BY ANN-MARGRET HOVSEPIAN
FREELANCE

Walk into someone’s home for the first time and you can usually get a quick sense of their
personality and lifestyle.

Have you ever considered what about your home says about you? Can your guests tell you’re a
movie buff, a nature love, a traveller, a sports nut, an artist?

Colours, textures and style play a big part in the initial impression our home imparts. And the things
we collect can visually express our values, interests, passion and individuality, especially when we
incorporate them into our overall home décor.

My sister, Ruth Hovsepian, is a manager in a high-tech fast-paced industry, yet her home exudes
the coziness and serenity she values. The high-end appliances and fixtures are nice, but what you
notice right away is warm, dark tones, the exposed brick wall, rich fabrics and lots of wood.

Then you spot the quirky pieces: the enormous wagon wheel resting on the wall behind the dining
table, the antique cabinet-style Victrola next to the wall-mounted flat-screen television, the brass coal
scuttle our great-grandparents used in Turkey, and the top of an antique lawyer bookcase that
serves as the entertainment centre.

Hovsepian started collecting antiques about 20 years ago and says it’s the mystery and romance
behind pieces that attract her. She is drawn to wood and silver but it’s her budding antique radio
collection that has a special place in her heart.

“There is a family connection,” she said. “Dad has had a radio and electronics business since his
youth and I’m interested in the way radios have progressed over the years.” She has integrated the
radios into her home as furniture and looks forward to finding more.

ann-margret hovsepian