Preparation: Living Room
While everywhere we've lived has typically been decorated with a neutral color pallet, we knew we wanted our Airbnb to feel different. We wanted to design a space that felt like vacation. We wanted it to be bright and colorful, just like Charleston. We also tried to imagine the type of guests we would soon be hosting. Why might they be visiting? What would they be doing when they were here? We decided our target audience would be couples or friends enjoying a "girls weekend". With these ideas in mind, this was my original vision board:
((Spoiler: We actually ended up ordering those chairs and that couch, but we chose a rug that was a little different and didn't end up using the chairs in the living room. More on that later.))
TA-DA -- Bright. Feminine. Colorful.
Below are a few of the pieces we included in our Airbnb, how we chose them, and why we decided on them.
We ended up purchasing a pretty cheap velvet couch on Wayfair. Time will tell how long it lasts, but we chose it because of the color, texture, and functionality of turning into a bed. Because we are allowing pets, we'll provide a couch cover for furniture. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND letting your guests bring their furbabies for multiple reasons.
Come on, Fido is family. We don't go if Harper can't come, and plenty of families feel the same.
You can charge a pet fee. We are charging $75 per pre-approved pet, collected in cash or via Venmo upon arrival.
Many properties do not allow pets, so when a family narrows their search by pets, your property becomes part of a much smaller pool, therefore increasing occupancy.
So, you're worried Fido is going to destroy the couch? Well, just do the math. How many Fidos do you need to stay at your place before that couch is replaced? The pet fees will add up quickly.
CHAIRS
Like I said, we originally purchased the pink chairs in the photo above. Unfortunately, they worked better as desk or dining chairs because of their size. I was disappointed my vision was squashed and spent weeks looking for more prominent chairs. I wanted them to somehow match the wild rug we purchased but also have a funky print (remember, our goal was for the space to feel like vacation... somewhere you would stay but maybe wouldn't decorate your house like) AND be comfy. It took me a long time to come across the perfect chairs, but one day Facebook Marketplace (my best friend) showed me the beauties I needed. Sometimes things on FB Marketplace look less magical in person and are a huge letdown, but these chairs were the opposite. I could barley fit them in our CR-V... which was THRILLING to me. They are much bigger than I expected, very comfortable, and high-end.
Once I stopped trying to match the wild rug to the chairs that did not exist, the opposite was actually much easier. I had a couch and two chairs, and I was jazzed to find this rug with a similar pattern as the chairs. My hope is that this rug has enough colors and patterns to it that it will not show stains easily, if/when they occur.
BAR CART
This bar cart has been in our own home for years. It belonged to the original Poppy and Grammy (my grandparents), and then to my parents, and now us. We brought it with us from Michigan, assuming we would have space for it in our unit, but it just fits better in the Airbnb for now. We plan to put a personalized card and bottle of wine on top of it to welcome our guests.
My sister bought us this artwork for the Airbnb to say congrats on the new digs, and it works perfectly above the bar cart. I love how the bright colors welcome you to your vacation home.
HANGING PLANT/FAUX PLANTS
Given there is no designated outdoor space for this rental, we tried hard to bring the outside in with bright colors, reflective surfaces, and faux plants. We carefully selected different heights, textures and styles of faux plants to add visual interest and warmth to the space.
The coffee table we selected is round, gold, and glass. We chose this table because it feels light, airy, and feminine. On top, I added a wooden tray, a vase with real seaweed from Isle of Palms, coasters, and another little plant.
Amazon had this TV listed for about half the price as their Deal of the Day. We purchased a Hulu LIVE subscription for our TV in the upstairs unit and logged it in for live TV in the Airbnb unit as well. Other apps are available on the homepage, and guests can login with their own accounts as they wish.
We selected this media console but spruced it up by spray painting any of the wood accents gold. Tip: Use this in-wall cable management system to hide the cords. Situated on the media console are several coffee table books. While we purchased one book for full price (Charleston Then and Now), I found all of the other books for a dollar at Good Will. I selected them because they were pretty colors when their covers were removed, not because of their content.
"Hey Google, play today's top hits." We purchased this router to serve a dual purpose of also acting as a speaker to play music.
What am I missing? Drop me a line so I can add it!! :) And don't forget to check out what you'll need for your entryway, kitchen and bedrooms.
