Adaptive Reuse: Turning Commercial Buildings Into Homes

The altar was traded for a fireplace, and a study with it’s own rolling library ladder was added. The final look: artist’s loft with a blend of 1920s schoolhouse.

Make It Home:
• Instead of fighting a space’s flavor, work with it. The homeowners played up the church kitchen’s institutional feel by adding industrial-size refrigerator latches on all of the cabinets.
• Add eclectic pieces—like this couple’s African three-legged stools and eight-foot Parisian sofas—to create visual interest in large rooms.