Choosing my religion :: Converted Churches

I wrote, last week, about my love of lofty spaces and my desire to own an artsy yet elegant and eclectic loft in downtown New York City where I could entertain elegantly and write and paint and photograph casually. A free spirit who doesn't much like to be confined by walls, rules or anything for that matter, the loft is a perfect space for a personality like mine. I've always thought it would be such fun to transform an old abandoned church and turn it into a lofty peaceful living space. It's got nothing to do with religion, for I am one of the least religious people you will meet, but much more to do with the space and the architecture. There's no room for confinement as in these wonderful conversions you can literally spread your wings and fly. In the images that I have chosen many have chosen to stay true to the building's original architectural style and many others have done a total conversion, adding a modern, minimalist touch. To keep the stained glass or to remove it to allow daylight to pour in from outside? To remain true to the original architecture or to modernize it? To fill the spaces or to keep them open? While I admire the modern touch and new life breathed into these old edifices, I prefer the old architecture, for what attracts me to these spaces is not merely their size and expanse, but the sense of history both within and beyond the walls. Can I have both, I wonder? I'd love a loft in the city and a converted church in the country... I'd love to have you as my guest. Which would you prefer to visit?