with the acoustics in the space, so it works double duty. I think it's a pretty cool art installment, and I would totally live with it no problem if I could have this loft. That much space, with up to 30' ceiling heights, and my cats would have a blast tearing around and trying to climb the foam. Available as a location property through Shoot Factory. 

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