diff --git a/examples/basic.css b/examples/basic.css
index efafe797e..7500a8f1b 100644
--- a/examples/basic.css
+++ b/examples/basic.css
@@ -1,15 +1,11 @@
 /* CSS file for basic.py */
 
 App > View {
+  layout: dock;
   docks: side=left/1;
   text: on #20639b;
 }
 
-Widget:hover {
-  outline: heavy;
-  text: bold !important;
-}
-
 #sidebar {
   text: #09312e on #3caea3;
   dock: side;
@@ -29,10 +25,6 @@ Widget:hover {
   border: hkey;
 }
 
-#header.-visible {
-  visibility: hidden;
-}
-
 #content {
   text: white on #20639b;
   border-bottom: hkey #0f2b41;
diff --git a/examples/basic.py b/examples/basic.py
index d06ac0765..72743ab93 100644
--- a/examples/basic.py
+++ b/examples/basic.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ class BasicApp(App):
     def on_load(self):
         """Bind keys here."""
         self.bind("tab", "toggle_class('#sidebar', '-active')")
-        self.bind("a", "toggle_class('#header', '-visible')")
 
     def on_mount(self):
         """Build layout here."""
diff --git a/sandbox/local_styles.py b/sandbox/local_styles.py
index 6be4cd0cb..0ffa1c94b 100644
--- a/sandbox/local_styles.py
+++ b/sandbox/local_styles.py
@@ -16,18 +16,11 @@ class BasicApp(App):
             sidebar=Widget(),
         )
 
-    async def on_key(self, event: events.Key) -> None:
-        await self.dispatch_key(event)
+    def key_a(self) -> None:
+        self.query("#footer").set_styles(text="on magenta")
 
-    def key_a(self) -> bool | None:
-        self.query("#footer").set_styles(text="on magenta").refresh()
-
-        self.log(self["#footer"].styles.css)
-        self.bell()
-        self.refresh()
-
-    def key_b(self) -> bool | None:
-        self["#content"].set_styles("text: on magenta")
+    def key_b(self) -> None:
+        self["#footer"].set_styles("text: on green")
 
 
 BasicApp.run(css_file="local_styles.css", log="textual.log")
diff --git a/src/textual/_animator.py b/src/textual/_animator.py
index b3c51be31..f22ab9080 100644
--- a/src/textual/_animator.py
+++ b/src/textual/_animator.py
@@ -130,7 +130,10 @@ class Animator:
         self._timer.start()
 
     async def stop(self) -> None:
-        await self._timer.stop()
+        try:
+            await self._timer.stop()
+        except asyncio.CancelledError:
+            pass
 
     def bind(self, obj: object) -> BoundAnimator:
         return BoundAnimator(self, obj)
diff --git a/src/textual/_timer.py b/src/textual/_timer.py
index cbeef27cd..25c90506a 100644
--- a/src/textual/_timer.py
+++ b/src/textual/_timer.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from asyncio import (
     get_event_loop,
     CancelledError,
     Event,
+    shield,
     sleep,
     Task,
 )
diff --git a/src/textual/css/query.py b/src/textual/css/query.py
index e03879111..42482efad 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/query.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/query.py
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ class DOMQuery:
         return self
 
     def refresh(self, repaint: bool = True, layout: bool = False) -> DOMQuery:
-
         """Refresh matched nodes.
 
         Args:
diff --git a/src/textual/css/styles.py b/src/textual/css/styles.py
index 268f43530..43a854113 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/styles.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/styles.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from functools import lru_cache
+from operator import attrgetter
 from typing import Any, Iterable, NamedTuple, TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import rich.repr
@@ -49,6 +50,22 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from ..dom import DOMNode
 
 
+_text_getter = attrgetter(
+    "_rule_text_color", "_rule_text_background", "_rule_text_style"
+)
+
+_border_getter = attrgetter(
+    "_rule_border_top", "_rule_border_right", "_rule_border_bottom", "_rule_border_left"
+)
+
+_outline_getter = attrgetter(
+    "_rule_outline_top",
+    "_rule_outline_right",
+    "_rule_outline_bottom",
+    "_rule_outline_left",
+)
+
+
 class DockGroup(NamedTuple):
     name: str
     edge: Edge
@@ -103,7 +120,15 @@ class Styles:
 
     def has_rule(self, rule: str) -> bool:
         """Check if a rule has been set."""
-        return getattr(self, f"_rule_{rule}") != None
+        if rule in RULE_NAMES and getattr(self, f"_rule_{rule}") is not None:
+            return True
+        if rule == "text":
+            return not all(rule is None for rule in _text_getter(self))
+        if rule == "border" and any(self.border):
+            return not all(rule is None for rule in _border_getter(self))
+        if rule == "outline" and any(self.outline):
+            return not all(rule is None for rule in _outline_getter(self))
+        return False
 
     display = StringEnumProperty(VALID_DISPLAY, "block")
     visibility = StringEnumProperty(VALID_VISIBILITY, "visible")
@@ -164,10 +189,11 @@ class Styles:
 
     @classmethod
     @lru_cache(maxsize=1024)
-    def parse(cls, css: str, path: str) -> Styles:
+    def parse(cls, css: str, path: str, *, node: DOMNode = None) -> Styles:
         from .parse import parse_declarations
 
         styles = parse_declarations(css, path)
+        styles.node = node
         return styles
 
     def __textual_animation__(
@@ -345,11 +371,11 @@ class Styles:
                 _type, style = self._rule_outline_left
                 append_declaration("outline-left", f"{_type} {style}")
 
-        if self.offset:
+        if self._rule_offset is not None:
             x, y = self.offset
             append_declaration("offset", f"{x} {y}")
         if self._rule_dock:
-            append_declaration("dock-group", self._rule_dock)
+            append_declaration("dock", self._rule_dock)
         if self._rule_docks:
             append_declaration(
                 "docks",
@@ -363,6 +389,7 @@ class Styles:
         if self._rule_layer is not None:
             append_declaration("layer", self.layer)
         if self._rule_layout is not None:
+            assert self.layout is not None
             append_declaration("layout", self.layout.name)
         if self._rule_text_color or self._rule_text_background or self._rule_text_style:
             append_declaration("text", str(self.text))
@@ -415,10 +442,9 @@ class StyleViewProperty(Generic[GetType, SetType]):
     def __get__(
         self, obj: StylesView, objtype: type[StylesView] | None = None
     ) -> GetType:
-        styles_value = getattr(obj._inline_styles, self._internal_name, None)
-        if styles_value is None:
-            return getattr(obj._base_styles, self._name)
-        return styles_value
+        if obj._inline_styles.has_rule(self._name):
+            return getattr(obj._inline_styles, self._name)
+        return getattr(obj._base_styles, self._name)
 
 
 @rich.repr.auto
@@ -448,6 +474,17 @@ class StylesView:
         """Reset the inline styles."""
         self._inline_styles.reset()
 
+    def refresh(self, layout: bool = False) -> None:
+        self._inline_styles.refresh(layout=layout)
+
+    def merge(self, other: Styles) -> None:
+        """Merge values from another Styles.
+
+        Args:
+            other (Styles): A Styles object.
+        """
+        self._inline_styles.merge(other)
+
     def check_refresh(self) -> tuple[bool, bool]:
         """Check if the Styles must be refreshed.
 
@@ -475,10 +512,11 @@ class StylesView:
     display: StyleViewProperty[str, str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
     visibility: StyleViewProperty[str, str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
     layout: StyleViewProperty[Layout | None, str | Layout] = StyleViewProperty()
+
     text: StyleViewProperty[Style, Style | str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
-    color: StyleViewProperty[Color, Color | str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
-    background: StyleViewProperty[Color, Color | str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
-    style: StyleViewProperty[Style, str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
+    text_color: StyleViewProperty[Color, Color | str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
+    text_background: StyleViewProperty[Color, Color | str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
+    text_style: StyleViewProperty[Style, str | None] = StyleViewProperty()
 
     padding: StyleViewProperty[Spacing, SpacingDimensions] = StyleViewProperty()
     margin: StyleViewProperty[Spacing, SpacingDimensions] = StyleViewProperty()
@@ -537,6 +575,8 @@ class StylesView:
         tuple[str, ...], str | tuple[str] | None
     ] = StyleViewProperty()
 
+    transitions: StyleViewProperty[dict[str, Transition], None] = StyleViewProperty()
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     styles = Styles()
diff --git a/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py b/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
index 3ef6d697d..711761cb2 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/stylesheet.py
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ class Stylesheet:
         node._css_styles.reset()
 
         # Collect default node CSS rules
-        # for key, default_specificity, value in node._default_rules:
-        #     rule_attributes[key].append((default_specificity, value))
+        for key, default_specificity, value in node._default_rules:
+            rule_attributes[key].append((default_specificity, value))
 
         # Collect the rules defined in the stylesheet
         for rule in self.rules:
diff --git a/src/textual/dom.py b/src/textual/dom.py
index 44209073c..c58855d66 100644
--- a/src/textual/dom.py
+++ b/src/textual/dom.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class DOMNode(MessagePump):
 
     """
 
+    DEFAULT_STYLES = ""
     STYLES = ""
 
     def __init__(self, name: str | None = None, id: str | None = None) -> None:
@@ -40,9 +41,11 @@ class DOMNode(MessagePump):
         self._classes: set[str] = set()
         self.children = NodeList()
         self._css_styles: Styles = Styles(self)
-        self._inline_styles: Styles = Styles.parse(self.STYLES, repr(self))
+        self._inline_styles: Styles = Styles.parse(self.STYLES, repr(self), node=self)
         self.styles = StylesView(self._css_styles, self._inline_styles)
         super().__init__()
+        self.default_styles = Styles.parse(self.DEFAULT_STYLES, repr(self))
+        self._default_rules = self.default_styles.extract_rules((0, 0, 0))
 
     def __rich_repr__(self) -> rich.repr.Result:
         yield "name", self._name, None
@@ -301,7 +304,9 @@ class DOMNode(MessagePump):
         )
         apply_css = f"{css or ''}\n{kwarg_css}\n"
         new_styles = parse_declarations(apply_css, f"<custom styles for ${self!r}>")
-        self._inline_styles.merge(new_styles)
+        self.styles.merge(new_styles)
+        self.log(repr(self.styles))
+        self.log(self._inline_styles, self._css_styles, self.styles.text)
         self.refresh()
 
     def has_class(self, *class_names: str) -> bool:
diff --git a/src/textual/layouts/dock.py b/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
index 9e05a94db..f82d07ef7 100644
--- a/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
+++ b/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class Dock(NamedTuple):
 
 
 class DockLayout(Layout):
+    """Dock Widgets to edge of screen."""
 
     name = "dock"
 
diff --git a/src/textual/message_pump.py b/src/textual/message_pump.py
index 5aadd9547..166a2a31c 100644
--- a/src/textual/message_pump.py
+++ b/src/textual/message_pump.py
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ class MessagePump:
         else:
             return False
 
-    async def dispatch_key(self, event: events.Key) -> None:
+    async def dispatch_key(self, event: events.Key) -> bool:
         """Dispatch a key event to method.
 
         This method will call the method named 'key_<event.key>' if it exists. This key method
@@ -323,9 +323,9 @@ class MessagePump:
 
         key_method = getattr(self, f"key_{event.key}", None)
         if key_method is not None:
-            key_result = await invoke(key_method, event)
-            if key_result is None or key_result:
-                event.prevent_default()
+            await invoke(key_method, event)
+            return True
+        return False
 
     async def on_timer(self, event: events.Timer) -> None:
         event.prevent_default()
diff --git a/src/textual/view.py b/src/textual/view.py
index fb2a74274..ebcc93047 100644
--- a/src/textual/view.py
+++ b/src/textual/view.py
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ from .widget import Widget
 
 @rich.repr.auto
 class View(Widget):
-    STYLES = """
+    DEFAULT_STYLES = """
         layout: dock;
-        docks: main=top;
     """
 
     def __init__(self, name: str | None = None, id: str | None = None) -> None:
@@ -55,9 +54,7 @@ class View(Widget):
 
         Returns: The Layout associated with this view
         """
-        # self.log("I", self._inline_styles)
-        # self.log("C", self._css_styles)
-        # self.log("S", self.styles)
+
         assert self.styles.layout
         return self.styles.layout
 
diff --git a/src/textual/widget.py b/src/textual/widget.py
index 2784231c7..234ad2045 100644
--- a/src/textual/widget.py
+++ b/src/textual/widget.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class Widget(DOMNode):
     _counts: ClassVar[dict[str, int]] = {}
     can_focus: bool = False
 
-    STYLES = """
+    DEFAULT_STYLES = """
     dock: _default;
     """
 
@@ -360,3 +360,7 @@ class Widget(DOMNode):
     async def on_leave(self, event: events.Leave) -> None:
         self._mouse_over = False
         self.app.update_styles()
+
+    async def on_key(self, event: events.Key) -> None:
+        if await self.dispatch_key(event):
+            event.prevent_default()