A little piece of heaven - Cottekill Church and House

Potter Ayumi Horie lives in a very special place. Well at least for now she does. I'll let her explain, "Ten years ago, I bought this village church and simultaneously renovated and lived in the space for three years. I'm now selling the church, house and studio located in the Hudson Valley, two hours from NYC. We've ... had studio sales and annual craft sales in the church, so it's perfect for artists and musicians."

"I'm sharing it with you in the hopes that you might share my project with other designers/future DIYers.  I'd love to spread the word about the sale of the church, too, in an effort to find just the right buyer...ideally, someone who will continue to use the space to create art and support the growing arts community."

Oh Ayumi! How could you tear yourself away from such a beautifully gentle home. If only I lived in your neck of the woods ... and lovely woods they seem. If you want to be part of this lovely old church's history you can find out more here.

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Wrong side of the tracks

Across the freight train line in the bad part of town an old garage has a new lease on life. Abandoned and derelict it now houses a studio and living space as well as an open courtyard. A rough and ready building offering a well considered use as home or workspace. By Atlanta architects Brian Bell and David Yoachim of bldgs.

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Narrowboat home

Perhaps one of the more unusual homes we have featured on Desire to Inspire. This narrowboat conversion is by Dominique Brown (blog here). Built in the 70s, gutted and refitted for a simple onboard life for a young couple, the boat is just 9m long and under 2m wide. The seating pulls out to a double bed. Shelves drop down, the bathroom and wardrobe are behind sliding doors at one end. A simple yet stylish life on the English canals.

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The church's work

Another church conversion to add to our comprehensive "what to do with an old church or what not to do" list. This reuse of church space as office space can be found in Brisbane. ( I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier. I used to drive past it all the time.) Mowbraytown Presbyterian Church built in 1885 and redesigned (or is that adaptively re-used) by Base Architecture.

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The Sanctuary

Cathy sent us an email the other day about a church conversion in her state of Seattle she thought we'd enjoy. She mentioned it has finally come on the market after a long and winding road including the first developer running out of money to finish the job. This former 'First Church of Christ, Scientist' is now 12 incredible modern condominiums. The website states: "Enjoy voluminous interiors boasting soaring ceilings up to 30 feet high and generously-scaled floor plans of 1,600 to more than 3,000 square feet of living space. Many homes include rooftop terraces... pricing from the low $500,000s to more than $1 million". Very cool! Below are 2 of these condos (a basic one and a not-so-basic one).

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