Because you can never have too many church conversions

It's no secret that Kim and I are very partial to a church conversion and this Methodist Chapel conversion is so sweet and very clever. One of my biggest complaints of this sort of re-design is that the beautiful, tall windows are often unceremoniously chopped in half by the second floor. In this case the upper rooms are tucked in under the roof. The Chapel on the Hill, in Forest-in-Teesdale, England by Evolution Design is available as a holiday home for up to 7 guests. I can feel a virtual road trip on the cards? Meet you in church?

(And in case you hadn't realised it was a winner in the UK Property Awards 2015-2016.)

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A church conversion in Sweden

Thank you Thomas for sending us this link (via Fastighetsbryån) to this wonderful church conversion currently for sale in Sweden. On a frosty winter day it looks absolutely magical! Despite only having a couple of rooms, the ceiling height and lightness makes it appear so much larger. Yes, living in a converted church like this is still my dream. And this one may now have topped the list as my favourite.   

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The Ancient Party Barn

OMG I am in love. You all know how much we love a good conversion..... This award-winning conversion of an 18th century threshing barn, dairy and stables by London architecture and interior design firm Liddicoat & Goldhill is un-freaking-believable. Our task was to combine the quality of the surviving barn fragments with the texture and tone of their found materials. To maintain the barn’s brooding presence - and to provide security and a sense of protection from rolling Channel mists - the barn is usually kept in a closed state. However, industrial-scale kinetic mechanisms create openings that address key views into the countryside. Massive, insulated shutters recall the original barn doors, and protect a vast rotating window operated by an adapted chain-lift. To the East front, an American aircraft-hangar door allows the exterior to concertina upwards, creating a canopy over the dining terrace and revealing ribbon glazing within. A single rooflight, running the length of the main roof’s ridge provides steady ambient light to the living spaces.  

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A loft in a former marmalade factory

I have become a huge fan of Polish/German interior and furniture design studio Loft Szczecin and wanted to share one of their latest projects. Designer Ewa Adamiak kindly sent over some info. Our project was done in a former warehouse of a marmalade factory, which operated before World War II in Szczecin (Poland). The project involved reconstruction of one of the open spaces for an apartment divided into 4 rooms (living room with a kitchenette, bedroom, office, bathroom). In the most part of the loft we preserved historic, wooden floors that have been restored. All the kitchen furniture were designed and built by Loft Szczecin. Countertops were made of white marble and kitchen furniture of plywood. The rest of the furnishing is vintage furniture and lamps from the 50s and 60s from Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Netherlands. The furniture have been renovated by Loft Szczecin. For decoration we used a poilsh rug from the 30s. All of that exposed brick is absolutely incredible. And those floors! And that sofa! (Check out previous features here, here and here)

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A loft in a 19th century converted warehouse

I know I have often said "this is my dream loft!" but in all seriousness, THIS IS MY DREAM LOFT! The exposed brick and beams, and HOLY SMOKES WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT MEZZANINE! With direct access to the roof-top terrace and features an interior courtyard with a retractable glass roof. I die. By Andrew Franz Architect.

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