Take me to church
Oh, I love so many things about this....
First of all, my name is a derivation of a Western Basque dialect word so anything having to do with the Basque country is attractive to me. It's just the way things are here, at Lo Imprescidible. Then we have the actual place. It may sound weird, but I have always wanted to live in an abandoned church. Always. The fifteen feet high ceilings of course have something to do with it, but also the fantastic space and the idea of rescuing a building that may have gone to waste if it's not repurposed. And how better to repurpose a church than as a house? Also, it's funny how historical sites work.
The only thing would be, like in this case, the permits. Because this is a historic building, there were so many wrinkles to iron out before the actual remodeling started that I would get dizzy. Among them, the removing of the debris that he found inside the abandoned church. You really need an eye for proportion and design to see that kitchen and that loft when the church was at its worst. I love so hard that loft with the bed in it that I could kiss it.
It took three or four months to take everything out of the church to start working. He had to basically rebuild the church, when he bought it. And he said that the structure was in good shape! Good luck, right? Five hundred years and still standing? I think that the best idea was to put the kitchen where the altar was. I know many people that consider cooking sacred, natch.
I love the artwork in the house (his grandmother's artwork in the bathroom? Priceless). I also love that everything in this house is either very old or very new. And that there's a ton of heirlooms and things that belonged to his family. The kicker? You need to wear a harness to go to that cool little room on the other side opposite to his studio. I'm not really sure about that, but that man could convince me to do all kinds of things. Walking in a harness included.
What I liked most was that the owner emphasizes the fact that it's a 'home', and that a church for many is the farthest from a homey place. Talk about the will of men.
XOXO
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Great idea beautifully crafted!
ReplyDeleteIn Italy, as people go to church less (fortunately), some churches have been turned into restaurants or theaters.
I thought so, too!
DeleteAnd I really like the idea of repurposing churches. Many are built to last. Might as well use them.
XOXO
Wow, I like
ReplyDeleteSame!
DeleteThe final product is really impressive.
XOXO
I love the old, the very old, with the very new. I really think those two things work together not against one another. If you look at the outside, you appreciate the stone walls because of the new black door and windows and the roof.
ReplyDeleteWhile not at all a church goer, I could live in one.
Yes!
DeleteThat combo is always striking and at the same time very aesthetically pleasing. I loved the new roof. He even went out and walked on it!
I could live in a remodeled church, too.
XOXO
Unfortunately in Florida, 'rehab' or 'renovate' is not in the vocabulary of property owners here. Key words are 'tear down' and 'high rise' to increase tax base. grrrrr.....
ReplyDeleteBut I'd live in a converted garage only to be in Spain!
OMG yes.
DeleteI have heard of beautiful properties being torn down to give place to concrete and glass monstrosities.
And living in Spain, the Basque country or Portugal? Dreamy.
XOXO
Well done! I like the idea very much, and I'd totally live in a converted church. But, I'm an HGTV junkie. Nate and Jeremiah? Love their design aesthetic. But the new gay couple on "Bargain Block" have it going on! They buy rundown, abandoned houses in Detroit, do all the work themselves, live in the houses as they work on them, and sell them for under $100,000. XOXO
ReplyDeleteOMG
DeleteI positively love Nate and Jeremiah. They're adorable and they have flawless taste. And I'm going to have to watch Bargain Block. The idea of remodeling and selling for a good price would be a rarity. The 'flippers' are always looking for quick, big bucks...
XOXO
I've never seen a church converted to housing, but I've seen an old firehall converted to condos.
ReplyDeleteOh, churches are the best.
DeleteI always dreamed of buying an old fire station in Chicago and making it my own personal loft. Somebody had the same idea and now it's a duplex.
XOXO
That was beautiful!!!!!! I don't know I could live there though. The old walls look would wear on me eventually being EVERYWHERE. We have several churches here in Bucks Country that have been converted into restaurants, Marsha Browns right here in New Hope is one of my favorites. Some of the best southern creole food. The old closed church next to me , of 15 years is slated to become a dinning establishment and bakery...how convenient right? There goes my waist. We have a small firehouse next to me that was also converted into a gourmet ice cream house. A quick walk through the cemetery.
ReplyDeleteThis actually brought back fond, happy and sordid memories for me from the old Limelight.
Isn't it beautiful?
DeleteI think I could live there, though. The walls do not bother me. And I've been to old churches that have been converted into breweries. Much better use.
Hahaha and I feel you! Recently baked bread? YUM!
I like it when people remodel old abandoned buildings and give them a new purpose.
XOXO
I've never sat in a church without imagining turning it into a theatre. It's such a natural. And, yes... ceilings. And a balcony. And intrigue. I find them absolutely fascinating. This is a daring transformation. Thanks for sharing, hon. Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteA theater is the most natural progression, no? The acoustics, the altar, everything is ready to go. I loved what this guy did here, too.
XOXO
The one thing that this church had going for it in converting to a house, was the size. As churches go it is a small building, but the population was small so nothing larger was needed. He did a magnificent job on the restoration, and doing a lot of it himself takes guts. And like you a lot of the stuff has meaning to him: passed down from family or received from friends.
ReplyDeleteBut I’m with you, no high wire act for me.
XOXO 👨❤️💋👨
I know!
DeleteIt was just perfect. It was not a big town, either, so the size was just right. The restoration must have been something. I cannot see myself taking on something like this. I would go crazy.
I loved the memorabilia, but the high wire act left me cold.
XOXO
That was really great... except for the flat line cable. No way, even if it is safe. Too much work.
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteI would have thought you'd like the challenge. But yeah, love the little room at the top, but getting there would require a ladder, not a Cirque du Soleil act.
XOXO
A magnificent house -- and a hell of a lot of work. And he obviously has no sense of vertigo.
ReplyDeleteWhy do Europe's rural towns look like that and ours look like hellscapes of tall signs for gas stations and burger joints?
It was kind of funny at 7:00 when he was talking about the layers of the wall and it sounded like he was saying "one liar, another liar, another liar," as if he were talking about the priests who used to run the place.
Isn't it amazing?
DeleteWhen I saw the 'before' pics, I was like: I would have fainted. Same if he invited me to that little room up there.
And I usually think the same: America's rural towns very seldom have any character, they're all WalMarts and fast food places. And the strip malls all look the same. It's like it's the same town over and over and over.
LMAOOO oh, accents. They come handy to add some spice.
XOXO