Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

As the studio director for bespoke textile company Vanderhurd (vanderhurd.com), 28-year-old Mary Nelson Sinclair relies on her fine-arts training and eye for color in the professional realm. An appreciation for skilled craftsmanship, bold patterns and classic design also informs her home life. The Texas-born sophisticate has rented her 525-square-foot pad since May 2011, decking out the cozy space with items that reflect both her Southern heritage and her passion for foreign destinations. “I’m definitely eclectic, and I love to travel,” says Sinclair, who shares the apartment with her teacup terrier, Coco. “My aesthetic is inspired by different parts of the world I’ve visited. I’ve also learned a lot from my mom, who dabbles in interior designer.”

Apartment tour: 1BR in the West Village

Textile expert Mary Nelson Sinclair adapts Southern charm to modern city life.

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Mary Nelson Sinclair, studio director for bespoke textile company Vanderhurd, lets us peek inside her West Village apartment. She shops at home design stores such as John Derian and the Showplace Antique Center to find pieces that match her artistic, feminine aesthetic.

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Estilo Upholstery 170 Rivington St between Attorney and Clinton Sts (212-473-1735)
“It’s super cheap, super fast and really good,” enthuses Sinclair. “I used them to re-cover my couch. They’d quoted me two weeks for the job, but it only took them a week and a half.”

John Derian 6 2nd St between Bowery and Second Ave (212-677-3917, johnderian.com)
“I don’t think you can go wrong there,” says Sinclair of her go-to ephemera shop. Aside from dishes and candles, the eclectic offerings range from paper goods (postcards, decoupage templates, collage mats) to furniture, rugs, tote bags and Moroccan leather sitting poufs.

Portmanteau 81 Grand St at Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-0777)
A favorite from Sinclair’s days of living in the neighborhood, this shop stocks an eclectic mix of new tchotchkes—many of which are made by emerging local vendors—and antique wares. “I love the smaller accessories there,” she says.

Showplace Antique Center 40 W 25th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-633-6063, nyshowplace.com)
“The guy who has the whole top floor, Showplace on 3, is my go-to for light fixtures and furniture,” notes Sinclair, who scored her lucite-and-leather living room chairs at the sprawling antiques emporium.

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