Nell trained in Fine Art at the Arts Institute of Bergen, and in Costume for the Screen and Stage at the Arts Institute of Bournemouth. She is the Associate Costume Designer of the Finborough Theatre where she designed costumes for I Wish to Die Singing, Freedom of the City, Florodora, Blackwater Angel, Loyalties, Our Miss Gibbs, Eden's Empire, Sweethearts, The Zoo, The Lower Depths, Little Madam and was production designer for John and Jen.

Other Costume Design credits include La Boheme (Southbank Sinfonia), Immortal (Courtyard Theatre, Covent garden), Anatol, Gaudeamus or a Very Liberal Education, The Icarus Girl and King Arthur (all at the Arcola Theatre), A Devilish Exercise (Rose Theatre, London), Tell (Hen and Chicken), the feature film Blooded (Magma Pictures) and six short films.

She was Costume Supervisor for Bridgetower (English Touring Opera) and has worked as Assistant Costume Designer for various productions, most recently at the Royal Opera House and on the feature film Bigga Than Ben (Annex Films). She worked on Wicked (Apollo Victoria) as a Costume Assistant and works as a freelance maker for various companies amongst them the National Theatre of Bergen. Nell is Associate Artist of Shapeshifter Arts Limited winner of the 2006 Peter Wolff Theatre Trust Award and Peter Brook Empty Space Mark Marvin Award 2004/5.