Hi, it's Jer.

Often over the years around Detroit, I’ve heard talk from friends about “well if I could, I’d live in a church!” Or “that church is empty, it should be something!”

Rachel Nelson, the CEO and Principal Designer of Concetti Design, along with her husband Joe Trobaugh, are making that dream a reality over on Seminole and Kercheval in Detroit’s Indian Village.

I caught up with her outside of a church built in 1949 that’s on the journey to becoming their new home.

It has sat empty for more than a decade and a half. It served as St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and then Mount Olive East Missionary Baptist Church.

Below is our conversation that also aired on our Daily Detroit podcast this week. It's been lightly edited for clarity.

What called you to take on this large project?

Rachel Nelson: It is large. But I have to say that Indian Village has always been our dream neighborhood and a place that Joe and I would say one day we are going to live in Indian Village. We saw this property come up on the market and kind of started dreaming big together and said, wow, wouldn't that be cool?

And then it was, why can't we do it? And just couldn't get it out of our minds. And Joe told me, Rach, if we don't do this, we're going to regret it one day.

So we're so excited to be able to take on this property with the community that I have and the network and the resources I have. It was just an extension of what I do for work and what I'm already passionate about.

What are some of the details of this? Square footage, that kind of thing?

Rachel Nelson: It's approximately 6,800 square feet, which I know sounds huge. We are transforming the flat roof part of the building into a garage.

Above it will be a roof deck.

It is going to be a four bedroom, (with) three and a half bathrooms.

The choir balcony is going to remain intact and we are going to make that a meditation area, which I'm so excited about.

And I should say a library, meditation, and fireplace. Just kind of a dreamy space that you can go and escape to.

We are going to have a double staircase that wraps up to a second level that is over the stage area currently. And that's where we're going to have the roof deck access.

Is there anything so far that in the planning stages that are different about converting a a church into a home, as opposed to if you were rehabbing one of these other beautiful homes in this neighborhood?

Rachel Nelson: Yes, I would say the thing that has been the most challenging yet the most rewarding part of it and we knew this would be a part of it is taking the historic property, making sure we're preserving it, but we are turning it into a single family residence.

And so some of those challenges are making sure that we're able to meet egress code. In order to be a bedroom, it has to have an egress route.

Right now, none of these windows are to code. And so it was being able to see the Detroit Land Bank work with historic to figure out what could we do to make sure that we can get egress windows in the bedrooms, but not touch the curb appeal.

So all of the bedrooms and stuff are on the south side of the house so that we are unable to see any of the new windows from street view.

Do constraints help you be more creative as a designer?

Rachel Nelson: My team always laughs because I say there's always a solution. And I think that by embracing some of the challenges in design projects is where the magic lies. That's often where we get the coolest or the most unexpected results.

So yes, I love a challenge because I think that is where the most creative solutions lie.

What about heating and cooling a place like this? A conversion of a wide open space with block walls into a more cozy space is going to be an interesting blend of tech and design.

Rachel Nelson: Yes, 100%. You're right. You can make it look cozy, but if it's cold, it's cold, right? So we definitely have pulled in some really great partners to help educate around what are some of the best things to do.

Luckily our architect 4545 Architecture is well-versed in working in historic properties. Same thing with our our general contractor, Milton Roberts are very well-versed in working in historic homes and these problems aren't new to them.

We are going to use a spray foam insulation so that we are able to get the most R value possible.

One of the biggest issues is the roof. There's no insulation in the roof, but we are working with HVAC consultants and insulation specialists to say, okay, this is what we're going to do the first time around. And guess what? That first winter, if the bill is unbearable or it's too chilly, we will need to address the roof.

Is there a timeline on this?

Rachel Nelson: We are obviously hoping for the quickest turnaround possible, but it will be anywhere from 12 to 18 months.

Is this something that you intend on like showcasing to clients?

Rachel Nelson: There definitely will be a opportunity to, one, we're going to make sure we're sharing the entire transformation.

Two, I think this is an incredible opportunity as an interior designer to showcase the interior design process.

There are so many incredible interior design vendors that we're going to be able to bring in and I want to shed light on some of the great resources that are out there.

And then when the property's done, we fully intend on being able to entertain, make sure we allow cameras back in, press, photo opportunities.

But yes, of course, if a client wants to come in and see something, they're more than welcome.

When you're settled in, what is the number one thing that you're looking forward to?

Rachel Nelson: Oh, I love this question! The realtor who's amazing, me, Erica, we would always say as we navigated each challenge along the way, it'll all be worth it when we're standing in the backyard and cheersing with some champagne.

I cannot wait to be in this outdoor space that is absolutely stunning. It's complete and that we can be able to entertain. I just want to have people over and celebrate and share this part of my life.

They're going to be posting updates on social media under the hashtag #DivinelyDetroit and Rachel's Instagram is here.

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-Jer