OCTOBER 2 0 1 9 I BOROMAG.COM 47
For 2 1/2 years, Tricia Santomasso
Hopkins and Sean Hopkins have been
decorating and redecorating their
apartment to accommodate holidays,
life events and changing preferences
— and that’s the way they like it. Homes
tend to feel familiar, mostly because
each relies on the same types of furniture and
household objects. But the only familiar thing
about their home, they said, is change.
They treat their apartment like a movie set
with changing scenes, swapping wall prints
to match the holiday season and choosing
props and knickknacks to go with each room
— fitting, since the two Astoria residents are
actors-turned-audiobook narrators.
Many of Tricia and Sean’s household items
are homemade. All are deeply personal. Their
fireplace mantel had previously belonged to
a friend, who had used it as a clothing rack
before moving. That’s when Tricia and Sean
adopted and refurbished it into the mantel in
their living room. The couple installed hanging
plants in front of a window that overlooks
their street, modeling the structure after
something similar they’d seen in a magazine.
Across the hanging plants, framed photos
make up what the two refer to as their
“ancestry wall.” Some of the photo subjects
don googly eyes in place of their real ones, a
temporary — but still deeply personal — Halloween
addition. Sean’s mom, a preschool
teacher, gave the couple the googly eyes.
“It was right before Halloween last year,
and Tricia was decorating at that time and
she said, ‘I think I can find a use for these,’” he
said. “So I came in one day and I just kept
finding them over the course of a week.”
One wall of their home office, which
was once their bedroom, is lined with
masks dating back to as early as 16th
century commedia dell’arte — an Italian
theater form dedicated to improv. But
not all of the masks are Italian. Some
come from Nicaragua, Japan and China.
Some are travel souvenirs, while others
are gifts from loved ones. Yet-to-be-hung
framed maps rest on the floor in one office
corner — evidence, Sean said, that the
decor is constantly changing.
Spooky prints in the living room and
kitchen pay homage to upcoming
BY YELENA DZHANOVA
@YELENADZHANOVA
CHANGE
/BOROMAG.COM
