A faithful conversion

Anastasya Martynova has converted a neglected Edwardian chapel, adding a mezzanine and roof terrace to create a peaceful home filled with her own heavenly artworks

-  Debbie Jeffery

HOMEOWNER Anastasya Martynova

LOCATION Deptford, south London

PROJECT Conversion and extension of a former chapel

SIZE 148m²

BUILD TIME 9 months (Aug 2017-April 2018)

PLOT/HOUSE COST £700,000

BUILD COST £450,000

VALUE £1.5million

As an artist, carver and gilder, Anastasya Martynova is passionate about materials, and her eye for detail is evident throughout the unique chapel she converted as a London home. The semi-detached brick building was previously a Kingdom Hall, which was being used as a bohemian art studio with a makeshift bedroom in one corner.

A BUILDING IN POOR REPAIR

"My friend owned the chapel, but was moving to Italy, and we both simultaneously had the idea that perhaps I could buy it from him," recalls Anastasya, who had been living 15 minutes away in a three-bedroom flat situated on a main road, and was looking for a larger, quieter space.

"I'd done bits and pieces of building work before, but nothing on this scale," she continues. "There was no hot water or insulation, so the place was absolutely freezing as well as rat-infested. It was essentially one open-plan space, with a canteen-style kitchen and a toilet to the rear, but I knew that I had to rescue it." The chapel was built in 1906 and had previously been used for commercial purposes, but its use had been changed to work and residential, which made funding the project more difficult for Anastasya. She was eventually able to change the use to fully residential to secure a small mortgage.

FINDING THE RIGHT ARCHITECT