If you’re like most new Air BnB owners, you’re wondering how to decorate in a way that will create a beautiful and unforgettable experience for guests. In this post, I’ll be sharing my 5 Air BnB decorating tips so you have all the tools you need to succeed!

Air BnB Decorating Tip Number 1: Less is more

With all the Air BnBs we’ve set up, I’ve learned that less is best. And this is probably the most important of my Air BnB decorating tips so listen up!

People don’t want to stay in a space where most of the wall space is filled with decorative items that may or may not vibe with them. Having a few pieces on the walls or coffee table is great, but keep in mind the goal is to create a neutral zone for guests to rest and enjoy their vacation.

Here’s an example of what is too much.

This Air BnB was one of my design projects and the pictures below show how the place was set up when I landed the project….yikes!

The floor was obnoxious and had a dominating orange/yellow hue along with that crazy pattern. The furniture was covered with patterned green and red fabric which clashed pretty badly with each other and the floor.

Now granted, this was a historical museum and it was filled with outdated pieces in order to give it a vintage vibe, but this was not going to cut it for an Air BnB.

Due to the structure of the home being in the shape of a shoe…yes thats right, a literal shoe, designing for the space made it a little more tricky than normal. Additionally, the new owners wanted to keep as much of the property original as possible, which included those floors.

Decorating around the floors in particular was one of my most challenging tasks, but we did it lol!

I chose a few colors simplify, and stayed away from patterns on furniture. We did add some wallpaper on the wall for a little bit of funky 50’s vibes, but other than that, kept the pallet as neutral as possible.

Air BnB Decorating Tip #2: Stick to a few colors

Once thing I always tell my friends – pick out a few main colors and stick to them throughout the home. This helps provide unity within the space and will help rooms flow together.

Now I understand that renovation costs can be pricey, so sometimes we have to work around crazy floors or carpet colors like I did in the Shoe project.

Want to know the magic sauce on how to do that?

Pull that “crazy” color from wherever it is and duplicate it in a piece of furniture, pillow or art on the wall. I’ve found that if a color is repeated within a space a few times, it tricks the viewer into believing that it belongs there from the beginning.

Thats what I did when designing the Shoe!

I pulled that crazy yellow/mustard color from the floor and added a blanket on the couch in that same mustard yellow as the floors, and also bought two chairs with wood that matched the floor as well. The carpet I chose is an off white but has some darker golden lines. I also chose a gold lamp, which pulls that mustard color from the floors as well.

Adding these elements, makes it seem like the floors were something we chose as well, rather than them being a HUGE eye sore like before.

Decorating Tip #3: Mix old and new

I’ve found my designs feel very balanced when I can incorporate some newer furniture mixed with some older vintage pieces. I love facebook marketplace for these vintage finds and even goodwill! I love the adventure of finding that perfect piece that will make a room.

Decorating Tip #4: Pillows

If you’ve worked with me, you know how much I love pillows. They have a way of making a room feel comfy and tie in your design colors seamlessly.

So here’s my 4th Air BnB decorating tip!

When buying pillows, I always recommend buying something that will last. I love getting down inserts from Amazon and buying a cover that fits.

The reason being, you can easily clean the cover if guests stain it, or simply buy a replacement cover once it starts looking dingy.

The down inserts truly make a big difference vs the cheeper synthetically stuffed pillows. I like spending money where it matters and lasts, and to me, having pillows that wont become disjointed looking over the years is worth it!

Here’s a link to my favorite down inserts on amazon!

Square Down Pillow Inserts https://amzn.to/3K0zCTp

Rectangle Down Pillow Inserts https://amzn.to/3Qg1uHp

Decorating Tip # 5: Learn to spend money where it matters

If you’re like me, you’re trying to get the biggest return for the least amount of money.

For an Air BnB, I always recommend purchasing a good mattress. We purchased a new memory foam mattress for our 1st air bnb and I’ll be honest, I can not count the number of guests who reached out asking where we got the mattress because it was so comfy!

It’s important guests have a good night of sleep, otherwise you’ll have some very unhappy guests.

Another important item is the living room couch.

Invest in a decent couch and your guests will be happy you did!

I hope these Air BnB decorating tips have been helpful!