7 minute read
Losing Its Religion
This chapel outside of London was converted to a home and is all about William Morris patterns, Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite inspiration and lots of high drama. Matt Stuttle, a self-confessed fan of the more-is-more philosophy, tells the story behind this house of worship and what it is like to live in a former church.
PHOTOS: SEAN MALLIA
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ORIGINALLY a chapel of ease – a smaller Anglican church built between villages for the convenience of parishioners too old or infirm to make it to the nearest place of worship – this was built in 1874 by John George Blencowe.
As time passed, it was used less frequently and was briefly passed on to the Catholic Church, but eventually, in the 1980s, it was left vacant.
A number of different uses were proposed, but eventually, planning permission to convert it into a private home was granted in 2010 and it was put up for open bids. Matt Stuttle, a techie by day, set eyes on the chapel in Chailey, Sussex, and thought it was worth a shot…
Together with Viviana Sciara, who studies interior design, they immediately saw its potential to be converted into a home. The church was in exceptional condition for the time it had been left unoccupied, and the conversion tried to keep as much of the interior space untouched and intact.
Although it had been empty for a while, fortunately, there was little frost damage, or any other material problems.
As regards obstacles with permits, Matt says the Church of England had obtained the main planning permission, which helped a lot, but the two had to deal with several bodies, including the Church Commissioners, the listed building conservation officer and the building inspector at the planning office, as well as the tree officer – the yew trees on the grounds being protected.
Sometimes, there were conflicting needs – the building inspector wanted cladding to make it energy efficient, whereas the conservation officer wanted to change as little of the fabric as possible.
Conversions are always a headache – even from house to house. So, it’s no surprise that turning a chapel into a home could prove to be even more complicated in terms of what was missing and how to make up for it, incorporate it, or adapt it.
In this case, the main problem was the lack of an upstairs; adding a floor needed careful engineering, using a cantilevered structure that would not put any stress on the walls of the building. Finding a way to add exterior windows that were in keeping with the building was also difficult.
As for the usual setbacks along the way… there was an issue with the builders already before official planning permission had been granted, plus a utility company nearly cut off the roots of a protected tree, Matt recalls. Luckily, both were remedied with the relevant people at the council.
The final look and feel of this property were heavily inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, an international movement in the decorative and fine arts that began in Britain and flourished in Europe and North America between 1880 and 1920 and stood for traditional craftsmanship, using simple forms, as well as medieval, romantic, or folk styles of decoration.
The movement has a heavy influence throughout the area, especially the prints of William Morris, which can be found in many of the local period buildings, Matt explains.
“For the age and the area, William Morris was an obvious choice – the selection of patterns is fantastic, but also features in a number of nearby historical buildings like the Red House, or Standen House in West Sussex, a National Trust Arts and Crafts family home with Morris & Co. interiors, set in a hillside garden.”
Inspiration was also sought from the Victorian era, the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Florence and the Machine… All this was somehow translated into the interior design and came together without being a cacophony mostly thanks to the careful eye of Viviana, who was able to select and blend complementary prints, using the same motif, with the cushions and other soft furnishings tying back into the wallpaper and paint used.
The furniture used to bring out this mood was mostly found on eBay, with a long search for things that would fit together and match each other. The Morris prints are, fortunately, available in a number of formats, Matt points out, and the paint was chosen to tie in with the existing tiles and other features.
The high-drama element of this property is a far cry from the modern and minimalist looks we have been seeing for a while. But whether that is a somewhat cold and one-size-fits-all approach to design, which has passed its sell-by date, or whether more character, which brings out the true personality of the owners, is the way forward in interiors is really a matter of personal taste, according to Matt.
“For us, we’ve always been fans of the more-ismore philosophy and Viviana is great at carefully blending prints and patterns to complement them.”
The property still contains some religious features, including the tiles of the Ten Commandments for instance, and the dossal wall. And there’s still a cemetery outside as well!
“Yes, the building still has a religious feel, but for us, it’s just character…”
Probably the glass display cabinet in the centre of the chancel is Matt’s favourite piece. It was found at an antique shopfitting store in Islington, D & A Binder, and provides an “amazing focal point”.
As for a favourite corner, that’s probably to the right of the main chancel, with its stained-glass window by Charles Eamer Kempe, a Victorian designer and manufacturer of stained glass, whose studios produced over 4,000 windows as well as designs for altars and altar frontals, lychgates and memorials that helped to define a later 19th-century Anglican style.
“Honestly, there is probably nothing we would have done differently,” Matt says of the conversion. “The only thing would possibly be to change the glass staircase to something more in keeping with the building – a project for another day!”
