If you own a vacation rental property (or are looking to invest in one), you know that designing a short-term rental cottage that stands out from the competition is key to attracting renters and earning repeat business. With the growing popularity of short-term rentals and Airbnb properties, it's important to create a space that not only looks beautiful but is also functional and comfortable for guests.
In this article, we'll provide you with expert tips and insights on how to design a short-term rental cottage that will have guests raving and coming back year after year. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to update an existing space, this guide will provide you with the inspiration you need to create a truly exceptional vacation home.
Start with the Basics
Before you start decorating, make sure you have all the basics in place. This includes…
1. Light Fixtures
Review all of the lighting in your kitchen and identify when it was last updated? This includes your eating area, above your island (if applicable), and above the sink. As a general rule, if the light fixtures have not been installed within the past 10 years, they will likely need to be replaced. If the light fixtures are the original ones that the builder installed, they should likely be replaced.
Here is what not to do:
DO
Provide information regarding your style
This may be magazine photos, Pinterest pins, or physical samples – you don’t even have to know what you like about something, but the more information that you can provide to your designer, the better
Provide Samples
If you have already selected any renovation materials, be sure to have samples of those items available for your designer
Provide Creative Autonomy
This is something that many homeowners struggle with – remember that you hired your designer for their expert, professional opinion, and there may be times where you will need to trust them to take you outside of your comfort zone.
Our goal is to integrate your style with our expertise to create a design plan that you will love for years to come. The more autonomy that we have, the easier it is to create this, but we want to ensure that we do so with your trust and understanding – if at any time you do not feel that you are being heard, or are not comfortable with a decision that has been made, be sure to address it as soon as possible to avoid any issues or unnecessary costs.
It’s all in our head - we understand that you may not always be able to see what we see! Sometimes, you may simply need to take a leap of faith and trust, but if this is something that you are not capable of, ask, and we will do our best to provide a visual representation of our vision.
Cleaning Odors from Your Cutting Board (and hands)
Coffee Ice Cubes
What To Do With Bad Bananas
How to Control Pepper Grinds
Keeping Onions Fresh
All plants will have somewhat varying instructions for planting. These should be printed on the back of the packages of seeds. Be sure to read through these carefully before you begin. This year I chose to plant beans, peas, carrots, cucumbers, and rosemary. I noted when reading through that peas are actually safe to plant directly outdoors, prior to last frost. All others were planted in pots according to their directions.
Water your seeds daily. After a few days, the seeds will start to germinate. Once you start to see some signs of plant-life, you can use some plant food if you like. Allow a couple of weeks for the plants to grow to a reasonable size before moving outdoors, ensuring that the chances of frost are minimal. The beauty of the peat moss pots is that these can be planted directly into the soil, no transferring required. Plant according to directions on the seed packages again, careful to lay out the plants based on available sunlight and their needs. For plants that grow into the ground, such as carrots, poke a few holes in the bottom of the pot to allow it to break through easily. Continue to water regularly. By summer, you’ll have a thriving, healthy garden!
Tools You’ll Need
Making The Wreath
Next, wrap the whole wreath in one of the ribbons that you’ve chosen. I chose the green lace, and decided it would make the most sense to do this before attaching the remaining flowers. Use the glue gun to secure the lace to the wreath in it’s last loop around. Wrapping the lace in this way provided the wreath with even more stability, and gave it a great background colour to work with. Continue to attach flowers and/or butterflies or other accessories with kraft wire around the wreath until it is as full as you desire.
The Finishing Touches
