Nomad: A Global Approach to Interior Style

by Sibella Court, Chris Court (Photographer)

In this deluxe cloth-covered style guide, celebrated designer Sibella Court travels the world in search of eclectic inspiration. She explores far-flung destinations and captures the essence of each in small details, exotic color palettes, exquisite textures, and traditional crafts. Along the way, she shows readers how to incorporate these elements into interiors and how to replicate the ideas in their own spaces. Overflowing with imaginative ideas from across the globe with breathtaking photos of each destination accompanied by examples of gorgeous real-life interiors, plus tips for applying the looks at home Nomad promises to serve as the ultimate lookbook for designers and wanderers the world over.

Genres: Travel, Design, Nonfiction, Art, Lifestyle, Interior Design, Photography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2011

About the author

Sibella Court is an interior stylist & creative director: from vision & concept through to direction & creation. Her most recent spaces for private clients & the Merivale Group include El Loco, 30 Knots, Upstairs at The Beresford, MsG’s, York 75, Bistrode CBD and Private Dining at Ivy.

She returned home to Sydney to launch her brand and shop, The Society inc., after 15 years living & working in New York. Her store is home to hardware & haberdashery & treasures collected globetrotting & adventuring into terrains less trodden.

In New York she was styling in demand for retail giants Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, Saks on Fifth Ave, Pottery Barn, Target and West Elm as well as publications Gourmet, Marie Claire and Vogue Living. Sibella travels between her two homes regularly for jobs & inspiration. Her projects have been vast including concept, design and styling for commercial and residential interiors, magazine & advertising shoots, catalogues and product design with a nail polish, hardware and 110-colour paint range under The Society inc.

Her wanderlust has seen her accumulate over twenty years of global inspiration from trips frequenting South East Asia, India, Europe, the Middle East, the States, Central America and Australia (and that’s just in the last year). She travels alone, with the Anthropologie inspiration team & because she is a nomad.

Sibella is a best-selling author: award-winning, ‘Etcetera etc: creating beautiful interiors with the things you love’, ‘The Stylist’s Guide to NYC’ and ‘Nomad: bringing your travels home’ due for release globally in November. She has written extensively for publications such as CountryStyle, Grazia, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue Living as a feature writer & contributing editor.

A history degree allows Sibella a unique foundation on which to combine research, travel & inspiration into projects that are unique, magical & unexampled.

Reviews

[R.B. Lemberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am moving houses rather traumatically, and do not have access to my books. At times of struggle, interior design books are my friends. I love textiles, love Anthropologie, and was excited to pick this one up at the library sale. It was also literally the only book I had on hand, so I finished it.

Which is how I got to page 155, and the following quote:
"I have had a longtime love affair with the romantic side of colonialism."

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me.

No. Just no.

It's not the book's only problem, but it is perhaps the most glaring.

We do not see much of the cultures the author talks about (which is probably just as well), but mostly the author's interpretation of the places she visits as staged rooms and vignettes. These staged rooms and vignettes are very, very dark in tone, subdued and washed out. The photography and production values are gorgeous, but I cannot recommend it.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book as object is visually and texturally tantalizing but, for some of the same reasons, the text itself is very difficult to read. Just skimming, I got to page 140-something before feeling too sad to continue. The author’s equal enthusiasm for a culture and the colonialist brand on that culture was upsetting and clearly reflected in the “staging” of rooms. On a purely pragmatic level, I don’t grok how real people can live in these spaces.

[Noha Badawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring, crafty and makes want to roam and create things out of every corner in the world.

[Inky Frog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a hybrid design book and travel memoir. The author, Sibella Court works frequently with Anthropologie, which I love, so it was fun to read about her travel strategies, and the things she notices and incorporates into her design practice. I love her color palettes and the book is interspersed throughout with interesting tidbits of history from the places she draws inspiration, mainly Japan, Italy, Syria, India, and Mexico. The book is too jumbled and chaotic to be a "how-to" design book, but if you approach it as if its a traveler's journal/sketchbook you will get a lot more out of it. I especially loves her section inspired by Syria and India!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had stunning photographs and took me to far away places that I would love to see. For that I loved it. I also loved her palettes. They made me want to repaint every room in my house. I adored her casual use of found objects. What I didn't care for was the navel-gazing quality of the writing. Still definitely four stars. A gorgeous book.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea of "a global approach to interior style". This book has great visuals, quotes, and interesting tid bits about each of the locations used as inspiration for Court. I would have liked to see more examples of real interiors from the countries instead of only the author's interpretation. I also felt it was hard to determine a collage inspiration page verse the actual interior design suggestion. Many of the interior designs were unrealistic for daily living and more for theme activities or parties. There is so much inspiration from real spaces in those locations and how - as most of them are much smaller than American spaces - great ideas for maximizing space, storage, and beauty; and I would have loved to see more of that.
Still, it is a book I will go back to regularly for travel day dreaming and to think of a quirky addition to my space.

[IE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book was like reading a disconnected poem... accompanied by very dark pictures and strange ideas repeating throughout, such as drawing a chalk "rug" on your wooden floor... I don't understand how that would be practical, especially indoors... as soon as you walked on it the smudging would occur. In terms of the actual design ideas, most of them consisted of either spray painting random numbers onto something (why?), making cutouts from cardboard, or drawing on something with chalk. Very basic and amateur looking crafts. Quotes like "a street sweepers brush topped with a bleached camel bone becomes an artwork" - I have to disagree. I would have liked to see more pictures of the culture of the places visited, the book is more about layering moodboards. Ok as a coffee table book I suppose.

[Tristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The layout of this book is absolutely gorgeous, and the concept of taking inspiration from your travels to design your home decor is really exciting and inspiring. Unfortunately the style of the author, for the most part, was not very appealing to me. But the photos are gorgeous and I was inspired enough to craft my own new ideas about taking color palates from my travels to other countries and changing the style and decor of my house more regularly. I also really appreciate the unconventional travel choices the author made, including traveling to Syria as an single woman. Very empowering.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well designed and laid out, which is what you want from a home decor book. But the writing left much to be desired. Truth be told, anyone who lists "Ulysses" by James Joyce in her references, and then writes that she never actually read it but considers it an influence on her Italian trip anyway is not winning me over.
But my favourite section was the Syrian chapter. Had me daydreaming trip itineraries.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous. Gorgeous in the way that Court focuses on those that live a traveled life and want to incorporate their own treasures (not bought and specifically designed) into their everyday life with beauty. It's about creating vignettes of peace and loveliness so that we stay sane and feel like our life is inspirational and beautiful. So many 'interior' design books are about the space instead of about the person - Sibella Court has a fun eye for highlighting life in the moment.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. Interesting ideas and some lovely photos, but the complete inattention to readability of the type made it impossible to make much sense of the text. She might as well just have made a picture book. Distressed black fonts right on top of the darkest part of pictures-- really? So frustrating. Just ruined it for me.

[Hallie]

If it ever is in library. It looks very pretty from pics in Molly Makes, but not something to buy.

[Silky Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this idea of this book, but my aesthetic is brighter.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this approach to interiors and travel married together..up my alley!

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Without text this would have been a lovely picture book of eclectic and uninhabitable interiors. Set design for the anti-Kondo. The text was insufferable.

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cluttered pictures and overlapping text made this book a chore to read. I had to put on reading glasses and really focus. But the book contains some interesting ideas: Throw pebbles onto a coffee table or a bathroom counter. Fill a china cabinet with books. Use playing cards for wallpaper. Give a wooden flea market chair, painted white, a nautical flare by stenciling a numeral on the seat and wrapping the back with rope. Use vintage cup trophies as planters. Place felt rectangles on the floor beside the bed. Use ship rope for a stairway handrail.

Court makes charming use of Japanese boro (patchwork fabric) and dado (paint or wallpaper on just the lower part of walls).

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in the concept of this book, because anyone who knows me could tell you that I'm always looking for ways to incorporate travel in interior design. Ultimately, I liked the travel pictures and the moodboards/vignettes inspired by various places, but the actual advice fell short for me. I was looking for more actionable ideas. Also, yes, she does say she "romanticizes" colonialism, which..... oof.

[Melanie Rippon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like “etcetera”, this book showcases Sibella’s theatrical magpie style, this time inspired by her travels, but still featuring 10-colour palettes. The journeys/palettes are: Japan (North by North West); Italy (Tales of a Sea Gypsy); India (Objet Trouve); Syria (Merchants & Traders); Mexico (Tender is the Night). Again, a book I’ve kept for years & enjoy browsing through for inspiration, but sadly, again, also has some difficult-to-read text where it’s printed directly over photos...

[Vmichelle Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous coffee table type of book, full of layered, casual bohemian travel inspired finds and color palettes. It's not so much a practical hands-on home decor book, but I had fun giving it a look through.

[Mary Lynn]

Not for me but well produced.