Imagine waking up to the symphony of birdsong and the whisper of the sea, all while nestled between a national park and the ocean. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, for renowned product and interior designer Sibella Court, this is everyday life. But here’s where it gets intriguing: her home isn’t just a picturesque retreat—it’s a living, breathing testament to her creative genius and a vintage enthusiast’s paradise. Tucked away in Bundeena, a quaint coastal village just an hour south of Sydney and perched on the edge of the Royal National Park, this timber cottage is far more than meets the eye.
Built in the 1930s and altered over decades, the house wasn’t exactly a polished gem when Court first laid eyes on it. And this is the part most people miss: it was the potential, not the perfection, that drew her in. ‘It was relatively untouched when I bought it six years ago, and that was its charm,’ she explains. Fresh off countless hospitality and residential projects for clients, Court was ready to dive into a major renovation—this time, for herself and her 11-year-old daughter, Silver.
Over the years, Court transformed every inch of the space, adding rooms and turning the house into a creative laboratory for her business, Sibella Court Studio. Here, she experimented with product collaborations—paints, wallpapers, lighting, textiles, tiles, and furniture—while indulging her passion for collecting vintage and antique treasures. ‘I saw it as an opportunity to master crafts I hadn’t yet explored,’ she says. ‘I even taught myself to hang wallpaper.’
The result? A home that bears her distinctive stylistic signature at every turn. In the kitchen, salvaged timber cupboards from old cheese boards pair with open shelves lined with utilitarian crockery, blending history with everyday ease. The living room features hand-painted blue and white tiles underfoot, adding rhythm and contrast, while deep indigo canvas walls create a dramatic backdrop for art and books. Staircases are adorned with seagrass runners, powder rooms shimmer with scallop shell grottos and custom lighting, and bathrooms marry marble with aged timber for a tactile, time-worn feel.
But here’s where it gets controversial: the interior is anything but static. Furniture pieces constantly move in and out as part of Court’s design projects, keeping the space dynamic and ever-evolving. ‘It’s a home that’s always in flux,’ she notes.
Upstairs, bedrooms are painted in sea-washed hues from her Murobond paint range, with windows framing glimpses of the ocean. Her studio, meanwhile, is a treasure trove of collected curiosities and design tools. ‘The house is always alive with birdsong and the distant hum of fishing boats heading out to sea,’ she adds.
Court designed the home with intentionality, creating a refuge space upstairs for Silver that captures the afternoon light. ‘I love how each room feels different at various times of the day and throughout the seasons,’ she says. ‘My bedroom and kitchen face east, so waking up to the first light—accompanied by kookaburras in the garden—is my favorite part of the day.’
Interestingly, the garden, once an afterthought, has become another creative outlet. Inspired by bush walks in the Royal National Park, it’s now a haven of native plants. Yet, it’s the interiors that truly reflect her restless creativity. ‘A house is never finished,’ she muses.
Layered with memory, creativity, and curiosity, this bush-and-beachside home is both deeply personal and expansively inspiring—a family retreat, a studio, and a living canvas for a designer’s evolving life’s work. But here’s the question: In a world that often prioritizes new over old, does Court’s embrace of vintage and potential over perfection challenge our notions of what a dream home can be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Styling: Nadene Duncan. Hair and make-up: Annabel Barton using Sisley Paris. For more inspiring stories like this, sign up for our free Sunday Life newsletter and get the best delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Subscribe here.
