Category: eco-friendly

  • Glamorous and Green

    Glamorous and Green

    Once I own a home I hope to make it as green as I possible can. Luckily, “greenifying” your home no longer means uglifying it, and technology is coming down in price everyday. I’ve noticed many progressive cities are getting more and more green restorations in historic homes, like this one in Toronto. Enjoy!

    The owner didn’t want to rip out the authentic stained glass windows, so she added extra glazing on the exterior to improve energy efficiency… so beautiful.

    Furnishings are mostly vintage and/or antique and refurbished/reupholstered when necessary.

    oh I do love that rug

    Here are 5 green things the owners did to improve the space:

    1. Complete Geothermal Retrofit
    2. Replaced windows and doors for high efficiency versions
    3. Added Insulation
    4. Used Zero VOC paints
    5. Furnished with antique and vintage furniture

    Not too shabby huh?
    via Pure Green Magazine

  • A stylish – and eco-friendly substitue for the typical eye-sore dog bed

    A stylish – and eco-friendly substitue for the typical eye-sore dog bed

    Props to Molly for coming up with this wonderful solution for all of us dog lovers who are also earth-friendly. Dog bed duvets! You can either cover your existing dog bed with a chic and stylish Molly Mutt duvet, or get the whole kit and get the stuff sack too, which is a mesh bag in which you stuff unwanted textile goods – old blankets, stuffed animals, towels, etc. It keeps textiles out of the landfills and gets you a stylish place for your beloved pup to lay his/her head.

    Here’s a description from the Molly Mutt site – where you can see and learn more about the product.

    “molly mutt diy dog bed kits are an exciting new approach to keeping textiles out of our landfills. Cover your existing dog bed with the molly mutt dog duvet, or – here’s the cool part – fill it with the old clothes and bedding you’ve got laying around your house. ready to toss those jams & one-eyed care bears from the mid-nineties? throw those in your new cover! Your dog gets a new bed, and you get a fun, easy way to recycle your old things – not to mention some extra space in your closet.”

    Here’s the duvet I picked out for our 1 year old female Australian shepherd, Storm. I love the fabric design.

    the mesh stuff sack

    Empty stuff sack and duvet

    I filled out stuff sack with some mismatched linens, and old throw rug, and an unraveling blanket. One thing to keep in mind is that if you plan on moving the bed around a lot, depending on what you fill it with it can be heavy. This can be a good thing though on hardwood floors because it keeps the bed from sliding around too easily.

    The sack is easy to put in the duvet and it really shapes up nicely.


    The bed stuffed and ready to sleep on. If it starts to look flat I just lift it up and give it a good shake to “fluff” up the contents.

    Storm, positioning herself where she can guard her stuffed weasel and the table pedestal she chewed the life out of as a puppy

    Here’s my Remi – 70lbs but he sees Storm sleep on it (she’s only 35lbs) so he does too; even though one end of him is always hanging off. Isn’t he ccuuuutteee?

    Another great thing about stuffing the duvet? When it gets stinky you can just toss the stuff sack and the fillers in the wash!

    Now, your dogs may be well mannered and only sleep on their beds, but ours sleep on the beds, the chairs, and the couches. And that means that things that I can’t fit into the wash end up a little…funky. Luckily Molly makes a great line of sprays and washes to keep your stuff smelling fresh. I really like the dog bed deodorizer because you can literally spray it on anything and it’s perfectly safe and natural.

    Check out all the awesome fabric choices –






    They are all so cute! The pups too!

    All of the sprays and washes, and the great duvets and DIY dog bed kits can be found on the Molly Mutt site.

    What do you think?

    disclosure: I received the Molly Mutt duvet, stuff sack, and bed deodorizer as a sample

  • The CL 2010 House of the Year – and it’s all eco-friendly (and beautiful)

    The CL 2010 House of the Year – and it’s all eco-friendly (and beautiful)

    Eco-friendly is getting prettier and prettier every year, making it not just easy on the earth, but easy on the eyes. Country Living put together this idea house full of inspiration. The house is actually a modular, pre-fab cottage, and available for purchase by the public. Read all the details for the house, rooms, and resources here.

    What do you like about this house? Not like so much?

    I LOVE the entryway. What a great space to see first thing when you walk in the door after work.

    What do you think of wallpaper on the ceiling?




    You may think all of these framed prints cost a fortune, but really all you need to accomplish this look are some basic frames, and then a used book of botanical or nature illustrations. Carefully remove the pages that you like and insert them in the frames!








    A dream closet



  • To all you bohemian chic lovers – you’ll LOVE this sale!

    To all you bohemian chic lovers – you’ll LOVE this sale!

    Really great home decor on sale! If you like the whole bohemian, Moroccan, and eco-friendly look than you will LOVE this sale going on at HauteLook. It’s a members only designer discount site, but if you click my invite link, your membership is free and fast to sign up. Hurry – the sale ends tomorrow at 8 AM!

    Once you’re signed up, go to the “Living” tab, then click “Karma Living” Enjoy!













    Again, here’s your invite

  • Check out my interview with HGTV designer Martin Amado!

    Check out my interview with HGTV designer Martin Amado!

    I always like it when I get to ask the experts design questions that seem basic enough, but we tend to forget. They always leave me saying “ohhhh yeahh…” Well I was offered the opportunity to ask Martin a few questions and came up with a few that either I always seem to need help with or that I get a lot from readers. Here are my questions…


    1. For those who love to rearrange and change things around in their home a lot, what’s the most cost efficient way to “change” up your décor? In other words, what décor change gets you the most bang for your buck?

    2. If one can only make one purchase or change to improve the eco-friendliness or green rating of their home, what singular purchase/installment would you suggest?

    3. What is the most valuable lesson learned from a renovation/redecorating “mistake” you made in the beginning of your career that others can learn from?

    4. This is one I get a lot – a young family moves into an old home with great original architectural elements – for example – dark wood paneling, floors, and molding. If painting or altering the wood in anyway is 100% out of the question, what design tips and tricks do you suggest for adding some youth, funk, style, and modern flair? How do you lighten up the space and “ungrannify” it with decorating elements other than paint?

    Watch to hear me ask Martin these questions and to hear his really great answers:

    Thanks again to Martin for his wise words of wisdom! To see some of Martin’s fab work or to learn more about him, go to his website.

  • And the winner of the Bamboo Dry Erase board is…..

    And the winner of the Bamboo Dry Erase board is…..

    Jacqueline! Congrats – I’m super jealous because I think this prize is awesome! The winnner was selected at random by the Random number generator.

    Jacqueline – contact me with your shipping address at ashley@decorologyblog.com so we can get you your prize.

    Thanks to all for participating!

  • I have a coupon code for you for adorable decor and accessories from Delight.com!

    I have a coupon code for you for adorable decor and accessories from Delight.com!

    If you haven’t checked out Delight.com you should head over if you’re in the market for cute, modern home decor and accessories. They sent me an email the other day with a promotion:

    “Use code ALittleBribe to trigger a 10% discount on any order of $50 or more! And if your order is $100 or more you automatically get free Continental US ground shipping.”

    Here are some of my current favs. on the site –

    Pantone storage containers – $24.50/ea
    Silver Honey Bee honey pot – $42.50
    Paper pot – $38.50
    Cheese Knife set (I got these for my sister for xmas!) – $22.50

    Probably my favorite item is the Koi pitcher – I’d love two in colbalt or light blue: $42.50/ea
    Self-watering plant pot: $14.50
    Silicone drying mat: $18.50

    These Pomaireware pigs are so cute! Handcrafted in Pomaire, Chile
    Salt pig: $24.50
    Salsa dish: $22.5o
    Salt & pepper shakers: $19.50

    See anything you like here or at delight?