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Over the last couple of weeks I had the privilege to read an advance copy of Stephanie Sabbe’s new book, Interiors of a Storyteller, and it has been a most delightful experience! Knowing of Stephanie Sabbe’s talents as an interior designer, I went in expecting a collection of beautiful homes and inspiring photographs to save for future reference. What I did not expect was a first-class writer and storyteller: charming, witty, self-aware, humorous but not flippant, deeply personal and refreshingly honest.
Stephanie Sabbe is the founder and principal of Sabbe Interior Design and owner of Heirloom Artifacts, a home goods concept store, both of which are located in Nashville’s Belle Meade neighborhood. Her work and home goods store have been featured in Veranda, Domino, House Beautiful, Business of Home, WSJ, Southern Living, Fenimore Lane, and numerous other media, including The Cottage Journal. She is known for her fresh approach to historic design, and her projects are heavily inspired by the timeless interiors of old English country houses and the architecture of historical New England.
Design by Stephanie Sabbe | Photography by Joseph Bradshaw
Interiors of a Storyteller transcends the mold of what interior design books ought to be. Along with a satisfying list of decorating recipes, we also get the unexpected – a collection of deeply personal essays that will move you to the core. The essays delve into Sabbe’s childhood and familial struggles, and provide the backbone of a wholesome book that is part memoir, part decorating journal.
Design by Stephanie Sabbe | Photography by Joseph Bradshaw
Through nine beautifully-photographed projects, Stephanie Sabbe shares deeply intimate stories about her life, which in turn give a glimpse into the motivation behind her work. One essay she writes about being raised by a single mother with very limited resources coincides with a project in Leiper’s Fork with a lesson she learned in childhood: “the way you start does not have to dictate how you finish.” Another essay is about raising four kids with her husband in their 100-year old home, which her mother moved into after a terminal cancer diagnosis. This essay is paired with the project she designed during this trying season of life. Bridging the gap between each of the personal essays and project descriptions is a collage of fabric swatches, wallpaper samples and paint chips intermixed with family photos. She designs gorgeous homes, yes, but her parting sentiment is that people rather than their things make a home soulful and inspiring.
Design by Stephanie Sabbe | Photography by Joseph Bradshaw
If you have a penchant for beautiful interiors and timeless architectural details, and crave a deeper understanding of the heart and soul behind the work, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Interiors of a Storyteller comes out on March 25th – if you haven’t preordered your copy yet, you can do so HERE. Happy (almost) Spring!
It sounds like a book I will enjoy. Thanks for the review.
Karen B.