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It's Summer in the City & the Living is Easy By Linda Anderson, for The Columbian More people are discovering Vancouver from the lofty view of a downtown condo. Whether tired of a long commute from the suburbs or the upkeep of a house, condo owners find a certain draw to living downtown. Close to shopping, dining and work, downtown living offers a lifestyle appealing to many -- whether empty-nesters, singles or married professionals. Yet for those who still think of living in a condominium as living with white walls and cookie-cutter designs, they're in for a surprise. "My goal is to have more than 80 percent of what is in my condominium to be designed or created by me," said Mark Negless, who lives in a 1,730 square-foot, three- bedroom condo on the Columbia River. "I'm an eclectic person and I'm striving to have my home reflect that." Negless' personal touches include installing a Santos mahogany staircase, creating and applying hand painted wallpaper in his living room and commissioning a whimsical mural for the bath. The mural, painted by Portland artist Patty Schmidt, gives the impression of looking downriver through a window. By using creative license, the scene includes The Academy, Pearson Airpark, Smith Tower and the sign that sat atop the Lucky Brewery. Negless' children play in the foreground. Equally unique is Ron Seibel's 1,865-square-foot, two-bedroom, contemporary condominium. "When we moved in, it was decorated in a Southwest style, with bold heavy colors," he said. "We wanted a lighter feeling to really take advantage of all the light." Seibel, who moved to the condominium in April, works in long-term care and wanted the freedom of condo living. "We're busy in our jobs, love to travel and wanted to be free of maintaining a house," he said. His large living room and two decks overlook the treetops of Esther Short Park. To personalize the decks, Seibel created two dining and sitting areas for entertaining or simply relaxing after work while watching the sun set. He chose a large milky cream-colored leather sofa and chair as the centerpiece of the living room. A large iron and tile coffee table in the middle creates a cozy seating area, facing the gas fireplace. The beige cut-pile carpeting is accented by a large area rug with a sage and rust leaf design. A small den off the living room overlooks a deck and houses the home entertainment center. The focal point of the master bedroom is the king-sized, rustic log bed, with matching dresser and wall mirror. The log furniture, with its straight, bold lines in light unstained pine, creates the clean uncluttered look Seibel sought throughout the home. Although large, the light-colored furniture fits the airy space, which is filled with light from a wall of windows. The over-sized spa tub adjacent to tall clerestory windows dominates the nearby master bath. The tub, complete with a built-in planter, is surrounded by houseplants that thrive in the light-drenched room. Individual vanities flank each wall. Because the condominium faces the park and is four-stories up, Seibel opted for no window coverings throughout the unit, which adds to its spacious feeling. The other end of the condominium features the guest bedroom, an office and two more baths. "I love living here and especially being by the park," Seibel said. "I can walk to dinner and to the Saturday market each week to buy fresh flowers. It's a great way to live and much less work than owning a house." A short two floors down - and a century away - is Kelly Punteney's 1,120-square-foot, two-bedroom condominium. When entering his, it feels as though you've stepped back into time - the late 19th century to be exact. Punteney, who purchased the condo last December, personalizes the space with antique furniture, period lighting and antique collectibles. Most of the furniture is the Eastlake style, built in the last half of the 19th century. Designed by Charles Eastlake, an architect, the furniture is noted for its flat surfaces, relief carvings, moldings and incised lines. To capture the feel of the earlier period, Punteney painted the cozy living room soft sage green, offsetting the dark walnut furniture. He chose a 1930s couch and chair in a soft mauve tone, which are accented by the lavender-tinted marble of the oval coffee table. A sideboard, dating to the 1890s, with its rich, walnut burl front and marble top, lines an adjoining wall. A small Eastlake writing desk with a burled roll-top completes the room. The entire room reflects an earlier, simpler time, yet feels as comfortable as any modern living room. In the adjoining dining area the Eastlake table's legs carry the distinctive cutouts found in the furniture. In addition to the furniture, Punteney has acquired a collection of turn of the century lamps with stained glass shades. These also help personalize the space. A dainty floor-reading lamp sits next to the couch and a small desk lamp sits atop the walnut sideboard. In his home office, Punteney placed a large table lamp, with a stained glass shade in a poppy design in blues and pinks, overlaid with metal filigree. To continue the lighting theme, in the living room Punteney installed a ceiling fan with a reproduction stained-glass shade. "I've been collecting for about 25 years," Punteney said. "I started with oak, but it wore on me after awhile, so I switched to Eastlake." The guest bedroom holds an Eastlake bedroom set, with tall headboard and matching dresser and nightstand. Covering the bed is a rustic cotton quilt in purples and greens, made by Punteney's grandmother some 40 years ago. "I'm sure the fabric is much older," he said. Although the kitchen is strictly modern with tile countertops and backsplash, Punteney did find a way to introduce his personal style from an earlier era. Above the soffit sit his collection of Roseville pottery. The pottery was first produced in Roseville, Ohio as utilitarian stoneware in the 1890s. However, in 1900 the company shifted to producing art pottery, which is so collectible today. "It's a perfect place to display them," he said. After moving from a condominium on the Columbia River, Punteney's found he loves living downtown. And, with two decks overlooking Esther Short Park, Punteney even finds time to personalize the space with a garden, filling pots with petunias, geraniums, jade, daisies and adding colorful hanging baskets. "I walk to work and don't even own a car. Plus there's no maintenance to worry about," he said. "With a Starbucks nearby and the park as my front yard, what more could you ask for?" To Achieve This Look... There are many ways you can add pizzazz to personalize a condo or apartment space. Here, condo owners Mark Negless, Ron Seibel and Kelly Punteney give their tips:
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