The Beat That My Heart Skipped – A blog dedicated to daily design inspirations. By Rohini Wahi.

As excited I was about holding ‘A Girl’s Guide to Decorating’ [see yesterday's post] by stylist, entrepreneur, interior designer extra-ordinaire Abigail Ahern, and having admired her bold style for so long…I was apprehensive as to what I would find inside. Could I relate to the high-end, eclectic style that prevails in her shop and own home? How would this translate into a DIY book as the title implied?

What a joy and surprise to find that it was exactly what what it said on the tin! The pages are layed out like a retro Girl’s Handbook, colour-faded page headings, with bold retro asterisk and all. Sections include, ‘planning’, ‘colour’, ‘texture’, ‘light’, the ‘wow factor’ [all key themes in Abigail's own style] and my favourite ‘practical stuff’. Filled with inspirational images, really handy tips and illustrated and annotated room analysis’ – the book reads just like a practical Girl’s Handbook.

Simply written and with an emphasis on getting Abigail’s look and other looks on a low budget, this book’s a real keeper on the DIY shelf. £16.99 Published by Quadrille available here.