HOME
22 • Thursday, July 11, 2019
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Birmingham Mountain Radio’s Dru Cunningham Backensto opened the doors to her and her husband, Eric’s, condo overlooking the Magic City.
PUBLIC PEOPLE | PRIVATE PLACES
Every Picture Tells A Story
Modern Condo in the Sky Is Backdrop for Local DJs Antiques and Art Collection
STORY BY LAUREN HELMER • PHOTOS BY LEE WALLS
Y
ou may not know her face, but you probably know her voice. Dru Cunningham Backensto is Birmingham Mountain Radio’s DJ host of the “Flipback Lunch,” which airs weekdays during her 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift, and the soon-tolaunch “She Show,” featuring all female artists and dynamic local women as guests. Dru opened the doors to her and her husband, Eric’s, gorgeous condo overlooking the Magic City. It’s an eclectic mix of modernmeets-classical with layers of fascinating objets d’art, intriguing collections and antiques galore. It seems almost every item has a story. “My parents were antiques dealers,” said Dru, “and I hated being dragged to antiques shops all around the country. But then, when I got my own place that I could decorate, I changed my mind. I used to be all mid-century modern in the ‘90s, before it got popular, but I’ve gotten away from that. I like a tiny touch of it now.” The obsession with antiques is not one-sided. “We both loved antiques,” said Dru. “That was one thing we liked about each other when we met.” When they got married and were looking for a place to call their own, they initially wanted a home that captured that antique aesthetic. They had fallen in love with a big Victorian-style house, circa 1904, in Southside. But their Realtor asked them to be open-minded, showing them this 2,300-square-foot condo atop Red
Science meets art in this Mountain just above Valley Avenue. “It was very 1980s, really cheesy” mechanical piece called a Wanderers Orrery made said Dru. “But it had this great view by Science Art in Boulder, of downtown Birmingham.” Colorado. The planets, “It has good bones, and with suns and moons are each Dru’s imagination, she could really different semiprecious see what it could become,” said Eric. stones. “And we had a good contractor who listened and was creative and made it feel more open.” The modernized space sets the perfect backdrop for their antiques, vintage pieces and contemporary art. Upon entry, large works of modern art capture the imagination and a glass chandelier from the 1800s, which has been converted from gas to electric, casts a warm glow from its naked Edison bulbs. An ornate antique French server near the entry is
See DRU, page 24