Airbnb Design: How to Setup and Style a Lavish Place for Guests

Learn what Airbnb design attracts guests and makes you more money by using this guide sharing how to get started and tips for its interior design.

Maybe your kids have moved out and you’re looking to earn a bit extra on the empty rooms. Maybe you need a boost to keep up with the mortgage. 

Regardless of the reasons, you’re looking to Airbnb to bring in a little extra income. 

But it’s not as easy as posting your empty room. There’s a fine art to Airbnb design to maximize customers. Keep reading for the nuts and bolts you need to succeed on the platform. 

Start with the Brass Tacks

Before you get to the fun part of designing an Airbnb, you have to start with the essentials. Like, for example, the floor. 

If your space has stained, old carpets, think twice before posting it. Would you stay in a room with a bedraggled carpet? Exactly. 

If you’re serious about earning an income through Airbnb, start by tearing out your old carpet or flooring and replacing it with something new. It’s an added starting expense, but it will pay off in the long run. 

From there, turn to the bathroom. It should go without saying, but that bathroom should be spotless. Maybe not sterile enough for surgery, but definitely sparkling. 

You should also include basic personal care items in the bathroom (shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc.) as well as basic supplies like extra toilet paper, extra tissues, and a plunger. 

Think Practical

Details make a room more fun, but they don’t have much weight in comparison to practical items. 

Like the WiFi password. 

The WiFi password should be so abundantly obvious that someone could find it while half-asleep. Put it in multiple places just to be safe. 

Then, turn back to the bathroom. Have you included spare towels? You never know when someone might get caught in a downpour and need an extra towel to avoid turning your floor into a pond. Include the spare towels. Invest in matching sets that meet the maximum number of guests you can host. 

Also, is there an iron, ironing board, and hair dryer? Airbnb is popular among broke college students, but you never know when someone might need to look presentable–and they’ll thank you for going the extra mile to help them out. 

Finally, be generous with the libations (or, at the very least, set out a wine/bottle opener). 

Design Your Space for Your Target Audience

Got the essentials? 

Great. Now let’s get to the fun part: figuring out your target audience. 

You could make a space that a fun twenty-something couple on a road trip would love, but if families or older couples are the only ones viewing the space, you aren’t going to get many reservations. 

Think about who you’re trying to attract. What matters most to them? What excites them? What do they not care about? What are they coming to town for? 

Knowing your target audience in detail will help you identify who they are and how to make your home comfortable for them. 

Add a Few Extras

Once you’ve got the basic style down to a science, you’re ready to add a few extras. 

This is where you can go in for flourishes. But that doesn’t mean replacing your living room console. 

Go for small touches that show the local color. Include a bottle of wine from a local winery, a bag of coffee beans from a local coffee shop with the French press, a map with your favorite restaurants and shops marked. 

You see, the real trick of an Airbnb is creating an experience. That’s why people go for Airbnb instead of another generic hotel. 

Keep It Neutral

You can go all in for style (the best industrial decor ideas? maybe a bit of shaggy chic?) but regardless of what you choose, keep it neutral. 

Unless you’re a trained interior designer and know how to make a crazy color scheme work for everyone, your best bet is to play it safe. 

After all, you’re more likely to spook conservative guests with eggplant walls than dove gray. 

You can still add style–layered, warm neutrals are a great way to create texture. But keep away from wild colors unless you’re going for an accent piece. 

Minimize Clutter and Personal Details

Part of keeping it neutral is minimizing your clutter and personal details. 

The trick to an Airbnb is to make guests envision themselves living here, not to remind them that you live here. So take family photos and mementos out of your renting space (otherwise, it feels too much like crashing on someone’s couch). 

That doesn’t mean you can’t leave personal touches behind. A nice blanket, plants, books, and records are fine. They’re signs of a space lived-in. But they’re not overbearing signs of the host living there. 

Always Sleep in a Room Before Your Guests

Finally, you should always make sure to sleep in a room before your guests. 

No, that doesn’t mean you should sleep in the bed the night before they get there (though that would tell you whether it’s time to replace the mattress). 

That just means you should stay in the room to know the experience your guests will have before you have anyone actually stay there. You want to know about the weird noise the pipes make when you sleep, or whether the temperature drops to freezing. 

Your Home, Beyond Airbnb Design

Airbnb design can transform your empty room from a forgotten corner of the house into a room fit for a hotel. But if you’re like many frugal moms, you’re trying to figure out how to do it without breaking the bank. 

Check out the blog for more useful tips for living frugally while living your life to the fullest, like this post on improving your indoor air quality.

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