Have you ever noticed that some of the most interesting details in people's homes can come from re-purposing certain items (old doors, custom built-ins, funky light fixtures, furniture...)? People nowadays flock to salvage stores to find those singular details that just don't exist in today's fast paced, profit driven construction market. This type of unique detail is not limited to just certain snapshots of a home, but can, in fact, encompass an entire home. Today, people have found ways to creatively re-purpose old buildings such as churches, fire-stations, and even banks into one-of-a-kind homes for themselves. Take a look at some of our favorites below.


This last example is quite a dazzler.  Located at 1658 W. Superior Street in the East Village neighborhood of Chicago, this former Romanesque style church was built in 1888. It was converted to 14 condominium units back in 1998. This former church retained much of it's character throughout the transformation (which can be tricky for commercial resale projects): large, intricate stained glass windows; vaulted spaces, some as high as 30 feet; and brickwork can still be found in each unit.