Meet Hollister + Porter Hovey
NYC apartments are not all created equal and each unique living space has a story to tell - - that’s where the Hovey Sisters, Hollister + Porter, come in! When staging an apartment or designing a home , these sisters integrate spirited livability by finding balance between aspirational design and real living in order to best tell the home’s story.
The Hovey sisters have experienced the magic of what happens when you lean in to what fuels your passion and then allow that passion to take the lead. With their drool-worthy book Heirloom Modern on the stands and hundreds of happily decorated homes, where Hollister + Porter integrate nostalgia, adventure, and history into the home - the sky is the limit for this groovy sister duo!
The DLT: What is your superpower?
Hollister Hovey: Spatial arrangement. I get chills from Tetrising boxes, packing for trips (I never check a bag!) and fitting furniture in a space without measuring.
Porter Hovey: Making introductions...especially at parties. Just like Bridget Jones.
The DLT: What is the best piece of advice you have ever gotten?
Hollister Hovey: “It doesn’t really count unless you finish.” - Paraphrased from Porter’s constant complaining about me not completing tasks, which is frustratingly true!
Porter Hovey: “You should really go into real estate.”
The DLT: How do you structure your days? How do you start your days? When does your work day end?
Hollister Hovey: We’re usually up around 5:30 am. If we don’t have an install, we “leisurely” watch Rachel Maddow from the night before, drink coffee, discuss the day ahead and get out the door by 8 am. On install days, we head straight to the warehouse by 6 am to finalize the selections before our movers meet us at 8 am.
Porter Hovey: When we’re not installing, it’s a total mix of desk work, warehouse organization, errands, online auctions, auction pickups and seeing apartments and houses for potential jobs. We try to wind things down by dinnertime and spend the rest of the night watching crime shows.
The DLT: Who is your role model and why?
Hollister Hovey: Our mom. She had such great taste, amazing work ethic and such a creative, curious spirit. She had *very* high standards for us. Mediocrity was her nightmare.
Porter Hovey: Our mom, of course, but also our grandma (our dad’s mom). She still lives Uptown in the most beautiful apartment that I’ve ever stepped inside. She designed her whole place with entertaining in mind: there’s great flow, countless conversation zones in every room, different moods in every corner and always a cocktail nearby.
The DLT: Now to get to the fun real estate questions! What is home to you? How can a home make you better at the work you do?
Hollister Hovey: A home - especially in New York - should be a refuge from the outside world. If you feel at ease when you’re in your own space, you can truly relax and have more energy when it’s actually time to work and face the madness outside.
Porter Hovey: We always find it important to invest in a few pieces of furniture you intend to keep forever (or at least for the foreseeable future) to help the space feel really special and permanent - even if you only have a one year lease. When we’re young in this city, we all tend to feel transient, but some “forever” pieces will help you feel settled and calm.
The DLT: What is your dream neighborhood and why?
Hollister Hovey: Tribeca. It’s like SoHo, but quiet!
Porter Hovey: Dumbo. It’s like Tribeca, but in Brooklyn!
The DLT: What is your must-have for your dream apartment and why?
Hollister Hovey: A dish washer and washer and dryer. If it also had factory windows, I might die of happiness.
Porter Hovey: High ceilings and central air!
This series is published by The Jane Advisory.
A long time women's rights activist, Danielle has created "Where She Lives" in order to give everyone access to the authentic journeys and struggles of entrepreneurs that identify as female. Home is often a sanctuary, and we have investigated what our fellow female entrepreneur needs to make their home a salvation from their daily work. We hope this blog both inspires you and brings up new ways of seeing the world and your own journey. To contact us to help with your own home process, or for any other reason, please reach out to us here.
