Vacation rentals are a unique class of properties. They are meant to be an escape from everyday life while still offering all the comforts of home. This can make furnishing and decorating a vacation rental — whether it’s a quaint cabin in the mountains, a cheery beach bungalow or a sleek city condo — quite a task. The good news is that hotels and resorts have mastered the art of making temporary housing feel extraordinary. By taking a page from the design books of several high-end hotels, here are a few decorating do’s for your vacation rental.
Pick a style or theme
Most hotels have a predominate decorating style or color scheme, which is reflected in the furniture, draperies and even dishes. In many vacation hotspots, resorts will source inspiration from the local community or the type of vacation activity that typically attracts tourists. For example, lakeside properties often decorate with a fishing theme, beachside properties use the ocean and ski resorts love dark, woody motifs.
A word to the wise: Don’t cover every surface with bears or fish. Instead, use your “base” theme to help guide your choices of colors, lighting and furniture. By using a theme as your guide, you can comfortably incorporate a fishing pole, moose head or conch shell into the room without it feeling out of place or overwhelming.
Quality and class
Just because you’re decorating a rental property doesn’t mean it has to feel cheap or look gaudy. Instead of filling your property with lots of stuff, choose several nice art pieces with custom frames, colorful lamps or nice vases. A few quality selections will make your vacation property feel like a classy place.
The same idea applies to your furniture and home goods. Your family and future guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness and investment in quality table linens, bedding and towels. To give your vacation home a relaxed, spa-like feel, select high thread counts in white or lighter colors that will blend in nicely. If you aren’t sure about the quality, use the touch test. If it makes you want to curl up in its softness, it’s a great option and one that both you and your guests will enjoy.
Durability
Vacation properties can take a lot of abuse from season after season of vacationers. When it comes to furniture and upholstery, try to find pieces that look good and are designed for durability. Your furniture should be quality, solid wood. Materials like wicker or rattan will need replacing quickly due to lack of resilience. Stay away from particleboard furniture since you’ll likely be replacing it after a few seasons. While inexpensive, it’s not designed to last through the long haul.
The same principle applies to draperies, upholstery and rugs. Fabrics should be heavy duty in order to last longer. For practical purposes, they should also be washable. Once a year, you should scotch guard them to prevent future stains.
Whether you are going to be spending a couple days, couple months or just planning on renting your vacation home out all together, your vacation home should be an inviting and relaxing place. By selecting quality, durable furniture and home goods, you’ll ensure that your vacation rental will look good both in and out of season.
Sources:
http://resourcefurniture.com/expert_advice/designing-tips-guests/
http://www.asummerhome.com/tips.htm
http://1chicretreat.com/2014/06/27/the-decorating-technique-you-should-have-been-using-all-along-in-your-vacation-rental/
http://www.villadirectrealty.com/furnishing-and-decorating-your-vacation-home/
http://blog.evolvevacationrental.com/vacation-home-decorating-3-tips/
https://community.homeaway.com/docs/DOC-1552
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/3309765/list/make-your-vacation-home-pay-off
http://www.thehousedesigners.com/articles/decorating-your-vacation-home.asp
