If the thought of using colour or, even worse, turning your hand to DIY leaves you a whiter shade of pale, then Abigail Ahern’s home is not a destination for you. She’s done both things in her house to dazzling effect. Vibrant splashes of pillar box red, fuchsia pink and vivid yellow artfully transform furniture and accessories into eye-catching works of art.

Close inspection of neat shelves, skilfully sanded and painted floorboards, and added architectural details like ornate ceiling roses are proof Abigail’s a dab hand at the practical as well as the punchy. It’s only fair to reveal she does have a certain amount of ‘insider’ knowledge as she’s a renowned designer, who owns hip London interiors destination, Atelier (www.atelierabigailahern.com).

Abigail says with a smile: "I do realise experimenting with colour and DIY are about the scariest things on the planet for most people." "But turning your home into a fabulously stylish pad is what interior decorating is all about. And you don’t have to have an A-list budget or even a personal stylist to live a life of glitz and glamour." Encouragingly, a lot of her ideas for her own home were inspired by economy because, when she and her photographer husband Graham moved into the four-storey house, they found structural alterations soaked up all their budget.

"Luckily, paint and wallpaper are the most transforming things, and you just need to start with a feature wall, or paper an alcove and you realise how incredible the effect is," she says. "Once you start, you realise using colour really isn’t rocket science, and DIY is perfectly straightforward for simple jobs that make all the difference to your home." Abigail chose deep grey for walls and floors throughout her home, which is an ideal neutral backdrop for showcasing her imaginative use of pattern and colour, as well as her eclectic collection of paintings sourced from flea markets and art fairs. "I love the grey walls because they change colour in the light, sometimes they look dark grey and at others violet," she enthuses.

Her ingenuity is impressive. Her sofas are upholstered with a variety of different fabric samples, and a striking feature - a pillar box red mirror - is a cheap frame she found in a junk shop. "I took it to the local Ford car sprayers, who covered it for me. The paint gives a fashionable lacquer effect. I’ve used the same technique for some of the picture frames." Even her blue kitchen units are from Ikea - personalised by some nifty work with a drill and MDF sheets. "They show it’s totally possible to couple low-cost ideas with high style. Add some atmospheric lighting, and even the most cramped cooking area can look amazing." More surprising is her love of playing with scale so that large objects, a sculpture of a monster’s foot and a huge, anglepoise lamp, are placed next to a small table or chair to further magnify their size. "I love putting a huge mirror with a little table underneath, and the odd super-sized piece of furniture in a tiny room," she admits.

"People do think it’s surreal and a bit like stepping into a scene from ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ It came about by accident and then I found it just lifts your spirits in a room to see the contrast." Abigail has decanted her decor wisdom, including moneysaving stylists tips and guidance on basic DIY, into a beautifully illustrated book, A Girl’s Guide To Decorating. It could be a boon for recessionist as opting to improve rather than move, and she says persuasively: "What’s exciting about interiors right now is that virtually anything goes. "With a pinch of creativity, an eye for a bargain and a few tricks of the trade, you can turn a gloomy, outdated space into a complete Aladdin’s cave of gorgeousness."

According to Abigail, good planning is the key to brilliant design. "Good design should always be planned around lifestyle, so the decor should suit its function. Also, it’s helpful to identify the ugly features of the room you want to hide and those you wish to highlight." Drawing plans on paper will enable you to experiment with potential layouts, and don’t forget to take into account what mood you want to create. Leave major DIY tasks to the professionals. The most important thing, says Abigail, is to really personalise the space. "Don’t limit yourself to one look, you wouldn’t in your clothes, so don’t do it in your rooms. Feel free to mix and match styles of furniture and decor in your own unique way, then they’ll become a talking point."

TEXTURE:
"This brings rooms to life, the professionals marry leather with brick, silk with wool, raffia with glass," she says. "So aim for contrast by having smooth floors with rough walls, grainy chenille cushions with velvet blankets."

ZONING:
In multi-purpose rooms Abigail advises using "different rugs for different areas to give each its own personality. A decorative screen, a free-standing bookcase, or perhaps a group of large plants can create divisions."

LIGHTING:
Lighting should never be an afterthought. "Each room needs a combination of three lighting types. So layer lights by mixing and matching a selection of pendant lights, recessed table and floor lights, not to mention a smattering of candles and fairy lights."

STORAGE:
This is key, says Abigail. "Glam homes banish clutter behind closed doors, opening up the space and allowing the eye to take in a stunning piece of statement furniture or an invigorating colour scheme."

TREASURES:
Your personality is reflected in your possessions and she points out: "You can spend top whack on sofas, cabinets and up-to-the-minute entertainment systems, but they won’t give you half as much satisfaction as objects that are meaningful to you, and make you feel happy."

"Display your quirky knick-knacks with chutzpah and you’ll create a home that’s like no other."