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African Gombara-wood floors, rich as a strong latte, set the stage for Carl Schaber and Christine Christensen’s condo remodel, where updating and simplifying the interior bestowed prominence to a worldly art collection


Gilbert turned the condo’s foyer (left) into a minigallery for African masks. By grouping artworks by genre, she created a more fluid display and calming order. Svelte ebony carvings (right) are from a tiny village outside Mombasa, Kenya; the artist traded his carvings for two U.S. football jerseys.


“I wanted to update the place, but I wanted something not so trendy that I have to replace everything in 10 years,” Christine says. Designer Jackie Gilbert went for timeless pieces with the slightest edge—a whisper of a curve to the leg or back of a chair—for classy fashion sense.


A painting by Catherine Woskow heads the table in the stunning dining room. Atop the custom buffet by Chicago designer Lee Weitzman sits a burled-wood frog bought in Singapore; bronze and ebony figures on the nearby stand hail from Africa.


The seductive master bedroom uses dense, dark color for its nightscape.



Shimmering metallic accents around the sink in the master bath complement the stainless-steel Japanese soaking tub.

Even though phone and fax lines were lit up between Waikiki and Seattle, Christine Christensen wasn’t too concerned about the total remodel underway back home. She and Carl Schaber had handed over their Eastlake penthouse to Jackie Chavanu-Gilbert and her Bothell design firm, Refining Interiors. Giving her the nod to redesign the place, they found their niche on the golf course, with papaya cocktails waiting at the 19th hole. 

“Jackie just ‘got’ it,” Christine says, describing the connection she felt with her designer. Carl, a retired real estate investor and manager, had lived in the condo since the 1970s, and Christine joined him a few years ago. “Every wall was full of his own paintings and art from his travels,” she recalls. Even now, sitting in the serene, contemporary makeover, she cringes at the memory: “There was so much art you couldn’t see the art, if that makes sense.” Paintings vied for attention with African ceremonial masks, pre-Columbian artifacts and a print sectional sofa as disco as John Travolta’s white suit.

Working with Saber Construction, Gilbert gutted the entire home, except for the kitchen—2,000 square feet in all. She leveled the floor and finished it with rich African Gombara wood, creating a dense, dramatic foil for the forthcoming transformation. Rather than demolish the unsightly, nonfunctioning fireplace, she covered it with a sleek floor-to-ceiling mahogany panel. For symmetry and architectural impact, she designed a similar panel on the opposite corner.

Gilbert recommended new furnishings and sent photos to Waikiki. “That was perfect for me,” Christine says. “If I go furniture shopping, I’m overwhelmed because I like it all. Jackie narrowed it down to contemporary pieces that are still timeless.” Among the choices: graceful Barbara Barry chairs, A-Rudin sofas and a custom buffet with hand-hammered copper panels by Chicago designer Lee Weitzman. “I chose many pieces with a slight curve to their silhouettes to soften the linear, boxy footprint of the home,” Gilbert explains.

Rooms are updated and dramatized with striking wall colors—burgundy that’s masculine enough for Carl and gold glamorous enough for Christine. Recurring flecks of gold or silver enhance Asian touches in subtle grass-cloth wall coverings, cabinetry and finishes. Both bathrooms virtually dazzle with metal treatments. In the master, Gilbert installed a stainless-steel Japanese soaking tub, burnished so its sheen takes on a muted patina. A rim of iridescent glass tiles shimmers with gold and prismatic rainbow colors. Glass tile siding on the guest bathtub pops with hints of gold, and the nearby Kohler art sink with a brazen gilt band is all-out bathroom bling.

And everywhere … is art.

“Actually, the art gave me a jumping-off point in the space design,” says Gilbert, who clustered collections according to genres, then designed custom display cases for rare artifacts. New black lacquer frames updated and accentuated favorite paintings. “And a lighting plan was key,” she says. With lights that showcase art and leave other walls in shadow, rooms are intrinsically sensual and soothing.

Not only did Gilbert work with Carl’s collections, she focused on the greatest artwork of all: the view. Steps from Lake Union, the main room overlooks sailboat masts, Gasworks Park and across to the Aurora Bridge, which from here looks like a distant tightrope. With the cleaner, calmer interior, the view takes center stage.

Christine and Carl again spent this winter in Hawaii, where their island home gazes out to hibiscus trees and the Pacific Ocean. It’s beautiful, Christine says. “But when we came back [to Seattle] and walked in, it took my breath away,” she says, sweeping her hand toward the view. “I think this is even better.” 

Design Details

Interior Designer
Jackie Chavanu-Gilbert, Refining Interiors, 817 238th St. S.E., Bothell, (425) 818-2178

Contractor/Builder
Saber Construction, 14682 N.E. 95th St., Redmond, (425) 867-5035

Kathryn Renner writes about beautiful homes and gardens all over the country from her Kirkland, Washington, office.