Creating a Stand-Out Coastal Vacation Rental Home

There are thousands of Coastal Vacation Rental Homes and it's easier than ever to list your home on websites like Airbnb and Vacation Rental By Owner, but how do you make your home stand out and command the best rates? The key factors to getting the best rental rates are beautiful and inviting furnishings that reflect the location's vibe, as well as great photos of the home emphasizing the things that make the home special. It always amazes us to see a home in a beautiful location that hasn't updated their furnishings, sometimes in decades, with dark photos that do nothing to highlight the special features of the home. With rental rates in popular coastal towns ranging from hundreds of dollars per night to thousands of dollars per night, vacationers are looking for a home that has luxurious furnishings and that reflects the relaxed resort-style feel they can see themselves in, enjoying time with friends and family. It is well worth the investment of updating and furnishing a home that can as much as triple the rental rates and greatly increase the bookings.

As interior designers specializing in Coastal Style Homes, we have made it easier than ever for Vacation Rental Owners to furnish their homes with our E-Design Packages. Homeowners don't need to leave the comfort of their homes -  everything can be done remotely. After an in-depth phone design consult, where we learn about you and your vacation rental home, and we have received your home photos with measurements, we begin the design process. Whether you just want one room or an entire house done, we will design each room of your vacation rental home, blending style and function with your vacation home's location, and your budget and timeframe in mind. We will create a home that is luxurious, refined and relaxed. Once we have completed the designs, we will provide floor plans with furniture layouts that make the best use of the space and function well in a vacation rental home, as well as Mood Boards showing the feel of the room with furniture selections, fabrics, rugs, lighting and accessories. We also provide suggestions on updates for the home, including paint colors, wall treatments, flooring, etc. Once furniture selections are approved, we will arrange to have it all delivered and we will be available to assist with placement remotely. We often consolidate deliveries, when there are many items, at a local warehouse in order to make your delivery easy and timesaving, with everything delivered together at one time.

Before and After of Hamptons Vacation Rental Home

Simple changes create Spectacular Results....

Case Study - Before and After: A family that owns a home in the Hamptons and uses the home for themselves and their family, but also rents it out as a vacation rental. It is located on a beautiful tidal cove off the bay and has a sweeping lawn with a pool. The ranch-style home has good bones and features... high ceilings, large sliding glass doors overlooking the water, a fireplace and plenty of bedrooms for a large family. The home had not been updated since the late 1980's and had dark, worn furnishings and an outdated fireplace design with faded peachy-tan walls that made the rooms feel dreary.

After getting to know the owners and talking to them about the updating of their home, they hired us to make their home the dream vacation retreat that they always hoped it would be. They wanted a place that still feels like their home, but also appeals to vacationers. We believe that not only do vacationers want a beautiful home with luxurious furnishings, but they also want a home that has character. A home that incorporates elements that reflect the homes location ... a quiet historical coastal town, rich in maritime history. So, when the homeowner's wanted to include some of their antiques, such as an old spinning wheel, an antique sewing table, an old wood sailor's trunk, an antique map of the area and their collection of classic books, we were more than happy to make use of it all. It is the perfect way to make the home look collected over time and thrill visitors with interesting history. (Afterall, vacationers could get a clean, modern cookie-cutter room at a hotel.) A home is much more than that. It is a chance to live in the local history, a place that brings the nostalgia of years gone bye and a home to make new memories with their children.

We created a furniture layout that best utilized the space and gave much more seating for friends and family. We included a large slipcovered sectional with a chaise lounge that is perfect for a rental because the slipcovers can be removed and easily cleaned. We added an additional slipcover in a light gray performance fabric so that they always have a clean slipcover to use while the other is being cleaned. We placed large club chairs with ottomans and a rattan accent chair for even more seating. We brought natural tones in with a seagrass table, weathered wood end tables and rope lamps. All materials were selected for ease of care and durability, including the beautiful blue indoor/outdoor rug. We incorporated the clients antiques throughout the home and updated the bedrooms and dining room with new paint, high quality mattresses, luxury bedding and mixed new furniture with some of their existing furnishings to keep them on budget. We recommended an update on outdoor furnishings that extends the living space to the outdoors and their spectacular water view. Last, but not least, a hammock to take a nap or read a book in the summer breeze.

The homeowners were ecstatic with the end results. Their home is now in high demand to rent and they are getting a much higher rate. The only thing they now have difficulty with is giving it up for rent instead of using it themselves, but they manage to do both.

Durability, Ease of Care and Comfort

To create your very own Coastal Vacation Rental Retreat, select furniture fabrics that are easily cleaned such as high performance fabrics, durable cotton duck and linen. Slipcovered furniture is ideal for easy cleaning. Indoor/outdoor rugs are made for long lasting durability and are a perfect solution to heavy use. Select quality furniture that won't break easily and last a long time, such as solid wood tables that are not made of particle board or faux wood. You can mix inexpensive smaller pieces of furniture when you invest in larger pieces that get heavy use. Comfortable furniture in neutrals accented with sea inspired colors appeals to most people and creates a serene environment - A coastal retreat that exudes beach house chic.

Simple accessories, like the Blue Cloud Glass Wave Bowl and wood beads add a nice touch and can be done sparingly in a rental with just enough to make the room feel complete. Guests prefer an uncluttered clean look, but not sterile. Crisp plush bedding with White and Blue Pillows will make the bedroom look fresh and inviting. Weathered wood tables that hold up to heavy use are carefree. Create areas to relax and find solitude. Most people have busy lives and what they want most, other than family time, is a place to rejuvenate and have some quiet time. Add a chaise lounge or deep lounge chair with an ottoman to rest or read a book in a cozy nook or by a window. Hang a hammock to create a dreamy setting. The more you make the vacation rental feel like their own home, the more they will appreciate it and care for it like their own.