Illustrator, collector, world traveler, and blogger extraordinaire, Hollister Hovey is difficult to label. But In July this year the New York Times did exactly that, declaring Hovey, along with her sister, Porter Hovey and others like them who obsessively collect nostalgic items from ages past "The New Antiquarians."  Wearing vintage fencing masks, rifle cleaners in hand, the sisters were photographed for the cover of the Home section of The Times amidst the life-size cabinet of 19th and 20th century curiosities that is their Brooklyn loft.  The apartment is an impeccably well-curated menagerie of taxidermy, steamer trunks, ancestral portraits, apothecary tables and museum quality relics from the last 200 years. 

When asked to choose her most treasured piece, Hovey describes, without hesitation, a 1933 life-size portrait of a hunter holding a shotgun and a cigarette, his dog by his side, purchased from a Kansas City antique store some twenty years ago by her mother.  And while Hovey laughingly blames PBS' Masterpiece Theater and Ralph Lauren for her English colonial leisure class aesthetic, the influences are, in fact, much closer to home.

Hollister and Porter Hovey's Brooklyn loft

Hovey describes her father's family as one that "traveled wildly." She says, "Dad took a boat of cattle to the Philippines, ran a gold mine in Bolivia and lived on an Afrikaner farm in South Africa in his early 20's. Grandma went on African safaris and toured India." Her grandmother's home reflected her own adventures, with interiors awash in "zebra skin rugs, italian blackamoors and leopard poufs and pillows." Hovey's mother fell in love with her own mother-in-law's ethnic touches, and combined them with refined English and French antiques. Hovey says, "It's really been my mom's interpretation of my father's mother's style that's been my greatest inspiration."

Hollister and Porter Hovey's luggage for their trip to Prague and Berlin

Hovey carries on the tradition of her family's wanderlust.  Trips this year included Istanbul, Berlin and Prague, all of which she chronicles, along with the bounty she brings home, on an influential blog, Hollister Hovey. Recent posts include: the story behind the purchase of a 1950s Czech hunting book, photos of Hollister and Porter posing in a variety of vintage accessories all over Prague and Berlin, and a roundup of P.S. 1 Conteporary Art Center's fall exhibits, complete with lots of detailed photos of the building's old brick walls, linoleum tiles and even a water pump.

Photos of Hollister Hovey in Prague and Berlin, taken by her sister, Porter

Hovey's latest obsession is the charts, prints and books that she picked up in Prague, which she calls a "veritable feeding ground" for these types of paper items. Because of an "obsessive eBay habit," she has put a temporary hold on searching for items much larger than those, claiming that her loft is at near capacity.  Fortunately, I was able to coax her into hunting for just a few more (smaller) treasures that she will use later this month for a Thanksgiving feast she describes as "European Gamey." On the menu: caramelized maple butternut squash with almond and cranberries, bacon dates stuffed with gorgonzola, long grain and wild rice, artichokes and wild turkey served with red wine and bourbon cocktails. Sounds divine.

On Hollister Hovey's Thanksgiving Shopping Menu:

Buffalo Horn Bowl (starting bid, $14.99)

"Use this before the meal for serving dried cranberries and nuts."

Set of Six Ralph Lauren Herringbone Crystal Low Ball glasses (starting bid, $49.99)

"I’ve had my set for 10 years. They weigh a ton and give importance to your cocktail."

Antique Plate (buy it now price, $299.99)

"Mix and match china from different eras and different regions, even Asian and European. It will look great."

 Packet of 100 Golden Pheasant Tail Feathers (buy it now price, $39.95)

"Put these in a vase and use them as a centerpiece (instead of flowers)."

Hovey Also Loves:

Antler Knife Set (starting bid, $89.95)

Set of 10 Butterscotch Bakelite Butter Knives (starting bid, $19.99)

Set of 10 African Porcupine Quills (buy it now price, $6.99)

Antique English Staffordshire Bowl (buy it now price, $450)

A freelance editor based in New York, Chris Frey previously served as the Fashion Market Director at Cookie and the Accessories Director at Lucky.