12 Churches That Have Been Turned Into Heavenly Homes

Sought-after design elements like vaulted ceilings, tall windows and doors, and historic charm came built in with these renovated residences.

Aug 31, 2022 - 20:00
12 Churches That Have Been Turned Into Heavenly Homes

Sought-after design elements like vaulted ceilings, tall windows and doors, and historic charm came built in with these renovated residences.

That’s how Milla Novo and her husband, Nigel Nowotarski, came to live in the top of what was once a chapel. As you step into their apartment, large arched windows hint at its ecclesiastical past, but the couple’s eye-catching textiles and artworks—set against pristine white walls—make the biggest impression.

Once places of worship, these buildings are inherently special, sacred spaces. So when it came to converting them into residences for modern living, their owners approached them with reverence, keeping intact the buildings’ original character while tuning them up for daily life. Read on for some of our favorite updates to historic churches.

Near Amsterdam, a Couple Turn the Top of a Former Chapel Into Their Home and Studio

The couple outside the entrance to their home.

About 20 miles from Amsterdam, an old monastery stands amid a lively garden in the quiet town of Bennebroek. Franciscan sisters once lived in the imposing brick structure, built in the 19th century, but they departed late in the 20th, and a developer subsequently carved the bulk of the building into 18 apartments.

Photo: Alan Jensen

That’s how Milla Novo and her husband, Nigel Nowotarski, came to live in the top of what was once a chapel. As you step into their apartment, large arched windows hint at its ecclesiastical past, but the couple’s eye-catching textiles and artworks—set against pristine white walls—make the biggest impression.

That’s how Milla Novo and her husband, Nigel Nowotarski, came to live in the top of what was once a chapel. As you step into their apartment, large arched windows hint at its ecclesiastical past, but the couple’s eye-catching textiles and artworks—set against pristine white walls—make the biggest impression.

Photo: Alan Jensen

Situated outside the village of Burrowbridge in Southwest England, this historic property occupies the site of a 19th-century Baptist chapel.

Situated outside the village of Burrowbridge in Southwest England, this historic property occupies the site of a 19th-century Baptist chapel.

Courtesy of The Modern House

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