Airbnb began to boom in popularity in 2011 after expanding into Germany, and the company was the go-to provider for alternative accommodation in 2015. Part of what makes Airbnb great is that anyone with a spare room or full property can become a “host”, meaning there’s more choice than you’ll find on the likes of Booking.com and Trivago. One of the perks of Airbnb is the versatile interior design you’ll find, which is an important aspect of any holiday. Throughout this article, we take a look at all things Airbnb interior design.
What to Consider When Choosing an Airbnb Design Style?
The best Airbnb listings utilize expert pictures to entice potential guests to take a look, and then they win them over with attractive features. Therefore, getting the interior design of an Airbnb right is essential for achieving maximum bookings. There are countless considerations you need to make when choosing a design style including:
Your ideal guest. Accommodations tailored to students, business travelers, and families will all look different.
The location of your property. The colors used may reflect the local culture.
Size of the room or property. This may force your hand.
Available budget. You can only achieve what you can afford.
In some cases, Airbnb hosts don’t get the most out of their accommodations because their ads fail to cut through the fierce competition. Luckily, there are plenty of reputable Airbnb interior design services that will take care of everything for you. For example, UpperKey will guarantee your rent, stage your property, attract high-quality guests, and manage all maintenance issues.
Common Features of Airbnb Interior Design
Every Airbnb will look different depending on the host’s tastes. However, given that Airbnbs are created around customers, there are a few rules that interior design for Airbnb should follow. Firstly, everything from furniture to facilities should be chosen to last, which means investing in high-quality products. Secondly, an Airbnb should be simplistic at its core - seasonal features can be added through artwork, throws, and duvet sets.
When it comes to the features of an Airbnb property, the best hosts will become the holidaymaker. If you can look at your property through the lens of your guests, you’re more likely to check off more boxes. For example, if you would find a vibrant red wall quite jarring, avoid doing the same thing in your property.
8 Design Ideas for Airbnb Owners
Keep a Neutral Base
There’s nothing wrong with adding a bit of personality to your Airbnb property with a little color. However, when you strip everything back, the base for each room should be neutral. Keeping the walls white will guarantee that you can appeal to any type of customer without much hassle. After all, you can easily introduce personality in your room by hanging art, using colored furniture, and adding throws to sofas and beds.
Liven it Up with Plants
Any Airbnb interior decorator will tell you about the importance of using plants to add life to your property. As well as making way for color against your neutral base, it can help your guests feel calm and relaxed. When you’re choosing plants to put in your Airbnb, you should factor in that you may not be around all of the time. Therefore, you should go for a self-watering plant that requires very little maintenance.
Include a Statement Piece
Your Airbnb needs to stand up against the fierce competition, so every room needs to stand out. Therefore, when designing the decor for your property, you should put a unique feature into each room. For example, your living room might have a grand chandelier to make it stand out. In the bedroom, there may be a piece of artwork on the wall to bring everything together.
Hang Mirrors to Boost Light
To complement your plants, you should make sure that there’s as much natural light as possible. A great way to do this is by using mirrors, which make rooms feel larger and help to reflect light. To get the most out of natural light, you should leave the areas immediately surrounding the windows clear from obstruction. Otherwise, you run the risk of dampening the incoming light.
Experiment with Colours
We’ve already established that your Airbnb should favor neutral shades. However, there’s nothing to say you can’t play around with a little color. In most cases, the best Airbnb interior design features are color against a neutral backdrop. For example, brown cushions and an orange throw blanket will look fantastic during autumn, and more people are going to book for that cozy feel.
Minimalism Over Maximimalism
The interior design follows elements of maximalism or minimalism, and it doesn't really matter which you choose when it comes to your own home. However, your Airbnb will be much more effective if you choose a minimalistic approach. This style will make it easier for you to maintain, will be cheaper to implement, and will add versatility to the property.
Utilize Outdoor Zones
Even though your outdoor areas aren’t strictly a part of “interior” design, the two go hand-in-hand, and having a beautifully staged outdoor area can be the difference between paying the bills and not. Therefore, if you’ve got an outside patio, terrace, or decking, you should show off its potential for different times of the year.
When sourcing furniture and other equipment for outdoor spaces, remember to factor in the weather. You need to have durable materials to ensure they’ll last a long time - you don’t want to spend money constantly replacing furniture.
Add Thoughtful Finishing Touches
Airbnb design services will tell you that properties shouldn’t look overly homey. However, there’s nothing wrong with adding a few thoughtful finishing touches. For example, a shoe and coat rack can go a long way, especially when your guests have been out all day exploring the local surroundings.
Aside from the practical features, you should make sure your Airbnb is set up for comfort by using high-quality linen and pillows. Additionally, you will need to accommodate the maximum number of guests, so give consideration to how many chairs will fit around the table, the capacity of the sofa, and how many towels there are.
Ongoing Airbnb Management
Once you’ve finished decorating your Airbnb, you need to make sure its quality remains the same for your 1st guest as it does for your 1000th guest. To do this, you’ll need to spend time and money on maintaining the property. Although this may suit some Airbnb hosts, others simply don’t have the time or money to pour into it, especially if they’re not attracting enough visitors.
A good way to keep your Airbnb looking sharp, and in some cases even better than it was, is to use UpperKey to take care of the daily management and design of the space. The maintenance isn’t the only perk of using our service, as we will guarantee your rent for the duration of your agreement and use vetted guests to populate your property.
UpperKey’s Airbnb property management service can also provide your guests with a concierge service, which means they’ll have all the benefits available to hotel guests but the beauty of staying in a unique property. The Airbnb Concierge will answer questions, give guests recommendations, and so much more. Seeing as customer satisfaction is essential for attracting future guests, this is a great feature to have alongside your Airbnb property.
How Does Upperkey Airbnb Management Process Work?
If receiving a guaranteed income on the property while having to put zero work in sounds like the ideal situation, you’ll be happy to know that getting started with UpperKey couldn’t be easier. The first step involves going over the rental agreement and signing on the dotted line. As an Airbnb host, you’ll then be given support with abiding by local regulations like the London 90-day rule.
If you’ve agreed to Airbnb interior design packages, your property will be designed by professionals, and new furniture bought in if need be. After which, the Airbnb listing will be expertly created to attract the best possible guests. To make matters even easier, you’ll have help with pricing, which will be calculated based on nearby accommodation and your available amenities.
Every part of the guest journey will also be managed, from an initial inquiry right up to checkout. This process includes an expert vetting service, which will reduce the chances of lasting damage done to the property. Throughout the rental agreement, the property will be maintained to the highest standard. As well as this, vetting and monitoring systems will be in place to ensure all host rules are followed.
Your job as an Airbnb host begins with interior design, and that’s before you’ve even welcomed your first guest. There’s a lot of thought that goes into Airbnb interior design including the type of guests you want to attract, the location of the property, the quality of furniture, your total budget, and how much ongoing maintenance it will take. A great way to receive an income while not having to worry about any of this is by using UpperKey’s Airbnb property management service.