How did you decorate and furnish your airbnb?

[Amanda516]

Hey Airbnb community!

I see so many beautiful homes on airbnb and I'm wondering if most hosts use a professional interior designer or do you DIY?

Do you think it is important to decorate your host space? Is it important to you as a host? Do you think it increases your reservations?

If you do choose an interior designer - what resources do you use to find one?

If you chose to DIY, what was the process like for you?

Would love to know your thoughts and get your perspective on it 🙂

Thanks!

Amanda E.

[Sarah977]

@Amanda516   I doubt there are many hosts who use the services of an interior designer, but I may be totally wrong. What I do think is that a lot of hosts who go into this business are the kind of home-oriented people  who enjoy making a place look interesting and beautiful, so it just kind of goes with the territory- we find it natural and fun to decorate and arrange a space.

I do upholstery work, and one of my clients asked me to pick paint colors and tiles, etc. for her vacation home here when it was being built. She told me that she's just not good at that kind of thing, that she knows what she likes when she sees it, but has zero idea of how to achieve the effect. So I understand that some people just don't have an "eye" nor are good at visualizing how something might look.

If you fall into the camp of my client, then there are so many helpful suggestions for inexpensive fixes and decor ideas online. Pinterest is a good one, for instance. And almost everyone has a friend or two who's good at that kind of thing, and might be willing to trade time if you help them out with something you are good at.

[Rebecca160]

@Amanda516  I agree with @Sarah977. A lot of us have gotten into the business because  we have homes with unsed spaces and either need the extra money or just enjoy meeting new people. The decor is mostly what was in existence, at least for me.

As time goes by, I am making improvements to the overall look and feel of my place. I would never use an interior designer, as I am comfortable with design and am not afraid of color.  But then my background includes being an engineer and artist, so I am very good at visualizing possibilities. 

Pinterest is a great source, as is Airbnb itself. Look through the Plus listings for the higher end design of homes and see what would work and not work for your place. Take a look at some nice furniture stores for layout, decorating and color ideas. This is also the time of year for Parades of homes, at least around here. You buy a ticket for charity and get to tour lovely homes. Lots of great ideas on the tours! 

Good luck.

[Christine615]

We converted our former 3 bedroom apartment (we have a house nearby now). I am a Pinterest fanatic. There are so many great pages to bookmark, especially with photos of room decor. And there are now a lot of people posting and bookmarking tips for Airbnb. I used those for inspiration. 

Then I began moving things over from my current house but also shopping high end estate sales. You'd be suprised what you can find in terms of decor and furniture for less than you'd get at a designer store. One company in our area specializes in multi-million dollar mansion estate sales. Better quality and I realized, one day when I had my eye on Ethan Allen bookcases, that designers in the area were shopping the same estate sales. Hence, in my own listing, I missed out on an extra bookcase and corner piece.

Don't be afraid to decorate, then tinker with the layout and design if you find pieces you like better. My place is a work in process.  I saw, for instance, the decal for the laundry room door in a designer magazine. Discovered several people on Etsy who make them, and voila! I deleted the old photo of the door and uploaded the new one.

Have fun!

[Bruna-and-Siana0]

I agree with all the responses above. Pinterest is a good source. My suggestion is to decluter the space, make it seem spacious, bright and welcoming for guests. I'm a big fan of "less is more". 

Also, focus on your targuet guests. Do they come for vacation? Business? You can then buy furniture, deco and amenities to attract those kind of guests.

[Rebecca160]

@Amanda516 definitely follow @Christine615 ‘s Suggestions to check out estate sales! Some of my best prices are from estate sales. Also, if there are any Goodwills near the high dollar end of town, wander on in. Sometimes the rich just donate their furniture and get all new. And sometimes it is very nice, at a very reasonable price.