Airbnb Interior Design: Ultimate Guide
The way in which you design your space can make or break your Airbnb business. Design is the second most important factor for the performance of a short-term rental, right after the choice of investment market and property. Airbnb interior design affects the ranking of your property on the listing platform, the daily rates that you can charge, the occupancy that it generates, the guest experience that it provides, and - ultimately - the revenue that it brings to the host. A well-designed space is the easiest way to attract more bookings at optimal prices, get more 5-star reviews, and earn more income.
This article aims to guide you through the process of designing the interior of your Airbnb property, from the factors that should drive your decisions, through the costs that you can expect, all the way to actionable tips to boost results. In addition, we’ll highlight the pros and cons of professional Airbnb design and conclude with the top service providers for savvy Airbnb hosts.
Meanwhile, if you want to save $10,000+ off retail prices when getting your property ready for listing and boost revenue by 22%, check out Showplace for expert Airbnb design services. We create beautiful, guest-ready spaces tailored to each market and property, helping investors enjoy more bookings and better reviews.
Choosing the Right Airbnb Interior Design
Well-designed Airbnb properties lead to better guest satisfaction and high occupancy rates as guests appreciate both comfort and aesthetics. That’s why you need to take into account functionality as well as practicality when designing a short-term rental. Indeed, there are a number of factors that go into creating a highly effective Airbnb interior design that has the capacity to boost revenue and profit.
Specifically, the key considerations that should drive the design of an Airbnb include:
Location: First and foremost, take into consideration trends in the local market and the local culture and reflect them in the design. Your Airbnb should feel like a natural extension of the surroundings rather than clash with the reality outside. Guests should not feel a culture shock every time they enter or exit your property. For instance, a condo in the city center should offer a modern urban design, while a townhouse outside the city can afford a more lavish design.
Target Demographic: Know your target guests and base your Airbnb design on their needs, preferences, and expectations. For example, families with children prioritize functionality and safety, couples value romantic details such as love seats, while business travelers appreciate practical amenities like a home office.
Property Type and Available Space: Let the type of your Airbnb property and the available space drive your interior design decisions. A studio apartment requires significantly fewer and more simple furniture items than a single family home. In other words, don’t clutter the place.
Theme: Choose a design style and retain consistency across the entire space. Don’t mix and match styles to avoid creating a sense of chaos and overwhelmness. Your choice of modern, rustic, coastal, or any other interior design theme should be based on the location and target demographic.
Competition: Take a look at comparable listings on the Airbnb website to understand what designs guests might be looking for and what options local hosts are providing. Studying competition can help you learn about local trends but also get inspired to offer a unique experience in the market to attract guests who are looking for something different.
Budget: Set up a budget based on your investment capital and stick to it. The cost of furnishing an Airbnb property can range from $5,000 to $50,000 and more, and your budget should reflect your finances. Once you’ve worked out a budget, allocate funds wisely and focus on high-impact areas without wasting resources on unnecessary details.
Safety: Go for designs that do not impose traps and risks to guests and that ensure safety. This is particularly important if you aim to cater to families with children or elderly guests.
Maintenance and Durability: Prioritize simple designs that do not demand excessive care and maintenance. Opt for furnishings that are easy to clean and materials that withstand heavy use. It is better to buy high-quality furniture that costs a bit more but does not need to be replaced too soon than to go for questionable brands. Remember that Airbnb furniture is subject to increased wear and tear due to high renter turnover.
The best Airbnb designs are the product of all above-listed considerations.
Cost of DIY Airbnb Design
The cost of Airbnb interior design and furnishing varies widely as it depends on a number of different factors. At the same time, it’s important for hosts to keep costs at bay and in line with their budget to avoid getting their Airbnb business started on the wrong footing.
The main factors that impact the cost of designing an Airbnb space include:
Location and market demand
Property type
Number of floors
Square footage
Number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and other rooms
Design style
Quality of furniture
Brands
Level of decor, detail, and finishing
All in all, while the Airbnb furnishing cost by room varies, the total price can add up to anything between $5,000 and $50,000, on average.
Hosts with zero interior design experience can use online tools to estimate the total cost of furnishing their property as well as the cost by room. Online furnishing calculators are typically easy to use, free of charge, flexible, and quite accurate.
For instance, the Showplace Free Furnishing Estimator allows you to get a realistic idea of how much you should expect to pay for the design and furnishing of your Airbnb property. All you need to do is to enter:
Property address
Square footage
Number of bedrooms
Number of bathrooms
Number of maximum guests
Need for kitchen, bathroom, cleaning, and linens essentials
Delivery and installation method
Type of rental: Short-term, mid-term, or both
Once you get an initial estimate from the Showplace tool, you can make additional adjustments to get a precise calculation that matches your exact needs.
Alternatively, you can consult with a professional interior designer on the expected cost of designing your short-term rental. Keep in mind that a designer is likely to charge a fee to provide you with an estimate based on your property specifications and requirements which might be waived in case you decide to move forward with them and hire them for your Airbnb interior design project.
Whether you go for a DIY or professional design, it’s important to have an accurate estimate of the expected cost before getting started. It’s your choice whether to use a free online tool or work with a professional designer to get this estimate, depending on your budget and personal preferences.
Tips for Designing Your Airbnb
Designing an Airbnb rental is a challenging task, especially for new hosts with no previous experience in the field of interior design. However, the process can be made significantly less stressful and more successful if you stick to a few proven tips and tricks that experienced hosts swear by.
When designing your Airbnb, here are a few key tips to follow:
Take Into Consideration the Needs of Your Target Guests: Different types of guests have different needs and different expectations. Make sure that the design of your short-term rental aligns with your chosen niche audience. For example, furnish a kids bedroom if you want to host families with children, or provide a full kitchen with all cooking amenities if you plan to specialize in hosting digital nomads.
Invest in Quality Bedding: Comfort leads to good reviews which boost the overall performance of your rental. After a tiring day in the city or in nature, your guests need a comfortable and adaptive place to sleep and rest. Spending a few extra dollars on top-notch mattress, covers, and sheets will more than pay off in the long term.
Provide Ample Lighting: Well-lit spaces feel welcoming and more spacious, look better on photos, and result in better guest experiences. In case your property does not benefit from ample natural light, make sure to add sufficient lighting that’s easy on the eyes.
Include Local Art: Using a few pieces of local art in the interior design of your Airbnb not only adds character but also supports the community and builds relationships with local artisans. Make sure that any art installations match the overall style of your property and contribute to the sense of comfort and uniqueness.
Focus on Durability: In your choice of furniture and decor items, you should go for brands that are famous for durability and longevity. Having furniture that looks good a couple of years down the road will help you save money on replacements while avoiding negative reviews from guests.
Prioritize Safety: When designing your Airbnb space, you should ensure that the overall design and all individual pieces are safe and do not cause health hazards. This includes choosing natural materials for linens and towels to avoid allergic reactions.
Create Unique Character: It’s key to make your property stand out from the rest of the competition in the local market. The best way to do that is to work around a unique design concept which does not ignore comfort and functionality.
Offer Essential Amenities: The best designed Airbnb properties provide guests with all must-have amenities, such as Wi-Fi, kitchen basics, linen, towels, and toiletries. If your space and budget allow, it’s a good idea to add some special amenities too, like a pool, a hot tub, or a gaming room.
Keep It Clutter-Free: Most guests value simplicity, orderliness, and some free space. Go for a simple and clean design that does not overwhelm guests. It’s better to start off with the basics and add a few extra items down the road than to clutter your property and have to remove items.
Meanwhile, there are some common mistakes that you should avoid when working on your Airbnb interior design:
Don't Overpersonalize: Remove all personal items that will make your guests feel like they are crashing someone else’s home. In specific, avoid family photos, engraved decorations, personal souvenirs, and overly niche decor.
Don't Sacrifice Comfort for Style: A trendy sofa that's uncomfortable won't impress guests. To the contrary, it can easily lead to 1-star reviews and negative comments on the design of your space. That’s why you should prioritize furnishings that are both attractive and cozy.
Don't Ignore Guest Feedback: Dismissing guest reviews is a proven way to repeat mistakes that will lead to suboptimal performance. The smart move instead is to use guest comments to improve your space and address any issues quickly. Before you get started, review the negative feedback on highly rated Airbnbs in the area, and ensure your approach addresses these concerns directly. You can also go over positive reviews and try to mimic what others have done right.
Don’t Buy Overly Luxurious Furniture: Remember that designing an Airbnb is a business process and that your short-term rental is not your personal home. It doesn’t make sense to invest in luxury and expensive furniture as many guests won’t even recognize haute couture brands. Meanwhile, vacation rentals are subject to high wear and tear, so luxury furnishing will be quickly destroyed and up for a change.
Don’t Go Over Budget: You set up a budget in order to stick to it. All decisions related to your Airbnb business should be driven by what makes financial sense for your bottom line.
With these proven tips to follow and frequent mistakes to avoid, you should be well equipped to start working on designing your Airbnb.
Pros and Cons of Airbnb Design
A well-designed Airbnb rental property has the potential to afford higher daily rates, attract more bookings, and bring more positive reviews, but it also comes with elevated upfront costs and time investment. As Airbnb interior design has major pros and cons, it’s important to understand both in order to boost the positives and downsize the impact of the negatives.
A thoughtfully designed Airbnb offers significant advantages including:
Photogenic Appeal: Better designed properties result in beautiful photos, which in turn help with the ranking of your listing on Airbnb and grab the interest of guests. Make sure to take professional photos of your space as soon as you design it, furnish it, and clean it thoroughly for an optimized Airbnb listing.
Higher Ranking on Airbnb: High-quality photos are one of the main factors in the Airbnb SEO algorithm. Visually appealing properties take better photos which help with ranking better and getting in front of the eyes of more potential guests.
Better Occupancy: As a result of higher ranking and a more attractive listing, your property will get more reservations. Good occupancy rate is one of the main determinants of income, along with the average daily rate.
Increased Guest Satisfaction: Aesthetic, comfortable, and functional furnishing boosts guest experiences. Happy guests leave 5-star reviews that bring a myriad of other benefits.
Higher Revenue: Attractive spaces can command premium nightly rates while generating above-average occupancy. The final result is strong short-term rental income.
Durability: Quality items last longer, saving money over time. This leads to better long-term ROI.
Brand Building: If you plan to invest in a couple of Airbnb properties, you can start building your brand early through the unique interior design of your first rental. Satisfied guests will recognize your signature brand across your listings and make sure to book with you again.
Forced Appreciation: By designing your Airbnb in a superior way, you can add instant value to your property. This is an important consideration if you plan to sell the home in the short to medium run.
However, there are also a few challenges to keep in mind along with ways to avoid them:
Upfront Costs: Initial investment can be high. To avoid this drawback, choose professional Airbnb interior design service providers that help you save on the cost of furnishings.
Time-Consuming Process: Designing takes effort and planning. Nevertheless, there are professionals who are ready to deliver professional designs in a few short weeks.
Potential Overinvestment: With professional Airbnb design, you risk spending more than the market supports. That’s why you should conduct market research and competitive analysis before getting started.
Maintenance Challenges: Beautiful designs and styles might be difficult to maintain. Thus, you should choose materials and colors that are less prone to aging and grubbiness.
Risk of Overemphasis on Current Trends: Designs that reflect current trends might look outdated and inappropriate sooner rather than later. It’s a smart move to invest in a timeless concept that will always look in style.
Suppressed ROI: Overspending on interior design can negatively impact your return in the short term. That’s why you should budget carefully and follow your budget.
Clearly, the benefits of putting effort into designing your Airbnb property exceed the downsides. Being aware of both the pros and the cons, you can work towards optimizing the former and controlling the latter.
Airbnb Furnishing and Design Services
Designing and furnishing an Airbnb property is an important factor for the success of your short-term rental endeavor and should not be taken lightly. Indeed, it’s strongly recommended for hosts who don’t have previous experience in interior design to consider working with one of the top service providers in the field. Hiring a professional interior designer can boost the performance of your vacation rental, and the professional fees will be more than compensated by the extra revenue that you generate.
The best Airbnb furnishing services available to hosts in the US market are:
Showplace Airbnb Design: Best Overall Option
Showplace is the top-ranked interior design company specializing in short-term and mid-term rental properties. The company was founded in 2020 by Justin Miller and Dan Palumbo and has its headquarters in Denver, CO. Services are available throughout the US market.
The competitive advantage of Showplace stamps from using technology-based designs that help optimize designs for the available space, the chosen guest persona, and the owner’s budget. The company has the potential to offer end-to-end design and furnishing services which can save hosts up to 75 hours in prepping their property for guests. Showplace customers include both individual hosts and professional property managers.
Showplace offers two types of Airbnb interior design services:
Showplace Pre-Made Designs: Property owners can choose from 10+ design styles that have been specifically conceptualized and developed for the needs of short-term and mid-term rentals. Popular options include Midcentury Modern, Bohemian, Modern, Cabin, Modern Minimalist, Transitional, Coastal, Scandinavian, and more. All these styles emphasize space functionality and guest comfort, while the diversity of designs allow for a good fit with most property types. Pre-made Airbnb designs are customizable as hosts can add and remove items to create a perfect match for their space. Getting a property ready for listing takes less than 4 weeks with these packages.
Showplace Custom Designs: Showplace offers end-to-end interior design and furnishing services that are built based on the vision of the owner and in line with the specifications of each property. The entire process takes about 6 weeks, and hosts can be as involved or uninvolved as they want. White-glove delivery, installation, and final cleaning services are also available via the Showplace Preferred Contractor Network.
Showplace Airbnb interior services can be used for launching a new listing from scratch or simply refreshing an existing rental to give it a boost. Hosts and property managers report an average revenue increase of 32% as a result of Showplace professional services. In addition, they save $10,000+ off retail furniture prices through our access to industry discounts.
Interested Airbnb investors and property managers can use the Showplace Free Furnishing Estimator to get a range for the expected cost and to learn more about our Airbnb design and furnishing services.
Furnishr Airbnb Design: Best for a Portfolio of Rental Properties
Furnishr is another popular service for interior design and furnishing that offers value to different properties, including short-term rentals. Michael Van and Karen Lau established the company in 2018, with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Market coverage includes all US states except Hawaii.
Furnishr provides customizable, hands-off design and furnishing services for vacation rentals. While the company has the potential to develop and implement different interior designs, the most popular designs demanded by customers include Bohemian, Industrial, Coastal, Mid-Century Modern, Contemporary, Scandinavian, Glam, and Transitional. Airbnb hosts get access to an interactive design package with various options for products, layouts, and final cost. They can choose how involved to be in the Airbnb interior design process based on their preferences.
Because Furnishr does not specialize exclusively in the designing and furnishing of short-term rentals, they do not provide an estimate of the average boost in performance that hosts can expect.
Receiving a final design proposal takes 1-2 weeks, while delivery requires 2-4 weeks. This means that the entire process of getting a property ready for listing and welcoming guests takes 4-6 weeks with Furnishr. The company does not provide a range of costs either as the price depends on the property type, market, room number and size, and furnishing level (Essentials, Essentials with some accessories, and Essentials with all accessories). Furnishr offers a free cost calculator that interested customers can use to estimate the total cost.
Fülhaus Airbnb Design: Best for AI-Powered Designs
Fülhaus provides premium design services for short-term rental properties and helps with sourcing as well but does not handle delivery and installation. Andria Santos launched the company in 2015, with headquarters in Montreal, Canada. At the moment, Fülhaus operates across the US.
Fülhaus works as an AI-powered platform that allows owners to design their Airbnb based on their vision and find the most fitting furniture items from a wide selection of hundreds of brands. Services are available for both single family homes and multifamily properties as well as hotels and other commercial accommodations.
Fülhaus prides itself in the creation and use of Ludwig AI, their proprietary AI-based interior designer. While the use of AI helps save time and costs, hosts should not over rely on technology and lose the human touch in the design of their short-term rental as this might have negative repercussions on the aesthetic value and appeal to guests. Fülhaus customers report up to 54% increase in average daily rates and occupancy rates after designing their property with the help of the platform.
Access to Fülhaus costs between $8/month and $79/month when billed annually, depending on the number of projects and access to features. Add-ons are available for additional cost. Users benefit from member pricing on furniture items, but the company does not provide an estimate of the average cost of designing and furnishing an Airbnb.
Bottom Line
The Airbnb interior design that you choose for your short-term rental will largely affect daily rates, bookings, and overall revenue, so you should select the style and plan the execution carefully. In the process, focus on functional designs, timeless styles, comfortable furniture items, and durable materials. Don’t let trendy styles and luxury brands tempt you. And in case you don’t have experience in the field, don’t shy away from professional design services as the optimized results will make up for the higher cost.
For professional interior design and furnishing that takes less than 6 weeks and helps you boost revenue by an average of 22%, check out Showplace. Our designs optimize the space, match your guest persona, and meet your expectations. High-quality design is totally worth it for the improved performance that it will bring to your Airbnb business.