Vacation rental property managers can use interior design elements to enhance the guest experience and bring forth the season. This is especially true in summertime, a season known for its fun, cheery patterns and colors. Give your guests all the summer vibes with these decorating tips.
Let Your Location Inspire You
When decorating your vacation rental for summer guests, lean into your location. It’s natural for people to think of beaches when they think of summer. But do they think of beaches when staying at a log cabin in Idaho? Probably not. Pay homage to summer in your market through your decor choices.
Add Bright, Bold Accents
Your bedding is one of the best places to bring summer colors and patterns. Pick a palette or a theme and add it to each room. Make sure that whatever accents you choose match each other, so there’s cohesion throughout the rental. For example, your bedding doesn’t have to be the same set for every room, but it should be in the same color and pattern family (light blue florals, for example, or horizontal stripes with anchor accents).
You can also add splashes of color and patterns to your dining sets. Pick seasonally appropriate dishes, plates, and table settings like napkins and placemats to enhance the summer vibes.
Lighten Up
A key feature of summer is the delightfully warm weather, which can make sleeping in many layers of bedding too stifling. Swap out the bedding options for light, breezy fabric like cotton or linen, and put the heaviest throws and quilts away.
It might also be an excellent time to trade other heavy fabrics for something lighter. For example, what kind of curtains do you have on the windows? What about the accent rugs? Are they thick and plush or darker in color? Consider trading heavy drapes for sheer curtains to let more natural light into the rental and replacing plush rugs with lighter, woven rugs in a fun color.
Swap Out the Decor
Now that you’ve picked a theme (parrots! Anchors! Lakeside cabin!) add a few pieces of decor to sell it. This might look like a new painting or two in the main living area, a few local tchotchkes here and there, or centerpieces for the dining table that work with your theme.
Another excellent decor piece is a natural one: a bouquet of local flowers. These natural elements are a great way to add something bright and summery to a vacation rental and make a nice gift for your guests. Choose flowers that make sense with your market. In Florida, this might look like Birds of Paradise and palm fronds. It might be a bouquet of peonies or artichoke blooms on the West Coast.
Freshen Up the Landscaping
Like a clean house, a well-kept garden, lawn, or patio signals to guests that their experience matters and the home is well cared for. Give the flower beds a good weed, trim up the lawn, and pull out any plants that have died or gone to seed.
Even if your property is on the small side or in an urban area with limited outdoor space, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden! Windowsill planter boxes or hanging flower baskets will do just fine.
Design an Outdoor Living Area
Summer guests want to spend most of their time outside, so ensure the outdoor space is inviting and functional. Use an outdoor rug and patio furniture to “define” the space. Include plenty of shade options, like patio umbrellas and the like, and enhance the space with outdoor lighting so guests can stay well into the evening. Add a grill or a small contained firepit for ambiance and outdoor cooking options. If you have a pool, make sure it’s clean and ready to use! Even a small patio with a dinette and a portable grill will do the trick.
Just because you don’t have an outdoor space doesn’t mean you can’t emulate one inside! Choose the location in the rental that gets the most natural light and set up a “sunroom.” This could be as simple as a wicker loveseat and ottoman surrounded by houseplants, perhaps with a nice view.
Enhancing your guests’ experience with summery decor can add to their overall impression of the home and your brand. Plus, it can be a fun, creative way to show off your brand’s style and highlight your market.
