Ann Margaret Oberst and Matthew Sullivan (pictured here in their living room) use their semi-detached downtown Toronto home for meditating, cooking, writing and winecellaring. The couple gave Precedent a tour.
Something in the house that reminds you of your law practice: “Nothing. This place is designed to take us as far away from law practice as possible. We don’t have any law books, any law memorabilia. When I come home I don’t want to be reminded of my work.”
In the bedroom: Two beautiful pieces of calligraphy hang above the couple’s sunsoaked bed. “These two calligraphies were done for each of us by an abbot at a mountain monastery in Korea. When he did these calligraphies, it was like lightning. I’ve never seen someone do calligraphy so fast.” Their meaning? “There is energy in the house” (perfect for above the bed) and “Everywhere you go is pure.”
Creative pursuits: “Danny the Tranny” is a speckled white clay figure standing on top of the piano, looking almost as if he is singing along with the music. “A friend and I took a figuremaking class. We made these in-between-the-gender people, and even though they are both kind of clearly women, we both call them ‘he’ for some reason, we don’t really know why,” explains Ann Margaret. “I think the glaze on him is made of Pepsi and bits of chocolate.” Although Ann Margaret doesn’t make art anymore, she is currently working on a children’s book.
The hideaway: Ann Margaret writes in the Aerie — an attictype room at the top of a narrow flight of stairs that is also home to some of Matthew’s hobbies. On one of the upper shelves of a bookcase is a large collection of dungeon-and-dragon-esque creatures. “I paint miniatures,” he explains, “It’s a great hobby to do if you don’t want to think about anything … it’s very good to do if you’re a lawyer — it takes you as far away from law as Toronto takes you from Hong Kong.”
Achieving enlightenment: Ann Margaret has been meditating for seven years, Matthew for 15. They have a meditation room that they use together for Korean tea ceremonies and (almost) daily meditation. “There is no better way to settle the mind,” says Matthew, “it’s even better than miniature painting.”
Getting to work: “We both usually walk to work, or bike.” Ann Margaret arrives in style on “The Swede,” a replica of a Swedish army bike called the Kronan. Decked out with flowers that she changes every spring, the Swede gets Ann Margaret to and from work all year round. Friday night routine “Ann Margaret and I try to do a big meal every Friday, just her and I.” They use these occasions to try out new recipes and open some of the best bottles from their wine cellar. Matthew, Precedent’s very own wine columnist, built the cellar himself and it now boasts some 230 bottles of wine. The bottle he’s most proud of? A 1994 Dow’s Vintage Port. “1994 was a fantastic year for port,” says Matthew, “We’re saving it for when the mortgage is paid off.”