CROSS PURPOSES

Turning an old church into a unique and highly desirable home presented challenges, but many more rewards, for an enterprising couple and their team of architects.

- Chris Pearson

It seems fitting that the owners of this converted church in Sydney’s inner west placed their kitchen where the altar used to be, below a soaring ceiling and four windows, three arched and one round. A gathering place, it is the heart of the home, where they love to cook and entertain while the monumental bench pays homage to the building’s ecclesiastical origins. As light streams through windows on high, it’s hard to feel anything but uplifted.

In 2016, the couple discovered the building, which had been deconsecrated and converted into a theatre 20 years previously. “It scared us when we first saw it,” says the owner. “It looked like a massive project and we had never undertaken a renovation. But when we thought about its potential, we had to do it.”

Its past iteration as a church was a plus for the owners. “It has a feelgood vibe,” she says. And its 1908 triple-brick construction and vaulted oregon herringbone ceiling were a joy to behold.

The theatre left the interiors with tiered seating and an upstairs office – simple to remove. Apart from that it was pretty much a blank canvas, with actors’ dressing rooms and a toilet block added to one side.