Has anyone tried flameless/battery operated candles?

Well, I hadn't until recently. I'd seen tiny LED tealights in restaurants but I'd never been crazy about them because they had the fake flame shaped bulb. The one Enjoy Lighting sent to me is definitely many steps up I have to say. Mostly, I was impressed by how real the candle itself looked and felt. It's made of wax and resin, and the surface definitely feels like wax.

Another thing I really liked is that the candle can be programmed to automatically turn off after 4 or 8 hours. This is nice if you often fall asleep with candles burning - which also causes a huge fire risk - which these candles don't have. So for those of you who have a habit of leaving candles unattended, or have kiddies, or fall asleep with candles burning - these are a good solution. I was also impressed by the flickering affect created by the 3 tiny LED lights in the candle.


Here are some pics I took of my candle -




from directly overhead

In pitch dark. These candles are not quite as bright as real candles, which one of my only complaints. If you are seeking real illumination be sure to get several candles. The only other drawback for the model I had is that it requires 4 batteries.

Here are some much better photos from the site:




Go to Enjoy Lighting to learn more.


Disclosure: I received this Enjoy Lighting product as a sample.


Sorry I just had to include this pic of my pups -

Remi in the passenger seat, Storm in the drivers seat. They love to make the rounds when it's feeding time for the livestock.

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Thoughtful design trends translated for your home

The people at Charles Luck Stone center reached out with their interpretation of how the design world can be translated into home decorating and I thought their perspective insightful enough - and their pictures pretty enough - to share with you guys. Tell me what you think.

They were a little more articulate: "The latest trends in color and texture don’t just play out in the world of fashion; they also influence interior design and architecture. For many individuals, the look and feel of their home is just as important as the style of their clothing. And let’s face it, it’s much easier to renovate your wardrobe then it is your kitchen! To stay ahead of the curve, interior designers and architects need to keep tabs on the latest fabrication developments and color forecasting, as well as understand the longevity of a trend."

Here's my favorite - "Whiteness" of course

so serene. Here's what they predict:

In Design

• We’ll see more monochromatic, semi-plain decors with clean lines, no clutter and minimal structural effects.

• Technology and hand-tooling will be used to add dimension and texture, generating depth and visual interest.

• Homage will be paid to strong and classic interpretations of architecture, and not overly masculine or feminine.

• Woods, if used, will be pale or dark, grainy and textured.

In Stone

• We’ll see a resurgence of classic white marble in the kitchen and bathroom, often featuring the European prefence for thicker, solid edges.

• Stone will be present in various textures and face finishes for a tone-on-tone dimensional effect.

• Classic polished stone materials will be tumbled for a new look.

They also had some pretty pics illustrating the "Artisan" perspective






In Design

• Cultural influences will lead to the popularity of vertical and elongated forms. We’ll see more repeating designs.

• Artisans’ influence will be shown in an increased use of mosaic, stencil and stained glass.

• Natural, indigenous materials will be used to reflect the representative culture.

• Arts and crafts and mission will continue to be popular, as will bungalow style, with emphasis on porches and terraces.

• We’ll see a growing influence of global styling, particularly Indian, Moroccan, Latin and Chinese colors, detailing and craftsmanship.

In Stone

• We’ll see more handcrafted and handtooled materials. A mix of textures and finishes will add to the feel.

• Mosaics, especially those that are custom designed, will be incorporated into design.

• New color blends in stone will emerge.

• Accent detailing will become more prominent—an influence of the new multiculturalism.


Another good inspiration board - Authenticity






In design

• Natural (versus faux) materials will reflect the desire for designing and building enduring legacies.

• Arrangements will be more purposeful and coherent. Signature pieces will become important and personal.

• We’ll see a surge in the use of reclaimed wooden floors, natural stone, original art pieces and antiques.

• Architecture and design will remain relatively disciplined, with flexibility for personalization within the vernacular.

In stone

• Stone rooted in the history or culture of an area will gain prominent use.

• Products with great tradition or used in famous buildings will become more valuable.

• Products that exhibit a vintage, patina or weathered look will be in higher demand.

• Clients will actively seek out reclaimed stone as their desire to preserve architectural heritage increases.


There are more images and design predictions at Charles Luck Stone Center

Do you think these are some of the design trends we'll see in the home? How do you think people will be decorating or what materials do you hope to see more of?

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Finally! Pictures from my Europe trip!

I know it's taken me way to long to start posting photos but we have about 7,000 photos to sort through. For those of you who are new to Decorology, this summer my boyfriend Chris and I spent from June 16th to August 25th backpacking around Europe. My boyfriend spent last year teaching English in Spain, and is actually flying back today to complete his second year. I will be staying in Maryland at my parents' farm until January, and will be living with Chris in Segovia, Spain from January through June. I will still be blogging daily from Spain and designing websites on a freelance basis.

Okay, back to the Europe trip. Below is a map I created with our path. Click on the map for a larger view.


The countries we visited include Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. I will have separate posts for each country and then each city within them that we visited.

Below are just a random selection of images from the trip

Our first day -Chris and I on the coast in the beautiful city of Bayona.

The GORGEOUS Cíes Islands near the city of Vigo. An absolutely stunning bird sanctuary.

The beautiful island, Arousa, also in the Galicia region of Spain.

In the Asturias region of Spain, the mountain lakes of Enol and Ercina, in the Picos de Europa.

In the Basque region of Spain, the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Florence, Italy

Vienna, Austria

Amsterdam, in the Netherlands (Holland region).


The two images above are from the end of our trip in Provence, France. This town is Roussillon.

I will post images from the trip once or twice a week, going in chronological order. What country are you most looking forward to seeing photos from?

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Great inspiration for hanging art and some good old eyecandy

I'm having trouble accomplishing anything today, but I thought the least I could do is get a post up!

These yummy pics are from Real Simple mag - and show some clever ways to display beloved art.


I like art on the floor leaned against the wall. It's modern and keeps things from looking "too precious"

No one will be able to resist walking up and taking a closer look when a small piece has a solo performance above a dramatic mantle.

This is a new idea - create a horizontal line out of family photos or art across a long empty wall space - no space between frames required!


via Real Simple

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Great Giveaway! No Decorator? No problem - an easy way to get a decorator look.

This awesome giveaway is provided by Design in a Bag. Just to introduce Design in a Bag, here's a bit about their services:

"Prêt-à-porter for your kitchen and bath projects, Design In A Bag introduces collections of professionally coordinated and proven kitchen and bath design recipes, offering the expertise, access and eye of an interior designer without the price tag. Unlike other prêt interior design services, Design In A Bag allows you to browse online galleries of coordinated kitchen and bath looks – each carefully designed and crafted by Rebekah Zaveloff, an HGTV contributor and the creative force behind Chicago’s preeminent kitchen and bath interior design firm KitchenLab – and delivers selected complete concepts including cabinet, countertop, tile and paint samples, shopping list and hand-drawn renderings direct to your door. Taking the guesswork out of putting together a cohesive look for your kitchen or bath project, consumers can touch, see and experience the materials in their home, bringing the showroom and interior designer directly to you."

You can search concepts by Modern, Vintage, or Classic styles, and by palette: warm, cool, or neutral. To enter the giveaway - leave a comment below or email me at
ashley[at]decorologyblog[dot]com saying what style or palette you think you'd choose. A winner will be picked via a random draw on Monday the 27th at 5pm EST. You can find out what's included in the bag by reading this page "What's in a Bag."

Here are some great kitchen transformations from Design in a Bag where the bag materials and concept were followed to a 'T'. They are both examples of the "Vintage" style.


Kitchen before

Materials/samples provided in the "Burgoyne" bag

The amazing transformation!

The next is using the "La Motte" bag.

Kitchen before

La Motte bag materials

Kitchen after - so much better. I really like the tiles used for the oven backsplash


Check out the Design In A Bag site for more info and photos. Don't forget to comment or email me by Monday the 27th 5pm EST for your chance to win this awesome giveaway!

To comment, scroll to the bottom of this post, and directly above the word "Labels" click on the # Comments link. Or scroll to the bottom of the comments and click "Post a Comment"

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Elegant, clean design embodied in this Hampton home

I have a really pretty house tour here for you. It's the home of NYC decorator Timothy Whealon and is chic without being fussy. What do you think?

I like ottomans as tables

I like all the white with the plant prints

A clear piece of furniture, like this table, is a great option for a small room because it doesn't take up so much "visual" space.

The checked floor is actually painted wood!



I really like the wall treatment going on at the staircase, which is Phillip Jeffries raffia, the two stools are nice too...

via Elle Decor

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