Heavenly Converted Churches

Swiss-born artist Ugo Rondinone converted an abandoned Romanesque church in New York's Harlem neighborhood—a sublime place he now calls home. In the plywood-outfitted kitchen, a bookshelf displays a series of his scholar's rocks. "They inspire me," the artist says.

With the free-floating birch pod defining the space, and the massive Venetian chandelier accentuating the volume, the great room is, indeed, great. The Suarezes wanted the living area to be a place where the family could be occupied individually while still together. Bonnie works in the kitchen while Santiago (seated on an IKEA couch borrowed from one of their sons until they find something else) works on the computer.

This home in a former Chicago church fully utilizes an original stained-glass window in its light-filled kitchen.

In Auburn, Alabama, architect David Hill purchased a historic brick building that had served as a Baptist church, pool hall, and barbershop. When renovating the space's interior, Hill made an effort to retain its large, open spaces, and carefully restored the original metal ceiling tiles.

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and his wife purchased a former church rectory in New York's East Village in 1978—years before the art scene exploded in the neighborhood. A series of family portraits by fellow artist Francesco Clemente hang above a reading area furnished with well-worn LC50 armchairs by Le Corbusier, a bench coffee table by George Nelson, and a rare Hans Wegner swivel chair. The side table to the left is a piece by conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth.