I've seen a few renovated old churches turned into residences, but this one absolutely knocked me out:

Life in an 18th Century Cathedral Home

There seems to be something very romantic and gothic about old cathedrals turned into living spaces. I think I'd love to live in the one I linked above. Check out the bedroom especially, with that stained glass and those tall candlesticks!

The couple who turned this old church into their home even have tombstones in their yard!

How about you? Would you choose this one for your own home -- or have you been able to find on the Web an even more sumptuous, gothy, old church-turned-residence? If so, please post the link here!

-- Nephele

Absolutely breathtaking!!! It must be wonderful to live in an old church!

I found another article on this church/home -- with a few additional pictures:

We Turned a Church into a Home

I'm really envious of the owners of this place!

-- Nephele

I'd be 100% envious if the stained glass windows were not religious...As it is, I'm about 98%

Yah, I know. But the stained glass is lovely, and pictures of saints and stuff don't bother me. I don't think I'd care for a picture of Jesus, though. (No offense to Christians here, it's just not something I'd want staring down at me from a cross.)

-- Nephele

I love the architecture - those high ceilings and the wide-open floor plan. It is jarring to see those religious-motif stained glass windows in a modern kitchen and bathroom, though.



Required learning for Goths: learn how to make your own stained glass windows for this purpose.
Harpy (who leans more towards Arts and Crafts Movement stained glass and tiles)

-- Wed Apr 06, 2011 6:55 pm --



LS and I were looking at some of the religious art at the LA County Museum of Art when he first visited me. He saw a painting in which a saint was holding a crucifix like a stylus "Look! Jesus pencil!"

-- Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:00 pm --

And I wonder in that bedroom if they DO hear, er, angelic choirs singing at certain times, shall we say.

Hmmm... It's lovely, certainly. I note that it's Georgian, and therefore I think stands as a nice example of early Gothic Revival architecture.

And, £92,000 is a great price for a property (and presumably accompanying land) so large. Even with the outlay, I have a feeling that - should they ever decide to part with it - they'll make a tidy profit.

The Holy Grail Pub
This place is in southern New Hampshire, and is a church converted to a restaurant/pub. I haven't been there, but I intend to go as soon as I can.

Nice find!

This puts me in mind of Arlo Guthrie's anti-war song of years ago: "Alice's Restaurant." Although it was the private home and not the restaurant of Alice and her husband Ray (as mentioned in the song) that had originally been an old church.

-- Nephele

I see a lot of smaller 19th century churches in rural and suburban areas refitted into homes and businesses. They're a pain to heat and cool though with those high ceilings. The energy costs are tremendous [one of the many reasons why so many congregations have abandoned their original churches to get new facilities put up near by]. The big urban ones usually just sit rotting until the city tears them down for redevelopment [row houses, gas stations etc.]. Philly usually tears a historic church or two down each year because no one wants them. They've been let go for so long that the cost to purchase & restore or purchase & rebuild into something else is so high that its much cheaper to build fresh.

The landlord I rent from is starting to sell off the apartments (kind of lucky I'm moving!) and there us a nice grade one listed Victorian gothic chapel on-site that would make a really great open plan pad. The apartments are going for £90,000 each BTW.

Except they don't have any ducks like my place does

I suspect that no place has ducks like your place does.

-- Nephele

What a stunning home! They've done a beautiful job with the renovation, and there's so much character there. The rooms are enormous though, especially the dining area, so I'd worry it would have a cold feel to it, especially in winter. Not too sure about the tombstones either! I personally wouldn't want to live there, but it's certainly a lovely home for the couple.


~N

It's gorgeous, absolutely so but it looks a bit like a tribute to Ikea. I think a cathedral calls for iron dark woods, sumptuously dark colors and just a glow of light. I'm thinking decadence along the lines of Northanger Abbey