Creative home conversions: Can you guess which buildings these homes used to be?

last updated 24 May 2022

We love having a nosy around other people's homes - the quirkier and more unusual the better. But sometimes even we're surprised by the transformations we discover once we're through the keyhole of homes around the country (and world).

So, can you guess which buildings these stunning homes were in a previous life? We're giving you an interiors shot and a cunning clue before the big reveal - let us know how you get on...

1. The shape of the roof and large windows in this house might give away its former role in the local community - although it's now just got the one desk rather than rows and rows lined up ready for learning.

dining area with white wall and big window with dining table and chairs

...it was a schoolhouse. Yes, this charming building is a former primary school which was converted into a family home in the 1970s.

2. This large open-plan apartment in sunny Melbourne was once an epic building producing a comfy bedroom essential.

open dining area with white wall and white flooring with dining table and white chairs

...it was a mattress factory.

bedroom with white brick wall and wooden flooring

3. Rural was the name of the game for this country number back in the day, but nowadays there are more human inhabitants than animals.

living room with wooden beams and wooden flooring

...it was an 18th
century barn building - now a five-bedroom family home in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

4. The windows might give this one away, but there's certainly no sign of its strict past inside.

bedroom with curtains on window and wallpaper on wall

...it was a primary school - a Grade II listed former school dating from 1767 to be precise.

5. The former workers of this beautiful building will be pleased the owners have a few gorgeous prints on the wall - a defining feature of its heritage.

living room with wooden table and white ceiling with ceiling lamps

...it's a former print works. This renovated printing factory in Marseilles, France, combines industrial chic with contemporary design classics.

swimming pool with relaxing chair and plants

6. There are three pretty major clues to this stunner's former role: Stained glass windows, high ceilings and the beautiful pulpit.

living room with leather sofa and armchair with mirror on wall

...it's a converted church. This a grade II listed flint-and-stone church conversion in Hertfordshire now has a sitting room, dining room, kitchen, sunroom, study, utility room, cloakroom, four bedrooms (two en suite) and bathroom.

7. Beautiful beams and sympathetic design touches mean this conversion has kept a nod to its gothic heritage throughout the property.

dressing area with wardrobe and wooden door

...it's a church hall in west Yorkshire. This Grade II listed converted church hall now features a living/dining room, kitchen, mezzanine office, bedroom, bathroom and wet room.

master bedroom with white wall and wooden beams with cushions on bed and mirror on wall

Enjoyed this? Well, there's plenty more where that came from! Don't miss our favourite house tours from around the world.

Ginevra Benedetti has been the Deputy Editor of Ideal Home magazine since 2021. With a career in magazines spanning nearly twenty years, she has worked for the majority of the UK’s interiors magazines, both as staff and as a freelancer. She first joined the Ideal Home team in 2011, initially as the Deputy Decorating Editor and has never left! She currently oversees the publication of the brand’s magazine each month, from planning through to publication, editing, writing or commissioning the majority of the content.