Before and After: Decorating an Airbnb to stand out!

Hey everyone!

Today’s blog post is going to dive into the wonderful world of rentals just in time for summer! I was hired this winter to decorate an Airbnb for a client and it was a really fun project. The Poconos is a beautiful place to vacation, and so I’m hopeful that this post will help some of you who are thinking about starting a side hustle of your own. Or, maybe you utilize apps like Airbnb or Vrbo and are curious about what goes into setting up some of your favorite rentals! Either way, thanks for stopping by and be sure to like/comment/follow *winkity wink. I’m still asking but soon I’m gonna start begging (hehe).

Here is the rental on the day I did my initial walk through. 

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As you can see, it’s a really cute studio style cabin from the 1920s. The owner made some repairs over the years and added some fun, Pennsylvania style features. It really just needed to be decorated and then outfitted for guests. What the homeowner was struggling with was getting the cabin decorated in a way that would be competitive with the saturated Airbnb market in his area. There were tons of cute, early 1900s cabins around this area of the Poconos and so guests had a lot to choose from. What could we do to make this space stand out in pictures, features, and reviews after guests visit?

That’s where I come in!

So not only am I a decorator, but I’m also a certified Passenger Princess and Hotel Snob. I love all of God’s creatures but I can make a good case for Bed Bugs being of the Devil and I have no problem with their deaths. With that said, I was confident that I could not only make this place look great, but also help my client get great feedback from happy guests. 

The plan:

1. Layout

Because this is a studio style cabin, you’re essentially walking right into the bedroom/living room and your through traffic goes right through the center of the space. My goal was to funnel traffic through one small path, and to designate separate areas to make this function more like a hotel room than a house. We also wanted to add conversational seating without making it feel cramped.

1. Seating

There was not much of an opportunity to do both a bed and a sofa, and we’ve all slept on pull outs and woken up with sore body parts so I wanted to avoid that. The homeowner already had a nice quality adjustable mattress and frame so we decided to keep that and then build around it. It weighs 9,000 lbs and can never be moved again so it's a good thing it's very comfortable. My goal was to also add as much additional seating around the bed as I could without making it feel cramped. 

1. Decor

Decor is what I planned to use to bring this space together. The client wanted me to use whatever artwork he already had and then build around it so I’d need to establish a color palette and then bring in a feminine touch without tipping too far into the realm of girly. We wanted to appeal to as many people as possible. Everything had to be durable enough to withstand guests moving in and out.  

1. Amenities

Before I began this project I thought about all of the things that are available to me in a hotel or rental and I jotted those down. I also noted all of the conveniences of home that I use daily. Then, I did a little research about Super Hosts and what is available in the very best Airbnbs so all of that would be considered when I was planning decor. To save the client money (because remember, this is an investment property) I wanted the decor to serve a dual purpose so I focused on things like lamps, linens, curtains, area rugs, etc. that would make the space look good but also be useful in some way. 

What I did:

1. Layout:

Studio Layout Plan

First, I turned the bed so it would face the “TV area” I created. I added two nightstands on either side with lamps for additional low lighting. This was a big opportunity to implement my color palette which had a lot of blues and greens to combat all of the warmth from the wood on the floors and walls. The little alcove to the left of the front door became the TV wall. Underneath it we put a console that would hold games, books, etc. but would keep everything tucked away so the space felt organized. The kitchen was pretty straight forward: we added a cute little round table that the homeowner already had, four chairs for guests to sit and eat, and a coffee/tea bar to provide additional storage and an amenity I think most vacationers would appreciate. 

1. Seating 

I wanted to get as much seating in this space as possible without making it feel cramped. In addition to the turned bed, I added a chair in the corner by the front door and one by the door leading to the kitchen. Both are angled toward the center of the room for conversation, but also face the television. I added two poufs by the tv for additional seating. They’re super light weight and can easily be moved around wherever guests want without scratching anything, or they make for great footrests for the accent chairs. In addition to the living room seating there are four chairs in the kitchen that are super lightweight and can also be moved. 

1. Decor

Mood Board: to establish color palette and decor plan

As I mentioned above, the palette I chose was mostly greens, blues, and shades of white with black and nickel accents. The majority of the home was warm wood and neutral paint, so this cool toned palette would balance out all of the warmth of the space. You’ll see this palette everywhere: starting from the exterior of the home (sage green) to the bathroom, kitchen, living room/bedroom. It was important to me to create cohesion from front to back, especially since this was a smaller space and we didn’t want it to end up feeling disjointed. I used matching curtains on every window from front to back to help achieve this and cozy up the space. 

I used a large (9x12) area rug to anchor the entire room and make it feel like a comfortable living room or bedroom. The bed linens are all comfortable, inexpensive, but high quality. The furniture was the same: inexpensive, but durable materials like metal and plastic so guests wouldn’t have to worry about scratching or breaking anything and the turn down service would be able to work quickly and get things super clean. I added throw pillows for comfort, faux plants for a natural look without the maintenance, and local art work the homeowner already had. In the kitchen we decorated with only useable materials, including the stuff for the coffee bar (i.e. Keurig in a shade of green, coffee spoons, a spoon rest, a sugar bowl, and mugs). 

1. Amenities

Though I’ve discussed these above I want to specifically list out what I think was most important here. Any linens I sourced for the bed or bathroom had excellent reviews and we also made sure to buy multiple sets for easy turn down. Everything that will get washed often is white so it can be bleached. The homeowner had a ton of stuff that could be used by guests: like books, games, a television, kitchen utensils and necessities, but then he also purchased things like a Firestick, Wi-Fi, Keurig coffee maker, firepit and Adirondack chairs, paper products, toiletries, hangers, and cleaning supplies. The idea was to make this place feel as comfortable as home but with all the amenities you’d expect at a nice hotel. 

Here is what she ended up looking like! Can’t wait to hear what you all think about how this turned out and whether or not this was helpful to those of you planning your own vacation rental or trip! 

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And here's some side by side comparisons! Keep in mind I started this install first thing in the morning and finished after it was dark so my after pictures don't capture all of the beautiful natural light in this space.

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Xoxo

Alyssa