Most people enjoy getting involved in a restoration project but they don’t always have the opportunity to take it to a large scale. As you search down through your Instagram feed, you are likely to find many inspirational posts. There are very few, however, that are as inspirational as what Anastasiia and Gunther have posted.
That Maryland couple decided they would renovate a building and turn it into a home. It wasn’t all that unusual until you find out that it was a 120-year-old church they had purchased for $320,000. It took them 2 1/2 years to complete the project, but it’s a dream home unlike any other.
Anastasiia worked as a teacher and Gunther is a biostatistician. They were driving along the road near their home when they were surprised to see a for sale sign in front of the All Saints church. They were not only surprised; they were motivated.
“I suppose it was just like love at first sight; it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly made our hearts skip a bit, but it did so, in spades,” Anastasiia said according to Simplemost. “It was the grandeur of the space, among many other things, like beautiful woodwork, colorful light streaming through the original stained glass, the gothic arches of the windows and doors – and just the overall feeling that it was meant to be ours.”
The All Saints church was designed by Henry Martyn Congdon, a New York architect. The original church had burned down in 1899, and this building was erected between 1900 and 1901.
Philadelphia Architects and Buildings reports that there are also other churches designed by the same architect, including St. Luke’s Church in Germantown, Pennsylvania, Calvary Church and Parish House in Summit, New Jersey, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.
Gunther fell in love with the Great Room and its 20 foot high vaulted ceilings with two skylights. When he walked out on the balcony from the master bedroom and looked down on the Great Room, he was hooked. He told Simplemost, “I imagined the big family events as well as the parties with friends and community.”
Anastasiia said, “He still comes out on that balcony almost every morning to look over the Great Room!”
Admittedly, it wasn’t all that common to purchase a church to make into a home. It took a lot of inspections and reports to the real estate agents that they were buying it as a niche property. It also had its fair share of problems, including mold and termites.
In order to reduce the cost, an online bank based in Missouri was used.
“All I did during the purchase process is worry about it – whether or not we would get it,” admitted Anastasiia to Simplemost.
After making the purchase, the couple renamed the church, “All Saints House”. They then set out to completely renovate it. This included cleaning the place for the first two weeks because it had not been temperature controlled for four years.
Even though they did a lot of work on the inside and the outside of the building, they did try to preserve the original character.
“All of them have done a marvelous job in maintaining the character of the building while remaining respectful during the entirety of their previous renovations,” Anastasiia said according to Simplemost. “None of the original details were damaged or removed, and all the additions are built around the existing features, allowing for them to potentially be removed at any point without any consequences to the architectural integrity of the building.”
A Franmar “Blue Bear” chemical stripper was used in the building to remove lead paint from the front doors. Protective masks were used to protect from toxic fumes, but the doors were restored beautifully.
They also painted the outside two shades of gray. Previously, the owners had chosen gray over the traditional white color, but they still think about painting it red with white trim!
The stained glass is also something that they spent a lot of time preserving. They looked carefully into the architectural integrity and maintaining it from the previous renovations. They do what they can to make it livable, and some conveniences were added.
That being said, the stained glass windows are not going anywhere.
Much of the furniture that is in the All Saints House is from secondhand stores and antique shops. They try to stick with the style that is associated with the original architecture of the building.
Anastasiia does have a favorite piece, and that is the dining room set. She says it is the first thing they purchased after they moved in.
Of course, the kitchen needed a lot of work and it proved to be challenging. During the time that they were doing the kitchen remodel, she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. In the end, she feels that it was well worth it.
Anastasiia also relied on her father, especially when it came to the kitchen renovation.
“I’m thankful that my father-in-law is a Russian fine craftsman and finish carpenter/cabinet and furniture maker,” Gunther said to the outlet. “He really saved our bacon on the kitchen reno.”
Even though she was pregnant, Anastasiia still got involved. They did use low VOC and she wore a mask for extra protection.
Although the finished product is beautiful, it did take a lot of work and it didn’t all come together immediately. They did much of the work themselves to reduce the costs.
“We live in an area of highly concentrated wealth, with hundreds of waterfront mansions and estates, therefore the general principle is that everyone’s motto is that ‘no-jobs too small, except for yours,’” said Gunther. Paying for others to do the work, like the roofing, would be no cheap feat. “We intend on doing it ourselves after receiving some mind blowing quotes ($100k for a simple asphalt shingle roof!).,” she shared on Instagram.
There is a climbing wall and roof for the children. So far, they have two teenagers and an infant.
“They like the house’s uniqueness,” Anastasiia said shared with Simplemost. “And the fact that it is our family project. We are on this journey together, and that is quite exciting!”
“It has been a transition from the small French country farmhouse style of our previous home,” added Gunther. “But having the large yard woods and river out back is a nice change for them.”
They also came up with a few unexpected surprises. This included a brick pathway that was buried by the front door. When they found it, it was exciting because it was exactly what they would’ve selected. Their son removed the bricks, added some French drains and put the original bricks back again.
Along with all of the work that they did on the home, it also takes a lot of extra work on a daily basis. Cleaning the home takes a lot of effort, which was even more effort with a newborn in the house.
One of the important pieces of equipment they have is a cordless vacuum so it can navigate its way through the home easily.
“It’s a big house and is surrounded by a wooded area, therefore spiderwebs appear overnight, not to mention frequent visitors – flying squirrels, birds, bats and snakes,” she said. “The house requires lots of daily maintenance.”
The nursery makeover for their youngest son was still on the radar. They had done some refinishing of the doors but when she “lost steam,” she soon found herself pregnant.
After their third child was born, they took some time off to enjoy the new arrival. They still have a lot of plans for the future, and she is “excited about creating an English garden with boxwood evergreen maze and a large stone patio for summer parties.”
Buying an old church is like buying a piece of history. There are plenty of things in the home to maintain and revamp while still showing honor to the original architecture. That includes the fireplace in the great room and a grand piano, which was originally a church piano
