I decorated with "photogenic"in mind. Imagine how would I use this space and then think about how would a guest share their experience on their Social Media. So I did a couple of Murals in my Cabin…
DC can answer but I don’t think her walls are yellow. I think that’s just the indoor light throwing off the tone of the photo.
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Hmmm. I like Ikea for bed linens. I might mount some shelves on the wall that are ikea. I have 2 nightstands that are almost antique. Thinking to make a couple doilies that will fit the nightstands. My bed doesn’t have a head board so I just positioned the bed on a corner and then put the mirror just behind the bed. My house isn’t modern styled. I picked the paint color to accommodate any color of artwork.
I have a couple of houses, and bought and sold property over the years and love design so have learnt along the way but I always go with what I love. I have a cottage in Ireland by a large lake that is over 100 years old and I have designed it in a ‘cottagy’ style but without too much chintz and I also have modern fittings in the bathroom and kitchen. I have retained some of the original features like the inglenook fireplace and original doors. I go for comfy beds, sofas, good linen and lots of cottage garden plants in planters at the front, I have had good feedback from guests who all say they love it. My other property is new and by the water, so I have designed it more sleekly with lots of pale oak and squishy sofas, and lots of original art - some cheap as chips, some on the expensive side. Ultimately I think you need to love the design and have the place as you would want it yourself. Good luck.
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Response was to Becfaye not CatskillsGrrl, sorry!
Yes, exactly what I was trying to say. Thanks, @konacoconutz. People actually love that room, and they always smile when they walk in, and say “oh, it’s so pretty!”. The blue in the lights is throwing it all off, which is why I deleted the one post because the photos didn’t come across well.
I do love that blue! I had a kitchen once that was similar, and I loved it!!
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Personally, I really like Ikea. Our night stands in our bedroom are 3 drawer white Malms; our bath linen are Ikea; and our guest room has a Ikea hacked bed. I love it.
We want our AirBNB to feel like a home away from home, and it’s taken a bit of effort to do it on a budget.
When we bought our flat, it was fully furnished and tenanted. It wasn’t until our tenant moved out that we realised most of the furniture was Ikea knock-offs (!) that were poorly put together. Eek. We fixed up what we could. For example, we fixed up the kitchen table and painted it white. The chairs were poor so we bought white Ikea chairs and reupholstered them in fabric that went with our kitchen. Bath linens are from Ikea - same as what we use at home but white.
We also have bought things off Gumtree and refurbished them. For example, I got two Jarrah night stands for free that need to be sanded, new knobs, etc. I have got knick knacks from thrift shops and linen from Target (OzBargain swears their 500 thread count sheets are the best value for money and so far, they’ve been very, very good). Wall decorations are from Ikea or the Reject Shop.
There isn’t anything in our rental property that we wouldn’t have in our own house.
However, our market and audience are price driven. I don’t want to put anything too valuable in there in case it’s damaged or broken. Ikea fits the bill of cheap, cheerful and durable. You also know you can find the same thing 5 years later.
We also stayed with a neutral colour scheme on the walls (white trim, sandy beachy colour on the walls) with hints of colour through wall decorations, table and bed linens. This is so the main draw of our apartment - uninterrupted city views - remains the focal point, but the flat still looks modern, clean and inviting.
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We’ve had two Ikea dining room tables that have been heavily used for years and years, and still are holding up great. I don’t know why people hate on Ikea - sure, I’d love to have solid wood furniture that I could pass down to my kids, but, oh my, where DID that money tree go?!
I’ve had people in my home for meetings that will then stand around and talk, and for some reason, for several weeks, the topic of Ikea came up and they had great fun talking about how they would never let that in their homes. All the time they are sitting on a couch I bought from Ikea because it’s what I could afford, and the coffee and cookies you are enjoying were picked off an Ikea table. We may not have money for nice things but we have a heart to open our home to other people to enjoy.
(I have new friends now…)
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I think some of the problem is that these places go ALL Ikea. That looks boring, and then empty frames is horrible.
Nancy, maybe go for a bold accent wall behind the bed with that blue. That would look awesome. I’m all about thrift stores, discount area at hobby lobby, and paint. I want to move into my rental 
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I love thrift stores, too - but it is very time consuming. And as far as paint and craft go, when someone starts talking “See, all you have to do is…” by brain screams “RUN AWAY NOW!!!”. I’m not adept, nor do I have barely any free time.
In my dream life I am stripping and refinishing furniture, baking, gardening, and raising bees. As it is I barely managed that sheer curtain with lights thing and I don’t even like how it looks.
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Me Too!!! I’m a dreamer, I have grand ideas and plans for my huge house and yard (including all your dreams) and then the reality of a homeschooling mom of 4 with Major Depressive Disorder kicks in and I spend most of my days reading and hiding from my kids, not wanting to go on the field trips I have planned for them because that means I’d be around a lot of people!
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omg we are twins. I’m going to a going-away party for a dear friend and I totally don’t want to go. Conveniently my guests are arriving about 5:30 so I have an excuse to duck out early.
Yeah, school is kicking my B-U-T-T this year.
And anyway, I just finished putting the finishing touches on the room with the fairy lights and the remote to operate them has totally vanished. So no one is going to see them now. I’ve texted the guest…
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Yep, the surfboard is VERY cool! I love the vintage surfing mags on it! Nice.
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Thank you!!! It was very difficult to make sure that the magazine ads and clips stayed within the 80s vintage… since the board is also that vintage. Plus I wanted mostly Hawaii related ads.
Thanks again, everyone. I think I’m going to go with a mocha/black theme. Very restful and quiet. Elegant and romantic, hopefully. ; ) @Barthelemy your comment about a black-and-white scheme got me thinking and led me to this. The walls will be brown, the furniture black, and black-and-white accents.
I am bit late on the topic, it’s one of the peak seasons here ! Your choices sound good ! Black accents make everything look more elegant and modern. Plus the upside is that everything is readily available in black from major retailers so it’s very easy to be consistent and color-coordinate :).
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Great question! We themed ours and have had great success with it. I chose an Afrocentric theme that has small touches of my cultural background to ground each of the rooms. In the living room we have books, some art and curios from my travels. https://www.instagram.com/p/BLW5FTAD9c6/
In each bedroom the linen and pillows all have a small African print and the furnishings (yes IKEA) are dark hues of wood like we have in our home in Zambia.
My good friend has themed her AirBnB as a “music house” since she is a musician. So you can enjoy pianos, guitars and drums when you stay with her! My suggestion is to pick a theme and run with it. You will be authentic and your guests will know what they are getting upfront.
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