Christmas at Jack Kinsey's Victorian chapel home

Ivy resonates heavily with Jack Kinsey and partner Alex, and not just at Christmas. ‘The roof literally had ivy growing through it,’ explains Jack of the derelict state of this Victorian chapel when they bought it.

Now ivy adorns the staircase all the way to the top, creating a sweeping evergreen statement not just for Christmas but as a permanent fixture all year round.

That won’t be a surprise to anyone who followed Jack’s journey as a contestant on the 2023 series of BBC’s Interior Design Masters, or indeed many followers on Instagram, who know and love his flamboyant style.

Renovating the chapel

Today, the chapel has an open-plan kitchen, dining and living, a snug, three bedrooms and a bathroom. But it took a lot of renovation work to get it looking as it does today.

‘The actual building was well constructed but had fallen into disrepair, so we fixed the roof, rewired and replumbed it, added a kitchen and new radiators, put a first floor in for bedrooms and built an extension on the back which mirrors the chapel in a more contemporary way,’ Jack says.

But the pair held back from over-renovating to allow the period features to shine. ‘An architect suggested we could squeeze in another bedroom upstairs but it would have compromised the lofty sense of space and historic charm, so we decided not to,’ he explains.

'What I love about the chapel is that it has lots of light that floods through because of all the beautiful old windows, which we retained. And as it is also quite open plan too, it makes it feel quite uplifting and airy.’

Dressed up for Christmas

The chapel comes into its own at Christmas, when traditional ginger jars and ceramic house decorations add a festive touch to the mantlepiece and shelves.

The cast iron spiral staircase was originally from a railway station in Liverpool and discovered in a reclamation yard. It is strewn with pots of ivy all year round, with bright red baubles and fresh flowers added for the festive season, creating a magnificent sight on entering the chapel. A Christmas tree made from circles of plywood and decorated with baubles is suspended from the rails.

'I don't normally have a Christmas tree, just because we never really had the space to store one. But then I made this one, and it concertinas down so can be stored within a round footstool,’ he says.

Elsewhere, surfaces are decorated with foraged foliage from the field and lanes surrounding the chapel. 'Christmas in the chapel wouldn’t be the same without foliage,' Jack says. 'It feels as natural as it would have done in back in the days when people would come in here on Christmas Day and sing festive songs and carols.’

Living area

The living area is cosy and has a traditional feel with period-style plaster moulded shelving around the fireplace, designed by Jack and made by Alex.

The coffee table was also designed and made by Jack, with reeded panels attached to an MDF frame and a faux marble paint finish. Pretty ceramic Christmas houses with tealights inside add a warm glow.

A secret door leads from the open-plan living space to a second living room/snug in the extended part of the chapel.

Snug

In the snug, Jack’s signature style plays out in the form of handmade mouldings framing classic trompe l’oeil-style murals pasted inside to introduce a dash of tongue in cheek historic humour to the modern extension.

Kitchen

Jack’s love of blue and white prevails in the kitchen, with tiles, appliances and accessories showcasing his signature style.

Appliances are kept in cupboards to which the pair have attached louvred doors so they can be closed when not in use. The result is a sense of calm and orderliness in the open-plan space.

Cast iron radiators introduce industrial charm and are great conductors of heat in the large room.

Dining area

Jack likes to dress the festive table with crockery and glasses with traditional Christmas motifs, as well as some gold accessories for a little sparkle. The ‘gingerbread’ abbey decoration in front of the splashack was handmade by Jack out of cardboard and decorator’s chalk.

Bedroom

Cosy for Christmas, the bedroom oozes charm with armchairs and a footstool in a pretty sprig design. Jack created the canopy out of a pole suspended from the ceiling and a length of fabric. A board behind allows for framed pictures to be displayed.

Guest bedroom

The guest room is rich and opulent with a deep green colour on the walls and James John Audubon framed prints of birds. Jack made the headboard from a reclaimed door.

Exterior

Jack and Alex's home is a Victorian chapel that was previously converted, and has been beautifully restored by the pair.