The expansive main living area boasts 25-foot ceilings truly making a grand statement. In this room, they kept a neutral, cohesive palette helping to unify each of the designated spaces.

The kitchen is pretty minimalist as not to compete with the historic glass it’s centered around.

White oak floors keep the mostly white space from feeling too cold and stark.

The fireplace is clad in quartz that goes straight to the ceiling.

The living room fireplace is back-to-back with a smaller version in the media room.

“The architecture is so beautiful; I loved everything about it,” she says. “High ceilings were a must, and this building has those and everything else — lots of character and history.” Camilotti’s main challenge was to fill the generous space of the church conversion without having her furniture get lost in it.

It was such an amazing project. I had no limitations,

she says.

The converted church, a National Heritage List property dating to 1890, seduced her with its arching ceilings and timber beams. “When it came to a base color, I decided to keep it neutral in order to accentuate the original beams,” she says.

“I needed lots of courage when it came to decorating,” she says.

The living area is a huge, open space, and a normal-sized sofa would have disappeared, so I supersized!

She has always had a passion for oversize furniture, and the generous proportions of her new home allowed her to indulge her whim for extravagance. “The upholsterer thought I was crazy when I gave him the measurements for the sofa,” she says with a laugh.

She was drawn to a monochrome palette and is happy the colors worked to the building’s advantage. “I just couldn’t imagine this place in another palette — I think it works perfectly,” she says. The gleaming surface of the glossy white Koishi coffee table reflects light from the large windows.

A self-playing piano tucked under the staircase is a decadent touch and keeps Camilotti and her staff entertained during working hours. “I always wanted to integrate the office and living areas, and I think it works very well. This whole house is very me and reflects my style and personality perfectly,” she says.

An elegant Nur pendant from Artemide pools light on the kitchen island to highlight the black granite surface. The extractor fan is integrated into the ceiling, folding down only when it’s needed. The bar stools introduce a touch of brown, linking with the wooden beams. “The stools are my own design and made in Milan from cowhide and chrome,” Camilotti says.

With so much space at her disposal, Camilotti was able to zone off different areas. This comfortable corner is next to the entrance and her workstation and acts as a waiting area for visitors. The chrome and walnut table is a vintage find.

During the day the grand dining table is filled with brochures and pattern books, but in the evening, it’s transformed into a glamorous dining area for up to 12 people. “I designed the table myself,” Camilotti says. “It’s a sheet of glass resting on two enormous wooden blocks.”

Camilotti’s home is filled with expressions of her personality, such as these lily-print cushions and the Gherkin canvas, both of which she designed herself. “The Gherkin is my creation,” she says. “My degree is in fine art, and I love playing around on Photoshop. It was difficult to find something that fitted this space, so I just created an artwork myself.”

The large master bedroom has an accompanying dressing room, negating the need for bulky wardrobes that would inhibit the view of the arched ceiling. “I decided to put mirrors in the niche here to reflect the beams, which I love,” she says.

Camilotti chose a palette of gold and earthy tones for the guest bedroom, which has a slightly baroque flavor. “I took some baroque images of angels and put them on a black background for the decor in this room,” she explains. “It’s glamorous, but with the white floorboards it still feels very contemporary, which I love.”

“The window here is so beautiful, I didn’t want anything to block it,” Camilotti says. “It has wonderful colors and shapes, and is such a gorgeous composition. It’s lovely to gaze on this from the living room below.”

The master bathroom is relatively compact compared with the rest of the house, so Camilotti wanted to open up the space as much as possible. The rustic brick floor is light, and the mirrored panel around the walls makes the room appear larger.

“I absolutely love the garden,” Camilotti says. The scent from the lemon trees evokes memories of holidays in Sorrento, Italy. Though fairly small, the garden is set up for dining and relaxing. “It’s a wonderful space in which to spend time,” she says. “This and the piano are my favorite parts of the house.”

This former church in Haarlo, the Netherlands has been transformed into a unique loft. The starting point for the design were the retained (mostly with a need for restoration) qualities of the 1928 dating monument; the façade, the bell tower with clock, the volume, the iconic location on the outskirts of the village and nice details like the wooden roof construction, the old panel doors and arch windows with leaded glass.

This project demonstrates that a transformation of a church with limited resources is possible, when using a smart design and an efficient plan. The concept was; strip, isolate and furnish. The execution represents the motto of the owners: “Cherish your inner child; remain pure, playing, exploring and a little bit naughty!”

It was a conscious choice, not to fill the volume of 1100 m3 completely with as many rooms as possible, but to minimize the demands, in order to retain the spaciousness of the building. The only architectural additions are the mezzanine for the relaxation room (couch, bed and bath) and the multifunctional “stairway to have fun” (stairs, room divider, closet, kitchen, acoustic element and exhibition wall).

The used materials are pure, sober, functional and budgetary; concrete on the floor, the original wooden floorboards from the church as cladding for the “stairway to have fun”, stainless steel kitchen elements, a hard glass partition to retain openness, white stucco for making the space light inside and strategically chosen red accents.

This project shows great passion, humor, respect, love and creativity. This is being reflected in the, specially for this project realized, elements like the swing “swinging sister”, the “KROONluchter” (inspired by the original organ), the “gate of heaven” flanked by a wall of guardian angels, the “stairway to have fun”, the “holy shit” on the toilet, birdhouses with lamp for strange birds that have seen the light and the wooden “lost sheep” in the garden.

The modern garden has large plastered planters, made by left-over-bricks. There is a herb garden, a vegetable garden, a flower garden and an orchard; a contemporary nod to the old monastery gardens. The outside shed with a porch is a 40ft container, integrated into the wooden fence and equipped with a green roof. By deepening the garden, a private garden is created yet still a view at the church is remained intact.

This project by LKSVDD Architects is an exemplary example of architectural transformation and sustainable conservation of religious heritage.

The loft apartment is located in Vilnius, Lithuania in a former radio factory that has been abandoned for several years. The space was transformed and repurposed. It was an ambitious project by Dmitriy Kudin. Given the original structure of the building, the space dictated an open plan. While transforming the factory, its original structures were also exposed. Most of the main elements were preserved as a testimony of the past but the smaller details and everything else had to be reorganized and redesigned.

The loft has a contemporary design. The remains of the factory also give it an industrial touch. The rooms have high ceilings and there’s a sense of openness everywhere you look. The living areas are large, open spaces. The furniture is minimalist and the décor is simple and casual. What’s surprising is that the apartment feels cozy despite the fact that it’s inside an old, abandoned factory. It’s amazing what a few changes can accomplish.

This chapel-loft situated in the quaint Flemish village of Bazel has been reconverted into 2 loft-type houses. The building was built in the second half of the 19th century by Countess Villain XIIII next to the castle of Wissekerke as a place where the children of the village could be educated.

The building later became derelict was sold and renovated into a residence. On the ground floor, you can find our offices, with windows overlooking the back garden. In the entrance hall, you still experience the grandeur of the architecture. The owners have kept the space quite open here, which makes the originally monumental and religious character of the building still tangible. The façade and especially the windows are so monumental that the rest of the architecture is logically subordinate to both this image and to the convenience of daily life.

Have a look at the loft of Antoon, Natascha and their two children

The barn, now a contemporary home, is located in Surrey, England. Its conversion was a project by Stedman Blower Architects and it such a blast that it even appeared on the famous TV show “Grand Designs”. The new building features a highly modern design and an original layout. A lot of things have been changed. However, the exterior has basically remained the same. Thatâ€s a part of the plan. This way the impact is much stronger when you enter.

The current design is mostly characterized by openness and space. Thereâ€s an open plan living room and a suspended walkway that connects all the other rooms. The main bedroom is situated upstairs and it overlooks the church where the owners got married. Itâ€s a very romantic view and the church is a permanent reminder of what was probably the happiest day of their life.

Upstairs, the main bedroom overlooks a beautiful landscape and the church where the home owners were married. The budget for the building was approximately 390 000 GBP.

The penthouse is the crown jewel of the Abbey Lofts, as it is the buildingâ€s most church-like one, with features such as leaded-glass windows and exposed limestone walls. Steps away from High Park, this church-turned-condo complex has a long history. Built in 1911 for a Methodist parish, the structure switched affiliations a few times—United in 1925, then evangelical in 1970—before turning into residences in 2008.

Outside, the 90-foot-high square campanile (bell tower) is clad in light-grey limestone. Inside, many of the original elements of the 1911 Edwardian interior have been retained, like exposed limestone walls, stained-glass cathedral windows and 25-foot ceilings in places.

Beyond the obvious “we live in a bell tower” boast, new residents can show off their books in the many main-floor shelving units. Between the library vibe and the stone walls, the place has a heady, Halloween feel. The rooftop terrace, complete with turrets, provides the perfect place to relive childhood games of King of the Castle.

“Heâ€s got a lot of wit in the decor, which you rarely see,” says listing agent Lynn Tribbling – as the loft is currently for sale. “A lot of these listings … they are so serious. You feel like youâ€ve been to a museum. This one, you walk in and you see these little surprises everywhere.” Like whimsical “wall spirits” – half sculptures protruding from the walls – and visual puns including a “holy cow” and a “sacred lamb.”

They call it a castle on the park but actually ait was a church. Today’s home is a Gothic Revival building overlooking Dolores Park in San Francisco. It started off as a church back in 1909 and is now renovated into a three-bedroom home with plenty of stained glass and open spaces including the main hall on the ground floor.

The home includes a new kitchen, a luxury master bath with a marble Roman tub, a master changing room, mahogany cabinets in the living room set against massive expanses of exposed brick. The church tower has 360 degree views from arched stained mahogany windows and roof-top deck and features a custom steel and transparent plexiglass spiral staircase. It’s gorgeous space although it seems like a bit of a decorating challenge and will need of plenty of furniture to turn it into a warmer personal home. This home is listed at around $7 million.

The renovated church includes the original sanctuary with hand-painted ceilings, original stained glass windows and four fireplaces. The old church tower now serves as a “meditation room,” offering 360 degrees views of San Francisco.

The most dramatic feature may be the main hall on the ground floor, which is big enough to fit a thriving congregation. The listing suggests it can be used as “exhibition space, a recording studio, gym and/or home office.”

via http://www.601dolores.com/

Itâ€s divine!

This church located in the suburbs of Sydney was built in 1898. In 2003 it is a radical change that took place for the building since it was sold and converted into a loft consists of four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The transformation is the work of architectural firm Otto Cserhalmi + Partners.

From the outside, we CANâ€T imagine that this church is actually a loft APARTMENT….

via LoftyLovin