Many country churches are closing their doors and being put on the market for sale. If you are lucky enough to find one, these structures offer some interesting potential as conversions to homes.
This former Anglican Church was purchased with pews and pulpit intact. The approach to the renovation was to keep as much of the character as possible, and if it was appropriate, find a way to enhance or even improve on the former church.
Roofing was redone in cedar with copper eaves and downspouts. 250 year old gargoyles were found in an antique store and were installed on the downspouts.
The interior basement granite walls were kept exposed, re tuck pointed and cleaned. All bedrooms are kept on the lower level which allowed the main floor to remain as one large open space.
The kitchen stands on the altar, and cooks can look down on the congregation area which contains 2 living rooms, a large dining room table and a pool table. The open concept maintains the simple volume of the space.
Furniture was selected from finds in auctions, antique stores and repurposed pieces collected in our travels. The colours of the pieces were taken from the rich high chroma colours of the stained glass and include purple walls, fuschia chairs and lime green kitchen cabinets. The range and eclectic nature of the colour scheme works to keep the space unified, despite the variety.
This project was one that had to develop over time. The basic renovations and construction were in place and completed well before much of the furniture and decorating decisions could be made. Finding the right pieces can only happen with a lot of searching and time.
The final product is worth the effort. As church renovations go, this one is a show stopper.
