What we know so far...Originally a church, built around 1907, it was converted into townhouse style apartments in the 70's. So we live in part of a church, complete with cathedral light, stained glass windows, and evidence of the arches that once graced our upper walls.
This is the view from the entryway. You can see the spiral staircase and the three stained glass windows on the far wall. The room is actually twice as wide as it looks in this picture. The wall you see is that of a galley kitchen that takes up one third of that side. We're thinking of putting a little breakfast bar (ish) where the cutout is, complete with stools.
If you turn around from that vantage point, you see the entryway (and Ryan's skis...which are finally out of my truck). I am a big fan of the entryway. I dislike stepping immediately into someone's space. This entryway is fantastic. It's kind of rustic, between the heavy wooden door and the brick floor. It needs a little table.
And a new rug.
One of the things that sold us (along with the fact that it has a fireplace and is just really, really cool) is the stained glass windows. There are more upstairs in the office area, but these are blocked in by later construction. The three in the main living area catch the afternoon sunlight and make the whole place glow.
One of the other features that lends to the high cool factor is the cathedral light that hangs from the loft area into the main living area. It can be controlled from the loft or from the downstairs. The natural light in this place is amazing, but add to it the not-so-natural light and you have some really cool effects. I can't wait to see what it looks like when the place is dark with the exception of this light.
Of course, my main concern (as always) was the kitchen. It's workable. A little smaller than I might like, but everything is within reach. We might have to get creative about storage, but we'll manage.
The giant south-facing window makes it worth it. There's a huge ledge (actually two) that are inspiring even me to place some plants there. That says a lot.
What has already been claimed as the office upstairs has another huge window that overlooks the courtyard. This is the room that contains the rest of the stained glass, although these do not face outward and aren't quite as spectacular. I have yet to claim a specific space for my craftiness, but I'm working on it.
I'm not exactly looking forward to trying to carry things up and down, but the spiral staircase is still pretty awesome. These treads are a key factor in the development of the "kitty restraint system" to keep furballs from reaching the upper limits of the apartment. I think I have it figured out. We'll just have to see how athletic Gracie really is.
The view from above.
We christened the place with wine in red Dixie cups along with Ryan's parents last night. Don't worry, though...there will be plenty more opportunities in the near future to come and hang out. Ryan has already started the slate of events. I need to warm up my pans and sharpen my knives, I guess.
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