Archive for February, 2012

The VW Bus: A Home on the Road

Sunday, February 26th, 2012

Owners of VW buses (also known as campervans) will tell you that it can be a home-away-from-home on wheels.  I traveled all over the United States, Canada and Mexico in VW buses back in the 1960s and 1970s, so I know from experience that most of them don’t have air conditioning and none of them are as fast or comfortable as today’s SUVs and RVs.  However, what they lack in road worthiness they make up for in charm.

When outfitting a VW bus for camping, curtains and a good bed are the first order of business, followed by a small stove, ice chest and storage cabinets.  Over the decades since the VW bus was first introduced, owners have outfitted them with a wide variety of custom furnishings, like the newly refurbished VW campervan shown above. 

You can see a variety of vintage stock and custom VW interiors in this YouTube video.

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5 Go-With-Anything Wall Colors

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

There is a current trend for lighter woods in furniture and floors.  This means that there is also a corresponding trend for lighter colors on walls.  According to Sunset Magazine, these are 5 paint colors that will go with the lighter wood trend in furnishings:

1. Gold and Apricots

2. Pale Blues

3. Grays

4. Mauves and Lavenders

5. Tans

Because these colors are light or neutral, they can be coordinated with a wide variety of furnishings and accessories.  For more tips on picking colors for walls, see our earlier post on choosing the perfect paint color for any room.

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Dwell Magazine: At Home in the Modern World

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

If you’re interested in modern architecture and design for the home, you may find just what you’re looking for within the covers of Dwell Magazine.  The publication features real people in real homes and provides information about products, home renovations, design events and interesting people in the field of modern home design.  Dwell also covers modern architecture projects in public spaces.

You can get a good feel for the magazine by visiting the Dwell magazine website.  There you’ll find articles and photos as well as videos on modern home design.

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Choosing a Paint Color That’s Perfect for Any Room

Saturday, February 04th, 2012

Nothing freshens a room like a fresh coat of paint on the walls.  While you probably know which colors you like, you can’t always tell if your favorite color will look good on the walls in your home. 

Here are a few tips for choosing a paint color for a room:

  • Consider how much natural light the room gets.  Bring home sample color chips from the paint store and see how the color looks in the room at various times of the day.
  • Buy a sample-size of paint and try out some colors on the walls of different areas of the room. If  you’d rather not test paint directly on the wall, paint a piece of foam board and move it around the room.
  • To choose colors for trim and accents, use a color wheel to select complementary or similar colors.  Complementary colors, which are located on the opposite side of the color wheel, will create the most vibrant look while similar colors are more natural.

  • Paint samples are a great way to test paint colors before you invest in several gallons of paint.  Once you’ve decided on a color, see our tips on how to paint a room for your next steps.

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    Mark Austin Homes