Jason Ashdown stands in the great room of his Guelph home where, 20 years ago, a pastor stood on the pulpit and preached to his congregation.

“Tara did not have the instant vision that I did,” Ashdown says, grinning as he describes his house saga.

Tara and Jason Ashdown nurture their love and they nurture their two children: Grace, 2, and Koen, 5, in this beautifully renovated church that once nurtured faith in its adherents.

Now that the landscaping is done-thanks to Scott Landscaping in Elora-this church looks like a …well, a lovely church.

The place of worship was originally built as Knox Church Sabbath School in 1899. “This was the St. Patrick’s ward,” Jason explains. He is full of information and passionate about keeping history alive. He has used the original building as much as possible in his new family dwelling; being painstakingly careful to create only a small footprint or impact on the environment.

Outside, it may be a cool spring day, but once inside, through the solid wooden doors, the atmosphere is warm, comforting and calm. This is surprising, as Jason has maintained the integrity of the exterior of the church and a drafty cold interior would be expected.

Jason and Tara met while in high school and he says he chased her all through Waterloo University.

“ I didn’t really want to go to university, but I wanted her.”

After Tara and Jason married, they lived for a while in the Exhibition Park area of Guelph where they completely renovated their house. Jason saw the church in the local Real Estate Guide. He had been looking for an original property for a few years -- maybe an old schoolhouse, a small factory, church, or an industrial building. Once he walked through the main doors of this place and saw the Douglas fir beams and the ceilings, it was love at first sight. He just had to convince his wife. He moved quickly to seal the deal. He had two days to waive all the conditions. Then there was no turning back. It was time to get to work.

The subtle hues of the stone floor are the perfect platform for the patterns created by the various living spaces. The wall sconces use energy efficient light bulbs (naturally). The old phonograph player rekindles some nostalgia. “My Grandma used to tap her foot when I I put the music on,” Jason remembers. From up here in the mezzanine one can imagine the children happily colouring at the table in the corner.

“Tara found the idea of moving here a little daunting because we were just finishing our other house,” Jason says, smiling at the recollection and admiring her stamina.

Tara later explains that this was the second church they looked at. “The first one was three times as big and had holes in the roof and pigeons flying overhead,” she says. “We built the downstairs apartment first. It was all finished and brand new. That way we could just leave the renovations at the end of the day and be out of the mess upstairs.”(The two bedroom apartment downstairs is now rented out). One might say this is not just a restoration; it is a story of love and lofty ideals.

The work has taken five years to fine tune. Many Sundays were spent thoroughly exploring the nearby Aberfoyle Market for old heating vents and suitable wooden doors. In some cases, Jason took pictures of doors he wanted and the Mennonites made them exactly as specified.

Jason, who owns, manages and develops apartments and other buildings, collaborated with Architect Lloyd Grinham. “He does a lot of historical work with the city,” Jason informs. “That is his niche.” Together they basically built a house within a house.

What was the chapel is now a great room with a gourmet kitchen, dining area, play area and sitting area. The whole region has a tile floor, laid by Robb Knapp Construction with radiant heat from Geo Thermal, of Fergus. Lloyd-Scott Enterprises of Alma designed and built the complete kitchen. The impressive cherry wood cabinets in the kitchen and the granite counters add class to this gorgeous space, which was intended to follow form with function and fine quality. Jason constructed the fan cover above the gas range with wood from the dormers.

Music flows throughout this home and can be selected with just a touch to the screen – the brains of the house. This system, from Station Earth in Fergus, is on a computer hard-drive. It is like an iPod for your home and is a fabulous security system; one can see who is at the door the second the doorbell rings.

A genuine Getaway in the heart of an ancient church. A collection of old movie posters has been hung on all the walls. The comfy couch encourages all thoughts and worries to vanish while watching a favourite movie.

Keith Paczay of KAP Construction of Fergus, did all the framing, millwork, trim and doors of the basic building. The fireplace, framed and designed by Jason, is generous and stunning, spreading warmth through your body and soul. It has two mantels made from the dormers, original to the old building. “It’s difficult to find a cast-iron big fireplace that is gas,” Jason explains. He finally found what he was looking for at Joedel Gas. The result is perfect; grand yet intimate. The date tablet, inlaid in the chimney, took six hours of careful chiseling to reclaim. Literally and figuratively history is being uncovered.

Sitting round the hearth, one’s attention is drawn toward the fire, oblivious to the ceiling, constructed of Douglas fir and also original to the building and made into planks and richly stained.

Natural light floods the interior of this home through two sets of clean lined triangular windows at the north and south ends of the soaring ceiling. The windows were Grinham’s idea. As Jason puts it, “I spent many weekend hours sawing away through all these layers of shingles and other stuff.”

The fine workmanship is apparent throughout the home. The 10-inch baseboards, from St.Clement’s Trim, alone required many different trips to different trades people.

The mezzanine takes up the back half of this dwelling and is reached by a custom-built staircase by Stair-Rite/Brian’s Custom Woodworking in Guelph that is reminiscent of a grand old library. The handmade spindles by Allen Shirk bring an air of distinction to the upstairs that houses the bedrooms and family bathrooms.

Tara and Jason are fans of conservative colours and use lots of wood and stone, natural materials, to add texture and drama.

The colours flow effortlessly from one bedroom to the next. Koen’s room, looking rough and ready for a boy to live in, is a sky blue while Sarah’s is a warm green. Tara and Jason are fans of conservative colours and use lots of wood and stone, natural materials, to add texture and drama.

The drapes follow the arch of the windows and effectively emphasize their shape.

Lise Manor of Manor and Croft in Guelph designed these easy-to-close drapes.

The spacious, functional en suite was designed for two people needing to get ready quickly, with two vanities and two showerheads in the grandiose shower. The bedroom is a reinvented sanctuary of calm with a warm palette of buttery hues that inspires tranquility.

Finally, the finishing touch – the furniture – arrived. Although Jason and Tara went all the way to Toronto to price high quality furniture, they found what they were looking for at Fredrick’s Furniture in Speedvale. “An unassuming looking place that is full of great stuff,” Tara enthuses.

Now is the time to enjoy the fruits of their labour – a sanctuary for living, an exceptional family home