Houzz Tour: Candy-Colored Church Conversion in South Australia
A couple bring their 150-year-old church-turned-residence into the modern world
This 150-year-old converted church stands tall in Exeter, in Australia’s South Australia state, and catches the breeze from the nearby beach and port. Architect and interior designer Stewart Kirby bought the property in 2013 and set about improving the comfort and energy efficiency of the home. As the tallest building in the area, it receives little protection from extreme winds.
“You could literally feel the wind blowing through the building when I first moved in,” Kirby says. He filled gaps in the building, installed solar power and insulation, and repaired the windows. Though the previous homeowners had kept the building intact — and given the interior a colorful makeover — it required a lot of maintenance and was in need of an exterior update and some modern conveniences.
“You could literally feel the wind blowing through the building when I first moved in,” Kirby says. He filled gaps in the building, installed solar power and insulation, and repaired the windows. Though the previous homeowners had kept the building intact — and given the interior a colorful makeover — it required a lot of maintenance and was in need of an exterior update and some modern conveniences.
In the middle of the ground floor, the living area setup echoes the symmetrical design of the church. Kirby says he intentionally positioned the blue sofa and chairs, originally from Denmark, and the additional seating around the circular Nanimarquina rug as a way to mirror this symmetry. The arrangement also helps create an intimate gathering space within what is otherwise a very large room.
From the comfort of the couch, you can look up into the raised pulpit area, which has a round stained glass window.
Rug: Sybilla ‘Diana’ by Nanimarquina, Aptos Cruz Galleries; Oscar chair and ottoman: Walter Knoll
From the comfort of the couch, you can look up into the raised pulpit area, which has a round stained glass window.
Rug: Sybilla ‘Diana’ by Nanimarquina, Aptos Cruz Galleries; Oscar chair and ottoman: Walter Knoll
Pillows: custom by Stewart Kirby Design
Off the living space is what Kirby affectionately calls the “library nook.” This area creates a smaller point of interest within the large open-plan space, helping to keep it from feeling vacant or cold. “The bright colors of the floor rug also remove any risk of the space appearing unwelcoming,” Kirby says.
With the curtains gone, this corner now receives lots of sunlight.
Rug: Terrace Floors & Furnishings; bookshelves: Ikea; sofa: vintage Ikea; Wassily chair: Marcel Breuer; Barcelona chair: Mies van der Rohe
With the curtains gone, this corner now receives lots of sunlight.
Rug: Terrace Floors & Furnishings; bookshelves: Ikea; sofa: vintage Ikea; Wassily chair: Marcel Breuer; Barcelona chair: Mies van der Rohe
Opposite the library nook is the dining area. Here, Kirby has used a large boardroom table to ground the scale of the room. It can comfortably sit up to 12 people.
Eames Aluminum Group conference table and chairs: Herman Miller
Eames Aluminum Group conference table and chairs: Herman Miller
A secondhand aluminium suspension lamp, directed at the table rather than on people’s faces, provides soft lighting for dining. The lamp also ensures that the table remains a focus at night, again to create points of interest in the vast space.
Buffet: Pedlar’s Antique Market; art: Stewart Kirby and Mark Goddard; Christine Cholewa bowls: JamFactory
Buffet: Pedlar’s Antique Market; art: Stewart Kirby and Mark Goddard; Christine Cholewa bowls: JamFactory
The kitchen, which looks out over the living area, is where the raised pulpit area of the church used to be. “Cooking seems to me a delightful use of this space!” Kirby says.
Triptych artwork: Annalisa Feleppa; FAB32 refrigerator: Smeg; BeoVision 3-28 television: Bang & Olufsen
Triptych artwork: Annalisa Feleppa; FAB32 refrigerator: Smeg; BeoVision 3-28 television: Bang & Olufsen
A white enamel stove originally stood on the end wall of the kitchen, which made it impossible to access the first two cupboards under the counter. A solution was found by removing a section of shelving from the dividing wall and installing a heat-proof stainless steel lining. An upright gas stove was then installed, facing the main cabinets in galley style.
Artwork: Lidia Groblicka
Artwork: Lidia Groblicka
The existing white cabinetry was left intact, except for one 18-inch-wide cupboard, which was removed and replaced with a dishwasher. “The [cabinets] had aged well,” Kirby says, “but the kitchen’s lack of contemporary facilities desperately needed attention.” Two additional cabinets were modified to house dual ovens.
Except for the simple addition of a Songe mirror from Ikea above the existing vanity, the bathroom underwent no changes.
The room can also be accessed from the veranda at the back of the house.
Tucked up in the roofline of the church is a bedroom, a second living space, a studio and another bathroom.
At the center of this open-plan upper level is the bedroom. “While the space around me is huge, it never feels anything less than completely comforting,” Kirby says. “The dark, ornate timber ceilings really make this space feel like a cocoon.”
A seating area to the side of the bed offers another spot to relax. “My cat loves the lounge on a winter’s day when the sun streams through the skylight above,” Kirby says.
Although the bedroom is open to the living area below, it can’t be looked up into, so it remains private.
Componibili bedside table: Kartell
A seating area to the side of the bed offers another spot to relax. “My cat loves the lounge on a winter’s day when the sun streams through the skylight above,” Kirby says.
Although the bedroom is open to the living area below, it can’t be looked up into, so it remains private.
Componibili bedside table: Kartell
This view from the balustrade wall of the bedroom, overlooking the living room and kitchen, is one of Kirby’s favorites.
On the other side of the staircase is a work studio, which benefits from north-facing skylights and east-facing leaded glass windows that offer a view of Port Adelaide.
“The studio was in poor taste when I bought the church,” Kirby says. “There were awful pastel green curtains blocking the skylights, and the stained cream carpet had definitely seen much better days.” Where there is now simple plywood shelving, a large white melamine open wardrobe covered the wall and much of the woodwork. In addition, an unattractive (and broken) exhaust fan was doing no justice to the upper circular window in which it sat.
The removal of the curtains, wardrobe and fan brought natural character back to the space, while new charcoal carpet freshened up the look and feel.
Round table: Botium; red armchair: vintage Ikea; Aeron chair: Herman Miller; metal shelving unit: Mei & Picchi
“The studio was in poor taste when I bought the church,” Kirby says. “There were awful pastel green curtains blocking the skylights, and the stained cream carpet had definitely seen much better days.” Where there is now simple plywood shelving, a large white melamine open wardrobe covered the wall and much of the woodwork. In addition, an unattractive (and broken) exhaust fan was doing no justice to the upper circular window in which it sat.
The removal of the curtains, wardrobe and fan brought natural character back to the space, while new charcoal carpet freshened up the look and feel.
Round table: Botium; red armchair: vintage Ikea; Aeron chair: Herman Miller; metal shelving unit: Mei & Picchi
The office desk was bought at an auction.
The upper-level shower room is defined by the building’s structure. One wall was removed to create more space, while simple updates — re-grouting the tiles and adding new faucets — freshened things up.
Outside, a new roof, patching and a fresh coat of paint transformed the back veranda into a protected all-weather outdoor space.
Yellow Magis chair: Aptos Cruz Galleries
Yellow Magis chair: Aptos Cruz Galleries
The veranda overlooks the backyard, which endures extreme coastal winds. The space previously housed a crop of weeds and a new sod lawn that wasn’t doing well.
“As I don’t have kids or a dog to worry about, I was able to treat this space as purely decorative,” Kirby says. Trees were planted to help shade the western end of the building from late-summer sun, which Kirby hopes will improve the thermal efficiency of the building.
Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) was chosen for the ground cover to give the appearance of lawn without the maintenance. It quickly covered the entire space.
“As I don’t have kids or a dog to worry about, I was able to treat this space as purely decorative,” Kirby says. Trees were planted to help shade the western end of the building from late-summer sun, which Kirby hopes will improve the thermal efficiency of the building.
Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) was chosen for the ground cover to give the appearance of lawn without the maintenance. It quickly covered the entire space.
The southern yard originally had only two trees and a massive crop of stinging nettle weeds. Unfortunately, both trees needed to be removed because they were planted too close to neighbors’ walls and were causing structural damage to their property. The upside was that landscape designer Mark Ellis, whom Kirby enlisted to help, had a blank canvas with which to work.
Ellis was tasked with turning the area into a shady summer haven that would attract bird life.
Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia), a species that grows along the eastern coast of Australia, and crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) were planted to provide full cover in the garden. Because they would take time to grow to their full size, the fence was painted orange to add instant relief and a sense of fun to the zone. Initially, it provided a lovely contrast to the growing plants, but has since been pleasantly overtaken by foliage.
Metal patio furniture: Domo
Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia), a species that grows along the eastern coast of Australia, and crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) were planted to provide full cover in the garden. Because they would take time to grow to their full size, the fence was painted orange to add instant relief and a sense of fun to the zone. Initially, it provided a lovely contrast to the growing plants, but has since been pleasantly overtaken by foliage.
Metal patio furniture: Domo
The property is on a busy intersection but benefits from a high masonry wall. Both sides of the wall are painted in Haymes Raspberry Sorbet Morado, or “bright pink,” as the locals like to call it. “As a fan of bright colors, I knew I’d love it, but was a little unsure of how the public would perceive it,” Kirby says. “As it turned out, the majority of people had the same reaction I did the day I returned to find my painters had applied the first coat: surprise, smiles and laughter.”
Some time was spent removing the weeds and a festering, leaking concrete pond from the wraparound planter box that sits against the wall. Bamboo, which has been planted along the entire length of the planter box, helps to soften the pink wall.
PS 2012 easy chairs: Ikea
Some time was spent removing the weeds and a festering, leaking concrete pond from the wraparound planter box that sits against the wall. Bamboo, which has been planted along the entire length of the planter box, helps to soften the pink wall.
PS 2012 easy chairs: Ikea
The expanse of concrete is broken up by the landscaping, which will only become more dense with time, and the addition of mature cactuses in pots, which came from Kirby’s previous residence.
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Who lives here: Architect and interior designer Stewart Kirby of Stewart Kirby Design; his partner, Marcus Brownlow, a data scientist and artist; and Pussy the cat
Location: Exeter, South Australia state, Australia
Size: 2,583 square feet (240 square meters); one bedroom, two bathrooms, two living areas and studio space
Aside from its colorfully striped door, the exterior of this church-turned-home is in keeping with its heritage. The trim is painted in Wood Murowash by Murobond. The paint has a beautiful texture that suits the rough finish, homeowner Stewart Kirby says, and the color blends in well with the superb stonework of the walls.