I have long been fascinated by repurposing
old buildings to suit new needs.
And while church~to~home conversions
pretty much divide opinions right in half,
let's have a look at one that has been done well.
It's currently on the market,
in a pretty inner suburb of Adelaide,
and it is a former church hall.
and it is a former church hall.
What I think works brilliantly here,
is the constant gentle reference
to the building's origins,
yet done in a witty & respectful manner.
By painting the door fire engine red,
they are drawing attention
to its history.
With tongue firmly in cheek.
The same doors, but from the interior view,
are now seen in pristine white.
White has been used as a foil
for the bright punches of orange and red,
and forms a wonderful backdrop to
the impressive artwork ~ many of which have an
almost religious reference to them.
Subtle. Clever.
The little steplights in the lower part
of the wall create the feeling of candlelight,
again a reference to the building's history.
An obvious love of mid century modern
furniture in the study.
Love that desk!
While the little pew under the window,
and the all~white colour scheme,
again reminds us where we are.
Plenty of options for outdoor living here!
Even a little tiki bar thing going on,
should refreshment be required.
{See the garage door on the right?
Now that's something you don't see on most church halls!}
They could have gone all out with the fence,
using an historical shape.
But I love the fact that they kept it simple,
allowing the building to take centre stage instead.
And they made sure that all visitors
are aware of the provenance of this bluestone beauty,
by keeping the fabulous stone plaque.
What do you think?
Would you like to live here?
Or does a church to home conversion
feel uncomfortable to you?
Images & Agent details: Klemich
Property location: 3 Castle St, Parkside, South Australia
Even though I have seen some great Church conversions (and this one is pretty darn good) - and even though it's 'just' a building - I don't think I could make the jump and live in one. Maybe because I spent so long in them when we were children, maybe the smell would make me start looking for the confession room (-:
ReplyDeleteI know this place intimately Virginia. It was originally the Hall attached to the big church that's in front of it & I went to Sunday School in it for years! The big Church has also been repurposed into the most amazing residence. I stilol drive past both most days nearly 40 years on. Lots of memories here. (It's a small, small world.)
ReplyDeleteMillie x
I would not mind a home like that regardless of it's past. It is what you make out of buildings, right?
ReplyDeleteI have to think about this, live in a converted church...
ReplyDeleteIf I have to answer right now, I guess I wouldn't feel comfortable with the idea, we don't see this happening here in Brasil, yet, but I saw a lot of wonderful pictures from all over the world, this is becoming so natural.
Must think.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments on our post.
Wish you a Happy Easter.
Hugs
Tereza
To me, church is wherever your heart is and those that are gathered. So, I would not mind living in a church in the very least... I enjoy the conversion and what was done :) Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a fabulous Easter weekend -- filled with love, fun and of course, some delicious sweets!
xoxo,
Sarah
Gosh, I think that those kind of spaces are filled with so much good energy, I wouldn't hesitate for a second. And this is a gorgeous and fun example!
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter!!
Bises,
Heather
I would jump at the chance to live in a church conversion. what an adventure it would be to play with the architecture- i can tell these owners had fun doing that.
ReplyDeleteI am going to get a big honkin' fat sharpie marker and write "I didn't want a kitchen but it came with the house" somewhere close to that horrible room with the small wine cellar other people call a refrigerator. Perhaps, finally this will keep the uneducated from putting useless things like milk and butter in it. *sigh...
ReplyDeleteI would love to live in a Church conversion. That would be an incredible experience.
ReplyDeleteHappy Eastern to you.
One of the most interesting conversions I've seen....terrific post...k
ReplyDeleteWow I would not have guessed this is the same building! Too bad they couldn't have kept some of the existing interior architecture like beams or something?
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I'd feel about living in a church, but they've done a beautiful job.
ReplyDeleteI love the scale, so a church would be fine for me. i'm originally from SA and there seem to be heaps of conversions over there.
ReplyDeletereally love that blow up piece with the vintage image of the lady in the kimono. v.cool