A while back I received a copy of Abigail Ahern’s book, A Girls Guide to Decorating, in the mail. As soon as I had turned the cover and flipped through the pages, I knew this was a book many of you have been waiting for. A hip practical guide to taking your pad from drab to fab! I have been dying to share my thoughts about this excellent resource with you since.
Abigail is a designer, stylist and owner of an interiors store in London. In A Girls Guide to Decorating, Abigail compiles years of her experience as an international designer into a handy reference for anyone looking to take on their first decorating project. If you are style conscious, budget restricted, and want to make sense of decorating, this book promises to be your best friend. 
A girls guide to decorating is a must have if you are looking to do small DIY projects to glam up your pad but dont know where or how to get started.
I found the room analysis sections particularly helpful. Abigail has rough sketches next to real photographs that aid in visualizing the thought process.
A whole section in the book is dedicated to choosing the right lighting for the space. An excellent piece of info – each room needs three types of lighting types: general background or ambient lighting, task lighting for cooking, working, reading etc, and feature accent lighting such as chandeliers etc.
Of course, there are pages and pages of beautiful interior photographs by Graham Atkins-Hughes to inspire your projects.
With a hands-on approach, Abigail shows you how to choose your style, plan your space, work with what you’ve got, create a wow-factor, add personal details and play with colors, textures, and lights, and offers wonderful tips and techniques throughout the book. You will also find a list of essential tools that no girl on a decorating mission should be without.
A Girls Guide to Decorating is available in hardcover on amazon
Atelier Abigail Ahern
images: manvi drona-hidalgo
Hello twenty ten and hello wonderful readers. I hope you had a good holiday season.
Are you ready for a new and unwritten chapter of your lives? A new year of possibilities, opportunities and dreams? A whole new year to make our dreams a reality. I am keen to try new things, explore new places, meet new people and learn from it all. I am excited to begin this new year with fresh energy and perspective. We are going to have a great year together.
Did you make new year resolutions? Mine include working on my photography and styling skills, taking time out to read {books} more often, organizing and cleaning. I also need eat healthier and work out more. These are all things I enjoy so it shouldnt be too hard keeping up with them.
Have a great week and year ahead! xo
image: manvi drona-hidalgo
I recently mentioned to you that I was reading the book Speed Decorating.
Speed Decorating is a must for anybody who is impatient and loves to decorate. The term speed decorating refers to evaluating your spaces and finding immediate solutions; shopping “off-the-rack”; getting creative with furnishings and fixtures that you already own; doing most of the hands-on work yourself. Authored by Jill Vegas, a professional stager,the book is packed with tips to making your home fabulous fast!
As I read through each chapter, I learned a lot of quick yet good fixes but I also felt reminded of all the details we tend to forget when we set out to decorate our homes. For example, the five musts for a great looking entry; clutter-free surfaces, brilliant light, a nice-looking floor, clean walls, and a fabulous front door.
The book is packed with practical step by step processes, speed toolboxes, mini boot camps, lists of musts for each room, magic-wand makeovers, decorating donts, and lots of inspiring interiors. I also love the chapter about creating a dining room with style including tablescapes. Decorating and entertaining are the same halves of an apple – Dorothy Draper.
Here’s another helpful section-
The guest room: quick ways to make it welcoming;
Relocate the stuff that doesnt belong. Move boxes into the basement, wherever you have room, or get rid of it by donating it to charity. Throw open the window and air out the room. Remake the bed. If you dont have them at the ready, buy a nice set of matching linens and four fluffy pillows. Get two for back sleepers and two for stomach sleepers, just in case. Put out a pair or two of new soft slippers for a homey touch. Assemble a basket of soaps, lotions and other niceties, and leave it in the room. Make sure there is a working reading lamp and clock by the bed. Put a vase of fresh flowers on the dresser, and place a candle or teo in the room for a bit of glimmer.
And….one of you lucky readers can win a copy of Speed Decorating right here on mochatini. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post expressing your interest. You need to leave me only one comment per entry. But you can double your chances of winning by :
- joining any or all of my social networks – FB page, and or Twitter.
- blogging about this giveaway on your own blogs.
ps: dont forget to mention the above in your comments.
Giveaway open until Wednesday, December 9. Winner will be selected randomly and announced December 10. This giveaway is open to US + Canada residents only. Good luck!
images: photographer Michael Grimm
update: this giveaway is now closed.
I recently received copies of Speed Decorating and Downtown Chic. I am really enjoying all the decorating tips from Speed Decorating and love to flip through pages of Downtown Chic. Will talk more about each book when Im through.
image: manvi drona-hidalgo
Jill Vegas, the decorating guru, recently launched her book – Speed Decorating. Speed Decorating is a guide to making a house look great fast! This book offers tips, ideas and secrets to a fabulous home in a week or less…and filled with pages and pages of inspiring interiors. Professional stager, Jill reveals her seven staging essentials flow, light, color, clutter, condition, cleanliness, and lifestyle and takes readers on a high-energy house tour bursting with her invaluable insider advice.
Get your copy on Amazon | Jill Vegas
On fashion’s night out in NYC, Amanda Brooks was at Barneys signing copies of her really awesome book - I Love your Style – How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style. She drew little hearts on the cover of my copy before signing it for me. 
Style will not appear in your life on its own. I always feel and look my best when I’m dressed in evening clothes because that is when I make the biggest effort. We can’t go the whole nine yards every morning, but muster what energy you can and you’ll feel better all day long.
Read lots of magazines and books and tear out or make copies of things that resonate with you, whether they are whole outfits or just appealing color combination, beautiful textiles, scenes that evoke a certain era or feeling, or anything at all that you think you want to express with your clothes.
Graduating from mid-twenties to late-twenties can sometimes require desperate changes in personal style. In my case I was holding on to items from early twenties that I knew I would never wear but couldn’t bear to part with. It also meant replacing club wear with more sophisticated social wear.
Reflect on your life and take note of the things that have influenced you most.
And this book is just the kind of guide that I needed to clear the clutter from my closet and start with a smarter, sexier and even more chic wardrobe! In her picture heavy book, {think celeb style icons} Amanda gives great tips to finding your personal style; embracing creativity and the freedom to choose elements throughout the fashion universe. She even offers shopping tips! I cant wait to get do some of the things she advises. For instance:
Six ways you can find your style -
- make tear sheets.
- write down your style history
- try a lot of looks
- constantly ask yourself questions
- find your style icons and inspirations
- make an effort
ps: you can check our amanda’s blog for vogue here.
I love collecting journals and handbound books, especially when I travel. I have a modest collection of handcrafted beauties. You might find it silly but I hardly use them for jounaling purposes. I feel I would ruin them with my constant doodling. I use moleskins to scribble my thoughts instead, saving the pretty and unique ones for decoration. Over at two brunettes, I came across a bookworm who creates lovely handbound books. This talented woman is based in Toronto, and is self-taught. Admirable!
Nightjar books uses recycled, reclaimed and repurposed materials to design handbound books. So eco-frinedly too!!
These would be a great addition to my collection.
shop | blog| via
Henry over at Design Tavern has a cool giveway for you. A BluDot 2D:3D wall magazine rack {a $99 value} and you can pick the color of your choice. All you have to do is leave a comment on Design Tavern. It’s that easy. Hurry! Contest ends in two weeks! Enter here.
