Judith Wilson provides an excellent example of the new practical approach. She was a stylist for top magazine Home and Gardens before writing and styling this well thought-out and inspirational book.

There are 13 room makeovers in which Ms Wilson takes a room type, from bedroom to bathroom, and fills it with a light, classic and fairly easily-copied style. The rooms are not the usual "before and after", in that all are bare when she starts them, so that in coming up with her designs she doesn't have to deal with anyone else's taste and furniture.

What will be slightly frustrating for anyone who lives in an average sized semi-d is that all the rooms she makes over have wonderful period proportions and dramatic original features, from high ceilings to shuttered windows.

The makeovers are done very much from a stylist's point of view, so there are no actual DIY instructions on how to achieve the same effect - but the photographs are strong on ideas and the text is full of practical advice, particularly on choosing colours and fabrics.