Shawn and Suzanne Staples had a house-hunting goal: to find a permanent residence to raise a family. “We got really lucky,” Suzanne explains over the giggles of the couple’s boisterous two-year-old, Abby. “Every single place we looked at was exactly the same. As soon as we turned the corner [into the living room], I was like, ‘I really, really want it.’”
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This past April, the Stapleses moved into their “forever home”—a Lakeview church designed by Swedish-born architect Lawrence Gustav Hallberg and built in 1898. The building has since been converted into condos, with the threesome occupying a triplex loft that features 25-foot cathedral ceilings with skylights, exposed brick, a wood-burning stove, a rooftop deck, and a built-in wine fridge . . . just to name a few of its charms.
Right now their walls are somewhat sparse, but design dreams are well underway. The original church stairs have been carpeted, and the pair plan to uncover what’s underneath. There’s also talk of stained glass under a skylight. “It would be nice to bring some of the original church back into it,” Suzanne says.
