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From Church to a Breathtaking, Single-Family Home

Never have I wanted to go to church as bad as when I caught a glance at this church conversion by Linc Thelen Design and Scrafano Architects. The 5,500-square-foot project took an old church in Chicago, Illinois and turned it into a single-family home for a family with three young children. Not everybody can merge modern with original stained glass, along with other existing elements, but they made it work beautifully.

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The expansive main living area boasts 25-foot ceilings truly making a grand statement. In this room, they kept a neutral, cohesive palette helping to unify each of the designated spaces.

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The kitchen is pretty minimalist as not to compete with the historic glass it’s centered around.

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White oak floors keep the mostly white space from feeling too cold and stark.

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The fireplace is clad in quartz that goes straight to the ceiling.

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The living room fireplace is back-to-back with a smaller version in the media room.

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Overall, the new home has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms.

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In the boys room, they installed a rock climbing wall.

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The girls room features wallpaper from Serena and Lily and an elevated play space that can be reached by a ladder.

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Even the laundry room has great style!

Photos by Jim Tschetter.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.