Row House Refuge: Furnishing a Vacation Rental

My family has just recently entered the world of renting out a vacation home, our own Airbnb! In our case it is truly a family affair - involving my father, step mother, brother, sister-in-law, my children and my husband - wow! In delegating responsibilities, the furnishing of the home fell to me. While I spend much of my time designing and staging properties, furnishing a vacation rental posed some very different issues. Staged properties are a lot like a Hollywood set, they are meant to create a feeling. However, since no one actually lives in them, they do not need to be practical. On the other hand, a vacation rental's furnishings need to create a feeling AND be practical.

1. First, choose furnishings that reflect the area - if you are at the beach, it would be a little strange to stay in a home with deer antlers and snow skis hanging on the walls. Our cottage is in the North Carolina Mountains so I wanted it to feel like a mountain house - Vacation renters are often looking for an "experience". We also wanted guests to feel welcome and comfortable - this means easy to clean and comfortable furnishings. And ultimately, we didn't want to spend a fortune!

1. Choose practical, sturdy and inexpensive seating. Vacation rentals are tough on furniture, so items need to be cheap and easy to replace. For the family room, I chose an IKEA EKTORP Sofa with a gray slipcover, $499.00 and Joss and Main's Missie Arm Chairs - I really love these chairs they are sturdy and very comfortable (it doesn't hurt that they are far more attractive in person than online).

2. Find an indestructible coffee table - make sure it is large enough to comfortably hold multiple glasses and magazines! I chose Joss and Main's Rowan Coffee Table. This table is all metal and while it is not as sturdy as it appears online, it is attractive and unlikely to be easily damaged - not to mention it is only $187.95.

3. Dining room chairs without fabric. For the dining room I wanted chairs with NO upholstery and something that could be completely wiped down. Joss and Main's Bria Side Chairs were perfect. These Tolix knockoffs are only $276.95 for four chairs. I paired them with a Joss and Main Turell Bench. It is a wonderful bench, long enough to seat 3, comfortable and sturdy. Sadly, it is no longer available on Joss and Main's site.

4. Include some interesting furnishings from the area - something with a little history. The metal cabinet in our entry once resided in my Great Grandmother's Florist shop. It is quirky and unexpected. I paired it with a locally made pottery lamp and antique picture from another Grandmother's home just across the road.

5. Accessorize with local handicrafts, art, and books. Since our home is in the North Carolina mountains we included locally made baskets, checkerboards, salvage itemss and paintings. None were terribly expensive and many were picked up at yard sales or thrift shops, others were handed down in our family. We also included a number of books on the region for guests reading pleasure.

Locally made baskets hang over the kitchen table and sit on the counter of the kitchen. The salvaged transom above the window came out of the 1800's farmhouse that once sat on our farm.

6. Bedding should be comfortable (cotton) and easy to clean. IKEA's NYPONROS gray and white stripe duvet is a perfect choice. At $29,99 for a twin duvet (below), how can you go wrong?

Joss and Main's Gabrielle Quilt Set is soft and easy to clean. A king size quilt with matching king size pillow shams is $91.20 (see below). I paired it with IKEA's Alvine Stra duvet, $49.99.