Nail your Airbnb interior design with tips from designers and owners themselves.
10 Genius Airbnb Decor Ideas for 2024
Updated on Feb. 01, 2024
What To Consider When Decorating a Short-Term Rental
Before you start start shopping, it’s smart to answer some big-picture questions. Lindsay Bjerke, a Realtor, interior designer and owner of the Red Dirt Digs and Hale House rentals, offers this advice: Find a way to tell a story.
“Feed off your home and what the area has to offer and create a story — who would live there, what would they do, and how would the house be decorated to tell that narrative?” Bjerke says.
With that in mind, consider the following when making your decor choices.
- Location: Is your Airbnb a compact perch in a big city? A sprawling ranch in the country? An historic architectural marvel? Is there anything about the history, location or scene that’s a natural starting place?
- Purpose: Will this be a walkable base to city sightseeing? A beach hut for relaxing? A home to host a special occasion?
- Vibe: Think about your home’s era as well as its likely purpose for guests. Is it a casual, flip-flops, kick-back kind of place? Buttoned-up and formal? A spa-like retreat with a clean, serene vibe?
- The experience: Your Airbnb is there to “provide an experience, not a HOM Furnishings set,” Bjerke says. “Give them something they likely don’t have at home.”
- Budget and tolerance for maintenance: Cleanliness, reliability and usability all play a part in a smooth, worry-free stay for your guest. Sometimes that means forgoing a pristine, all-white palette, no matter how popular on Instagram, because it’s a nightmare to scrub each time you have a new guest. A yoga-and-spa getaway might need more extravagant furnishings for its bathrooms or a serene, calm space to roll out mats.
Create Photo-Worthy Vignettes
Spaces people want to photograph and post on Instagram lead to free marketing for you. “For the Airbnbs I follow online, I often see the same shots over and over because that’s how they were designed,” Bjerke says. “They’re very photo-friendly.”
If your home can host a small gathering or wedding, visualize a great spot to take a family photo, or a memorable shot of the wedding dress.
Consider bold or contrasting paint, a large piece of eye-catching artwork, cool patterned (or textured!) wallpaper or a mural. Qaid Jivan, owner of this ’70s Airbnb, chose the latter. “We custom painted all the murals using a laser pointer,” Jivan said. That provided a cool theme and getaway feel, as well as a place to take memorable snaps.
Splurge on Beds and Bedding
“Spring for the king [bed], because renters want that luxury,” Bjerke says. If a king’s not possible, go for the biggest bed that will fit in the room comfortably. Pair the most luxe mattress within your budget with quality, durable, washable sheets.
Bjerke finds white hotel bed-style setups are huge headaches to clean, so she prefers pattern or color. You can often score higher-end bedding brands at places like HomeGoods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx. The higher the thread count, the better the sheets often feel. Aim for more than 250 and consider your budget from there.
Pro tip: Bjerke says that most people never unpack their luggage, so forgo a dresser in favor of closet space or a table to lay a suitcase.
Add Simple Spa Elements to the Bathroom
Stay clean, serene and relatively bare bones for a relaxing getaway vibe that’s easy to maintain and clean.
Invest in higher-quality fixtures; they’ll look better and last longer. Matte black looks luxe but can collect hard-water stains. Make sure metals match and look cohesive.
Tile is durable and easy clean, whether it’s a classic white subway tile or a bold Moroccan fish scale.
Consider serene color palettes for the foundational pieces, too, for style longevity. You can make up for some boldness with accents like hand towels and soap dispensers.
Opt for bath sheets instead of towels because they’re bigger. Bjerke says you don’t have to break the bank, either; IKEA bath sheets feel great and stand up to lots of wash and wear.
Bjerke recommends avoiding complicated shower systems that can confuse guests. Same with glass-panel shower doors, which require a lot of upkeep to look nice. And with fixtures, quality counts. Leaks, drips, clogs and loose handles require immediate fixes and can contribute to a subpar stay, Bjerke says.
Get Personal
Considering creating a name or logo for your property, then adding fun branding around the house, Bjerke says. Suggestions: Custom welcome signs made from wood or acrylic, a mural painted by a local artist (or you!), or framed custom artwork.
Smaller items can also add a personal touch — custom coasters, notepads, pens or pencils and embroidered tea towels. “If it’s useable, like pens or notepads, and if they take one, great!” she says. “And then they don’t forget it. It’s not ‘a cool place in Bayfield,’ it’s the ‘Hale House in Bayfield.’ ”
Want to go the extra mile? Leave a welcome gift with something inspired by or made locally. Local-roasted coffee beans or, in Bjerke’s case, locally grown apples with a recipe (and the rest of the ingredients available in the kitchen). These days you can personalize anything; consider custom coffee mugs or serving platters.
Build Out a Bunk Room
They’re not just fun spaces to design. Bunk rooms maximize profit by allowing big groups to stay comfortably, says Tresa Todd, real estate investing expert and founder of the Women’s Real Estate Investors Network. Todd also owns two short-term rentals, Montana Trail in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Hightower in Fort Worth.
“Have an extra bedroom or garage? These are the perfect spaces for bunk rooms,” Todd says. “With this, you can increase your guest count from eight to 12+ and make your home a big hit for large gatherings such as family get-togethers or bachelorette trips.”
One design must: Stylish yet functional small task or touch lamps by every bedside. These let guests read at night without waking others and find their way to the bathroom safely.
Choose Statement Lighting
Think of lighting as the jewelry of the house. “If you skip the basic light fixtures and instead install something with wow factor and punch, then you don’t need a lot of other things,” Bjerke says. “A great dining room chandelier — that is art.” Dimmer switches are a must.
With statement lights, you may not need a lot of other decor items. It keeps cleaning super simple while impressing guests on a tighter budget. Don’t forget to add task, table and floor lamps so guests can easily set the mood.
Keep Knickknacks to a Minimum
“Knickknacks are a hassle to clean,” Bjerke says. She recommends art or feature walls instead, which let the space feel clean and polished while potentially creating one of those sought-after Instagrammable vignettes mentioned above.
Add a Work Station
Bjerke says even vacation-focused renters often need an office on the go or a place to work on creative projects. She gets a lot of questions about WiFi speed. “Carve out a desk area so visitors don’t have to work at a kitchen table,” she says.
If you’re short on space, you can maybe skip a dresser in a bedroom and slide a desk in there. It doesn’t need to be a bulky home-office model, even if you have space; no one is storing files. A good work surface, comfortable chair and surge protector power strip to charge all the digital devices should do it.
Add some life with plants and wall art. Maybe stock a drawer or desk caddy with some supplies of sticky notes and pens, and you’re there!
Set Up a Drop Zone
Having a place to drop activity gear and tote bags full of souvenirs keeps messes to a minimum. The drop zone can be near the front or back door or in an entryway.
Consider an upright secretary-style desk with shelves and cubbies to store things. You can also put out a welcome book, postcards and stamps, along with information to guide your visitors to a fun, relaxing stay. Depending on your work station situation, this may also be a place to charge devices, too.
Add Themed Spaces
Small, beautifully styled spaces pamper guests while feeding a need. Some ideas:
- A kids-focused spot featuring bookshelves with kid lit and toys corralled in durable, easy-clean bins. These keep little ones occupied while caregivers connect.
- A record-listening nook or station, with a selection of albums from various genres. Include shelf space to display a few.
- Open shelves or a cabinet in decor-matching style stocked with puzzles and games, placed near a table.
- A beverage station offering coffee, tea and cocoa options. Include a state-of-the-art coffee maker, stylish mugs and pre-packaged snacks.
This intentional, functional decor tells your guests you’ve thought of everything.
