Couple takes old church and makes it into different type of sanctuary

If you're in the market for a home, or you're one of those people who browses for funky real estate listings online, maybe you've come across this former church-turned-house in White Bear Lake. A property that's lived many lives, now up for sale. 4820 Stewart Avenue, once a place of worship, now home to Kelly Clement and Steve Boucher. Walk in and your eyes dart from the pious to the plush. Everywhere you look, there's something interesting to catch your eye. But it certainly didn't look this way when they bought it. In their words, it was... Terrible. Terrible. It was ready to come down. The sides were bowing. Old, bad insulation. The electrical was a hazard. The plumbing was terrible. Of course, you can tell that this was at one time a church, but did you know it was also a theater? It was a Lutheran church originally, and then it was a Baptist church for a while, and for 40-some years, it was the home for Lakeshore Players Theater. Three months of demo and about 30 dumpsters later, the pair finally had the blank slate of their dreams. I've always loved castle ruins in Europe. I always wanted to redo a barn, an old milking farm barn. This seemed to slot kind of in between the two. A feat they've pulled off before with their sense of adventure. This storybook stone cottage in the countryside of Ireland is one of several they've resurrected over the years. A lifestyle that captures their imagination and fuels their spirit. Here on Stewart Avenue, they uncovered the shuttered, adding back character to bring a new light to the space. The windows come out of a church off of Lake and 15th Street, Minneapolis. Honoring its roots in the late 1800s with pieces true to the time. We believe it was originally built for a bar in Boyd, Wisconsin. Blended with all the modern amenities. It will dispense chilled or hot or carbonated. Their heart's desire. We didn't know we would like this this much. Small details. The power lift doors on the upper cabinets. Don't judge what's in here. May I? You may. That pale in comparison to the heart of the home. Once the center of a service or evening show, now their personal stage. Music was the career we didn't choose. While they jam out with friends. They're on their own. They also open the space to others for fundraisers and small performances. A nod to this structure's storied ability to draw a crowd. People have been gathering here for over 130 years. We had to find a way to make sure they could continue to enjoy it. This summer, they pulled off quite the memorable event. It was sort of unique. It was very unique. Their own wedding. All of a sudden I hear. And I turned to her and I said, you didn't. Complete with touches from Ireland, their second home. As far as the decision to sell this one. So we're torn on that, frankly. You won't find a big red for sale sign here. Perhaps a sign of their love for this space. As the overhauling couple looks to do it again somewhere else. If we didn't find the right buyer, we would be happy staying here. We found things to do. It gave me the ability to fulfill a dream of bringing people together. It's the adventure. We don't exactly know where we're going, but we're going to enjoy it and make the most of it. And the house features three beds, four baths and a three car garage, which we have to tell you because it's still for sale. It also boasts an oversized outdoor hot tub. I think it includes a pontoon boat and a slip rental at nearby White Bear Lake. It is listed for just under three and a half million dollars. So Mike and Jeff, I don't think I'll be visiting either of you at this house, but a really, really cool space and a fantastic couple. I was curious because it definitely is an open concept. That's for sure. But you mentioned there was three bedrooms. Are they hidden upstairs? Downstairs? Okay, so there's one up top where we got that pretty vantage point. And then back behind where like the offices would be behind a church. There's a lower level, which has like a second kitchen, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. And that's all renovated, updated. It's not like old and you know, that's all new as well. And it's very separate from that space. This place, this property found its correct owners the first go around. It's probably going to do the same. It's amazing how people and structures like this tend to match to each other. Yeah, and I liked how it was a culmination of both of their combined dreams. You know, they may not have gotten, she wanted to do a barn and he wanted to do, you know, old castle ruins. And they found something in the middle, which I think is also a great compromise and a fun aspect of the story too. I wonder if it's toasty and cozy in there. Yeah, it was. The below grade is probably a little warmer, blocking the wind.