No one, including her realtor, thought Suzy Batiz should buy the century-old church in Dallas’s historic Junius Heights. But the creator of Poo-Pourri, the $400 million toilet-spray company, embraces the unconventional. In 2014 Batiz purchased the 15,000-square-foot building, which had closed as a place of worship eight years earlier. A previous owner had started the process of turning it into a home; she completed it with an eighteen-month renovation. The space also became the testing site for Supernatural, her new line of cleaning supplies. “I don’t believe anymore that you have to have different spaces for work, life, and play,” she says. “It all coexists together here.”
This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “A True Sanctuary.” Subscribe today.
It was soon after Suzy Batiz walked into the doors of the former St. John's Methodist Church that she knew she wanted it to one day be her home.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
A candle and sage display in Suzy Batiz's living room.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
In the foyer of the front entrance, a set of chairs that were found in the attic and restored to their original glory now greets guests.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
A commemorative plaque from the original church still hangs as an ode to the building's past.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
A grand view of the living room and kitchen from the upstairs loft, which was once the choir loft.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
The meditation room is a quiet space that Batiz uses daily.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
The original Sunday school rooms are now an upstairs living room, conference room, and office.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
The swing Batiz had installed adds a playful touch to the living room.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
The view from the dining room in to the living space.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
This is one of the nine guest bedrooms in the house, which also boasts eleven and a half bathrooms.
Photography by Jeff Wilson
The fountain in the garden patio is one of the outdoor highlights, along with a rainwater collection system.
