No decor?

Amy2092
Level 2
Kampala, Uganda

No decor?

Hi all,

 

This forum is super helpful and so appreciated.

 

I'm decorating from a distance and all-of-a-sudden. I would prefer to add accent colors, decorations, wall art etc myself once I am there in person (July 2022). 

 

If I list the house as discounted rate and actually note that it is not decorated, but all basics are there, do you think that would fly? I thought at first I'd just find super cheap things online for the moment, but 1) nothing that looks even slightly decent is cheap, and 2) I don't really like excess consumerism and part of the reason I want to decorate myself is so I can recycle stuff I find around instead of buying new stuff.

 

To clarify, I will have beds and full linens/pillows, seats for the # advertised in living and dining room, all kitchen stuff, all bathroom stuff. It's just the artwork and decor that would be entirely missing.

Amy B
12 Replies 12
Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Amy2092 

 

Your pictures will speak for themselves.

 

You could note that “Interior decoration is a work in progress! Please feel free to make suggestions and check back often to see the improvements!”

 

This is a fun and continual process for us and we never buy anything new. We are always watching auctions and thrift stores for overlooked treasures.

That's a super fun idea. Thanks!

Indeed, I'm loathe to buy things now online also because I don't want to miss the fun of wandering around and finding odds and ends that I can do something with...

Amy B

@Amy2092 and @Brian2036  you could ask guests to help decorate by leaving things they make or found objects in the space. We do this with our New Orleans place. If you stay for free, the "tip" is a record for our record player or some kind of art or decor for the space. So far we have only had a few friends stay there and its fun to see what they leave. 

 

For an ABB guest, you could have them leave a message, photo or something to commemorate their stay in a specific spot (like a big open wall with lots of hooks to hang things on or a big sheet of paper. 

Oh, this is fabulous. Thanks for the idea!

Amy B
Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Amy2092  I don't think you would need to mention that there is 'no decor' because that will be apparent from the photos.  

 

Almost everything in our Airbnb came from either a flea market, craigslist/facebook marketplace or was furniture we already had.  

 

Depending on how crafty you are...Ikea sells plain black and white frames in various sizes that are about $10-15.  You could, for example, get some Ugandan fabric and put those in a 3 or 4 frame display.  We have two small frames in the bathroom, bought on clearance w/very small areas for the 'art' and so we used images from a nature calendar in the colors/tones we were looking for.  

 

You could also plan on doing a general minimalist décor so if you got a few larger items..large vase/basket a couple of large pieces/displays of wall art, that's all you would need.

That's an excellent idea on the framed fabric! I've been wandering around here thinking of all sorts of fun things I can do with local stuff...

Amy B
Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Amy2092 I am someone who could not live without decorating lol. I have a remote property in New Orleans that I had to decorate long distance and it was a huge challenge. I had everything sent from websites like Wayfair, Amazon, Overstock, etc. Boxes piled up in the foyer. I was lucky in that I had a relative who could help receive packages as theft could have been an issue. Its tough to do and I would imagine tougher still internationally. I am still buying things as finishing touches when I go there. Everything ordered online looks a bit generic, even if the items are cute.

 

I might lean into your lack of decor and market your space as a "Minimalist Retreat." Charge accordingly, but tout it as a getaway geared towards those who appreciate the basics, like sustainability and experience over decorative objects. You can say something about your own values (not a fan of consumerism, etc.) Price accordingly and see what happens. 

 

Yeah, I'll be doing the same with having relatives pick up the shipped stuff. Excellent to know this is actually do-able, and thanks for the idea to go for minimalist on purpose. (as an aside, I grew up in W.MD and adore Frederick!)

Amy B

@Amy2092 small world!

 

This is our NO LA living room. Everything except the art and mirror came from somewhere online. You can see it's a bit generic feeling. Screenshot_20211005-145057_Gallery.jpg

Very cute!  The floor is gorgeous (I'm a sucker for old wood floors)

Amy B
Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Amy2092 @Laura2592 @Mark116 

We stayed at a beach house a few years ago that was almost entirely decorated with flotsam and jetsam.

 

It was extremely appealing to me.

 

 The thing I remember most vividly was a huge gnarled old driftwood tree trunk which they had erected near the path to the beach.

 

Dozens of unmatched sandals that had been found on the beach were nailed to it or suspended from the stubby branches to flutter in the breeze.

 

As a work of art I found it strangely compelling and somewhat disturbing.

 

I’m still not sure why, but I think that if I was going to put a title on it, it would be “Loneliness.”

 

 I wish I had a picture.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Amy2092  Accent color, wall art, colorful throw rugs are all great, but make sure not to "over-decorate". Guests don't appreciate knicknacks, they take up surfaces the guests could use for their own things, can get knocked over and broken, and are just more stuff to move around when you dust and clean. 

 

When people use the term "minamalist decor" it conjures up visions of grey, black and white color schemes, quite modern, with large empty spaces, but minimalist can also be colorful, eclectic, and fun. Clutter is what you want to stay away from in an Airbnb.  

 

Almost nothing in my guest room is something you'd see anywhere else, because it was either found in a second hand store, picked up on the side of the road on garbage day and painted up by me, collected on my own travels, maybe 40 years ago, or something repurposed, like a little pewter candleholder I use as a vase for a tiny bouquet of flowers and foliage from my garden. And I made the curtains, throw pillows, and patterned pillow cases myself.