We’ve all seen our fair share of conversions from buildings like bakeries or old barns into modern residences. These inspiring transformations opened the doors for more creativity and courage in design. Today we present the transformation of a historical Dutch church into an astounding dream home. Located in Haarlo, The Netherlands, this residence bears the name “God’s Loftstory”, provoking us with its original church facade and a selection of contemporary details inside designed by following the idea of “strip, isolate and furnish”.
Designed by architects Leijh, Kappelhof, Seckel, van den Dobbelsteen, the former Dutch Reformed Evangelism Building in Haarlo has become a unique loft space where serenity and modern design join hands to shape an exemplary residential space.
Limited resources forced the architects to recreate the 1,100 square meters as an open space, exploring the original spaciousness and imposing structure of the church. By adding a mezzanine for the relaxation space containing a couch, a bed and a bath, architects changed the original floor plan enough to create a welcoming, functional home. Showcasing concrete floors, white stucco walls and carefully chosen red accents, this dream home also boasts the original wooden floorboards off the church as cladding for the “Stairway to have fun”- a volume containing the stairs, room divider, closet, build-in-kitchen, acoustic element and exhibition wall.
“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 stained glass (…) The result represents the motto of the owners: “Cherish your inner child; remain pure, playing, exploring and a little bit naughty!”
