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Jun 27, 2014

St. Dunstan's Renovation Blends Old, New

St. Dunstan's, Houston, greeted spring with a crisp, new look this year as the church underwent an interior facelift that refreshed the appearance of its main sanctuary. Featuring both new custom furnishings and refurbished antique artwork, the newly renovated nave pays homage to its long history in the community while providing a welcoming modern interior to its faithful.

 

Among the new appointments are plaster Stations of the Cross which were originally crafted by DaPrato Studios of Chicago in the 1920’s and were more recently cleaned, repaired and refinished to their original patina by King Richard’s Liturgical Design and Contracting of Atlanta. The Stations were recovered by King Richard’s from Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church in Saco, ME.

 

When it came time to decide on furnishings, however, the church decided to design new items that were both a nod to traditional design as well as a good fit for the church’s more contemporary interior. A new communion railing, baptismal font, two deacon chairs, a presider chair, 2 four-seat sedilias and matching kneeler frontals as well as a lectern and pulpit were hand-carved out of white oak.

 

The new appointments incorporate iconography familiar to parishioners. The four evangelists and Chirho symbols are on the pulpit, a cross with a crown is on the front of the lectern, and baptismal shells appear on the front of the font. The altar of sacrifice features three Holy Spirit symbols.

 

Scott Lair, King Richard’s Account Director, said, “St. Dunstan’s is a great example of how a church can marry handsome antique pieces with new custom designs to create a single cohesive appearance that meets all their needs both aesthetically and design-wise.” He added, “When you enter St. Dunstan’s, there’s a beautiful sense of balance and harmony.”

 

With a history dating back to the late 1960’s, St. Dunstan Episcopal Church became an official parish in 1972. The next several decades would be ones of growth including the construction of a second, larger nave, education building, Canterbury Chapel, conversion of Lennard Hall to staff offices, and the installation of a Columbarium. St. Dunstan’s is located at 14302 Stuebner Airline Road, Houston, TX 77069.