Look Inside: A Light-Filled, Spacious Converted Church in New England for $500K

We’ll confess our love for this home.

• 143 Burrill Street, #302
• Located in Swampscott, Massachusetts  
• $499,000
• 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms

Looking for a way to jumpstart a dull dinner party? Just tell the guests that you live inside of church. Okay, technically, it’s a former church, located in the charming coastal town of Swampscott, Massachusetts. And it’s a show-stopper.

The converted structure still retains the original details, leaving no one guessing that you live inside of a former place of worship. But the best part is that modern updates and upgrades run throughout the home.

Let’s start with the exterior structure: Though it has only one bedroom and two baths, it looks palatial with historic curved windows and double church doors. A private entrance lies across from the parking area (and includes two spaces).

The open kitchen and living space is a designer’s (or historian’s) dream, with vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows (church details!), and wood corbels. There’s a chef’s kitchen with granite countertops, upgraded fixtures, and an island with a double sink. Wide pine flooring runs throughout.

Now, up the stairs you go—into a cozy space that would make for a lovely reading nook; there’s an extra-large skylight and even room for a desk. Both bathrooms are large, and one boasts a big, relaxing tub-shower combo.

The master bedroom feels like a dreamy treehouse with built-in shelving and another big skylight. There’s a spacious dressing area and the best part: a private deck that’s begging for a pair of Adirondack (or perhaps wicker) chairs.

The home is in the coveted Olmsted district, and is just down the street from the train station—ideal for Boston commuters. Even better is that it’s near the beach and a host of shopping and restaurant options.

Are you on the house hunt, or just the type of person who loves browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not in the market for a new home? Property Crush is a column where we feature actual real estate listings that get the Apartment Therapy seal of approval in regards to style (we haven’t done home inspections or anything, so don’t sue us). Know of a great house on the market? E-mail the listing to repitches@apartmenttherapy.com.

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