Design on a budget: tips from Superhost Huma

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Design on a budget: tips from Superhost Huma

Huma_SH spotlight_image 1 .jpg

 

Situated in the South London district of Stockwell is a light green Victorian home with a raspberry pink door. Push the brass door knob in the center, make your way up a distressed staircase, and you’ll see sunlight spilling onto a vintage bed, situated on wide-plank wood floors and set against bold turquoise walls. Welcome to Superhost Huma’s home, a historic four-bedroom house filled with modern amenities.

 

“It’s a symphony of gorgeous aesthetics,” said Mimi, of Vienna, Austria, just one of many guests who have commented on Huma’s style and decor. “Every little detail is so tastefully thought out, and every single piece of furniture has its own little story to tell.”

 

When looking at the care that has gone into Huma’s decor, you may not be able to tell that she has no formal interior design training, only a passion for home design and desire to cultivate it through hosting.

 

The Superhost took some time away from painting a bookcase to share how she started hosting, tips for renovating an old home on a budget, and how she balances hosting with a full time job as a magazine editor.

 

Everything in your home is so charming and well put together. Did you draw from your magazine experience? 

I work as a features editor for an independent fashion magazine. But I’ve been interested in interiors for a long time, long before I started working in magazines. I started collecting things for my first home before I had my first home—I love random things like cutlery—and I devour interiors magazines. It was all in pursuit of how I’d decorate my first home.

 

And then you decided to parlay this into hosting on Airbnb?

Well, when I initially joined it was in 2012, the Olympics were on, and everyone was saying how much money you can make. It wasn’t my plan to make a fortune, just to fill a gap. I was in between tenants and selling my apartment at the time. It wasn’t until 2016 when I started hosting in my own home. Before then, I had housemates, and I just decided to give Airbnb a try in one of the rooms. I thought it would be temporary, but one by one I started filling the rooms. Since my last housemate left last summer, all three rooms have been on Airbnb. There was no plan—it just evolved naturally and it’s kind of taken over.

 

Tell us about renovating your home. It looks like quite the undertaking.

This house has been a major renovation. I don’t want to know what I spent on it, but the expensive things were the labor: builders, plumbers, plasterers, and things I can’t do myself. In terms of decorating, I spent much less money than people would think. I’m obsessed with bargains. I rarely pay the full retail price for anything. A lot of my furniture is vintage, and I get it very cheaply on eBay. Some of it was free because I just came across it. Like when I was visiting my brother, and I saw a chair and yelled, “Stop the car!” The shape of their chair was really beautiful, and it wasn’t infested—you always have to check!—so I could paint it. I can transform a tired looking piece as long as it’s got good bones to start with.

 

Do you think all of your bargain hunting and repainting has paid off?

Oh yes, I think the number one reason people book my place is for the look of it, the interiors. They do notice and they do comment.

 

Any tips for hosts who want to redecorate but might feel the time or financial investment is too great?

Firstly, the most inexpensive way to change a room is paint. Impact per cost, you can do an awful lot with paint. Personally, I think white paint is a bad choice. Unless you have a loft-type industrial space, it’s cold, bland, and going to get really dirty straight away. The color I’m using most is gray. You can get that neutral backdrop that goes with anything, but more sophisticated than white and doesn’t start to look dirty so quickly. A light gray is a good option for people to try if they’re not used to using color because it can pretty much go with anything.

 

How do you balance your full time job with hosting?

I work from home most days, so that really allows me the flexibility to host. If I had to go into an office all day, I don’t think I’d be able to do this. I have both screens open, and I dip in and out of both my Airbnb admin and correspondence and my magazine work. I can’t always respond immediately, but most of the time I respond within 30 minutes and guests are usually quite impressed and appreciate that. So I’m not constantly staring at the computer screen, I get notified by the Airbnb app.

 

In the morning when I have my coffee, I make sure I’m up to date so I can then plan the rest of my day. But I really have to be on it, organized, and thinking about what I have to clean and prepare first. The bedroom comes first always. The last thing you want is the bedroom to be half finished when the guest arrives. Then I move onto the bathrooms.

 

Anything you want to add?

In the beginning, I used to worry if a month was looking a bit quiet in terms of bookings, but I’ve learned to be more relaxed about that. If you’re doing your best, well, then the bookings come in. Have confidence and faith in your product. Oh, and you’ll never do so much cleaning and laundry in your entire life.

71 Replies 71
Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

@Airbnb I missed this when it came out but I'm so glad I've found it - great piece!  Huma is a terrific member of the Airbnb community and I saved her listing long ago.  It's inspiring!

Would you kindly share Huma's listing? I am intrigued.


@Ann72 wrote:

@Airbnb I missed this when it came out but I'm so glad I've found it - great piece!  Huma is a terrific member of the Airbnb community and I saved her listing long ago.  It's inspiring!


Beth80
Level 10
State of Roraima, Brazil

@Ann72   Thanks for pointing this out. Great read! Her pictures are always so inviting.

Cathie19
Level 10
Darwin, Australia

Thanks @Ann72 for bringing this lovely article about Huma to light. She has always come across as a wonderful soul in the community Center forum, and I would absolutely love to stay in her space with all her beautiful restoration and artworks.

Thanks @Airbnb for recognising and highlighting a great community “home” host!

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Love this, Huma!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Ah, the cream always comes to the top!!

Great read and  @Huma, I thought you deserved this profile a couple of years ago when the monthly spotlights started but, you have matured so much since then and you are just going to go from strength to strength.

A well deserved feature!

On yr mate!

 

Cheers......Rob

I also missed this article when it came out~~~ Thanks so much @Ann72 

 

As someone who tends to be focused on function than asthetics most of the time........ I've always been envious + in awe of @Huma 's home and her style 🙂 and if I'm ever back in London, I know where I'm staying~ lol~! 

@Jessica-and-Henry0  apologies for the tardy response. I was absent from the CC for a while due to workload.

 

It's important to focus on functionality. A place can look pretty, but if it isn't functional, it's a fail. I have had the luxury of staying in a lot of 5 star hotels (up until our current situation) through my job, but have noticed a few errors - from my personal perspective at least - that I hope have helped to improve my hosting.

 

For example, at lot of these hotels have fancy, but complicated lighting systems and it can take a couple of days to work it out. Personally, I don't need 15 lights going in one room and I find it really wasteful. At the same time, sometimes they haven't covered the basics, like a decent bedside light. The reading lights are often horrible.

 

You need a decent bedside table, with enough room to put a lamp, glass of water and your phone, at the very least, with a nearby socket to charge devices.

 

People have different preferences for pillows (soft, medium, hard, thin, thick, feather or non allergenic).I put a variety of them in each room so that guests have a choice. My mattresses are reasonably firm, but I found the thickest, plushest mattress toppers out there and that has been a massive hit. Ever since then, guests rave about how comfy the beds are, but I didn't have to invest in expensive mattresses.

 

There are so many other things I could mention, but function is super important and no Airbnb host should put style over substance!

Kimberly54
Level 10
San Diego, CA

(@Ann is not on the tag list?)  Thank you, Ann!  How the heck did we all miss this one?  @Huma0 has always been a jewel on this forum!  Amazing place with amazing grace.

 

 

Kim
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Kimberly54 @Jessica-and-Henry0 @Robin4 @Lawrene0 (sorry can't seem to tag the others), thanks everyone for your lovely comments and apologies for not responding earlier, but I didn't know it had been published here either until a friend mentioned she had seen it, plus I've been away on a work trip.

 

So, don't worry about missing it. Seems we all did! I'm glad you liked it though.

 

x

Miloud0
Level 10
Rabat, Morocco

Salute @Huma0

 

Really, you have great listings. Your place look like House of arts. 

 

Thanks, 

Miloud

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@Huma0 Hi sweet lady - this is terrific - well, I too missed it and so glad to read your cool, wisdom and how you roll it all out. It is so fun to think about when going places - some of us know right where we would want to be staying.

Wishing you all the best. Come visit in Fl. Happy Hosting, Clara

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Clara116 

 

You, and the other lovely hosts who have commented here, are always welcome at my place!