In Downsizing to a Downtown Condo, a Couple Pulls An Aesthetic U-turn and Creates a Contemporary Compromise
“We perch out here at dinnertime,” homeowner John Drinkard says of the glassed-in corner sunroom of their downtown Seattle condominium. Photos courtesy Steve Ringman/TNS
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By Sandy Deneau Dunham John and Jan Drinkard have been married 41 years. You might not think this impressive factoid would factor into the interior design of their contemporary high-rise condominium, but actually it has implications both aesthetic and admirable. Aesthetically: The Drinkards have experienced a lot of life together and, together, have amassed quite a collection of meaningful art (including John’s own photos), personal furnishings and family treasures. Admirably: While raising two daughters to fly-the-nest independence in their former, larger home, on Mercer Island, and managing careers as a dentist (John) and a school librarian (Jan) before retirement, the Drinkards have become quite the experienced compromisers. “Their previous home was decorated with more of Jan’s tastes; it was on the traditional side, full of color, patterns and florals,” says interior designer Lindsey Runyon, who guided the couple’s decor journey to this blissful new middle ground, 23 floors up. “For their new condo, it was John’s turn; he wanted the style to be very contemporary, with hardly any ornamentation or detail. Jan was open to new ideas.” Adds Jan: “That’s why we’ve been married so long.”
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Compromise is a beautiful thing — within a long-lasting partnership, and all throughout the Drinkards’ mutually minimalist downtown home. “Their style did a 180,” says Runyon, who calls this project “Downsize/Upstyle.” (Speaking of things you can measure: The Drinkards’ 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom, onelevel condo opens to 270 degrees of premium Seattle scenery.) “The view is really special,” says Runyon. “Clean lines and subtle textures in the interior leave the view as the uncontested main attraction.” Of course, there are lots of attractive indoor elements to admire on the way. When the Drinkards first downsized downtown, “to the center of everything,” John says, “We needed furniture for this space. Lindsey and I walked down Western Avenue to furniture stores to see if we were on the same page.” Page and palette established, Runyon worked in two chapters: Phase One concentrated on the entry hall, back hall, living room, dining room and master bedroom. A little later, for Phase Two, she wrapped up by updating the guest bedroom and the glorious, rather surprising-in-an-excellent-way corner sunroom. Everything started with the new living-room sofa and dining table, Runyon says, and “built out from there.” The living room’s TiSUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2021
