The Chapel is an imposing red brick building in Malvern. It was originally constructed in the 1850s and had been a commercial property for many decades. When the current owner, John Rudge, bought the property, it was in terrible disrepair.
John got planning permission to turn the rundown chapel into a contemporary 3-bedroom home and in 2021 work on the Chapel began. Fortunately, the building is not listed but still had to comply with building regulations.
Why choose Acorn?
Keith, the builder John had originally planned to use, sadly died. Sam, who had been going to work on the development with Keith, took on the project.
“Sam had come highly recommended by Keith, who truly admired him and said that Sam was ‘A young man with a mature head on his shoulders’ and it’s true. Many of the tradesmen who worked with him had huge respect for him.”
What’s the project?
John is a developer with an ambition to create a home that showcases his collection of art.
“I wanted the chapel interior to look like a contemporary art gallery.”
John chose architect Garry Thomas, who had done several grand designs previously and knew instinctively what John wanted to achieve, even homing in on the ugly roof trusses that John loathed.
A lot of work was done on the Chapel during the development. Not least, Sam and the team replaced and insulated all the walls; they added a new ceiling to cover the ugly roof trusses, and a new mezzanine floor was installed, which incorporated a glass floor. A minimalist steel and glass staircase was installed, with a touch of warmth added with oak treads. One of the features that John is keen to point out is the internal doors that reach up to the high ceiling, giving the impression of opening a wall. For the finishing touches John agonised over every detail – everything in the property had to sit right within it.
The garden, too, was given a facelift, but there is no flamboyance in this garden – it is as minimalist as the chapel interior, with no grass and just clean lines, perfect for displaying sculpture at its best.
The results
Although the outside looks like the original chapel, inside it’s very modernistic and unadorned – not something you’d expect from a religious building. There are no ecclesiastical decorations; all walls were levelled and there is a cleanliness to the lines.
“This is how I wanted it – all stark and white, with cutting-edge technology.”
It was important to John that the Chapel be as future-proofed and energy-efficient as he could make it. German air source heat pumps supply the heating, the lighting is designed as for a contemporary art gallery. There are remote-controlled electric window blinds, and there is a sophisticated sound system.
“All the services are controlled by my phone.”
One incredible feature that John is very pleased with is an enormous section of glass floor. 2m x 3m of 35mm thick laminated glass in the main living space looks down into the kitchen.
“I can look down from the mezzanine bedroom onto the kitchen table.”
Despite the abundance of clean lines and white walls, which may seem stark, the floor coverings give the building its warmth. There is engineered oak on the floors, which have a very light pinkish hue. In the bathrooms and throughout the lower ground floor there are porcelain tiles that resemble limestone, and there is colour in the tiles that add a touch of warmth and an additional textural dimension.
For John, the Chapel was a grand design building project, but it was also the chance to fulfil his ambition of owning a home to display his art and sculpture collection.
“Most of the pictures and sculptures have never been on display. This place is to show it off.”
But he admits that because it was intended as a blank canvas to show off his collection, it’s not to everyone’s taste.
“For many people it would be too stark as it’s blindingly white. It’s not cosy and it’s not meant to be, but I love it.”
John is keen to point out that the colour will come from the art.
“The definition and the texture of the art are highlighted in a setting like this. With this type of interior, you can put anything on the walls, and it will look good. Sculptures and other objects look good against the white.”
The project wasn’t all smooth sailing, as you’d expect from any renovation, let alone a grand design such as this, but now that John is in his new home, he’s delighted with the results. The house flawlessly achieves a goal that many homeowners aspire to; to be the perfect embodiment of their dream home.
“It has absolutely met and exceeded my expectations – It’s stunning!”
“The building is colossal and was incredibly challenging, so it was a big project, bigger than Sam had ever taken on, but he rose to the challenge. I found Sam to be one of the best contractors I’ve ever worked with, and as a developer, I’ve worked on many, many buildings in the last decade.”
“Sam is the best communicator of any of the other contractors. He gives things a lot of thought and will do lots of research to solve problems and come up with the best solution. He is enthusiastic, hardworking and a very likeable chap. He appreciates something being done well. He was just flipping brilliant. That, these days, is a rarity as so many contractors will just let you down.”