Decorating an Airbnb apartment starts with a clear plan for how the space will look, feel and work for guests. The property’s size, natural light, setting and existing features should guide your choices, alongside the time and budget available for the work.
These four steps can help you organise a refresh, from choosing a consistent style to arranging the furniture and finishing touches. If you are furnishing the property from scratch, use our Airbnb furnishing checklist alongside the plan.
1. Choose a style and plan the room
Start with the building rather than a list of decorative objects. Look at the features worth keeping, the light at different times of day and the rooms guests will use most. A small city apartment and a rural retreat may call for different choices, but both benefit from a consistent approach.
Create a short mood board with a few colours, materials and furniture shapes that work together. Use it to compare purchases, without feeling that every piece has to match exactly. Try paint and material samples in the apartment before committing: a finish can look different beside the flooring or under evening lighting.
Measure the rooms and mark the intended furniture positions before decorating. Include the full bed-frame footprint, the space needed to open drawers and wardrobe doors, and the route from the entrance to each room. Planning these details early helps you decide where the furniture will sit and how guests will move around it.
2. Prepare walls and ceilings
Check the condition of the surfaces before choosing colours or coverings. Preparation and any necessary repairs come before the decorative finish. If the project involves other building work, agree the sequence with the people carrying it out so finished surfaces are protected.
Choose paint or wallpaper for the room’s use as well as its appearance. In areas that will need frequent cleaning, check the product’s cleaning and care instructions. Compare samples beside the furniture and flooring you intend to retain.
A restrained palette can make it easier to coordinate adjoining rooms. Stronger colour can work as an accent, through a wall, artwork or textiles. Let the room’s light and proportions guide the choice rather than applying the same formula everywhere.
3. Choose flooring for appearance and upkeep
Consider the likely foot traffic, cleaning routine, comfort underfoot and sound between rooms. Carpet, timber, tiles and other finishes each have practical advantages and care requirements. Compare suitable options for the particular room, including maintenance and installation costs.
Bring flooring samples into the apartment and check them beside the chosen wall colours and furniture finishes. If the existing floor is in good condition, retaining it may make sense. A rug can introduce texture or define a seating area, provided it sits securely and leaves clear walking routes.
4. Arrange furniture and add the finishing touches
Use the layout planned at the start to position the main furniture first. Check that the room still has comfortable circulation once the bed, seating and storage are in place. The Airbnb furniture-selection guide covers the questions to ask when comparing individual pieces.
In a bedroom, balance the bed with useful bedside space and storage suited to the stays you expect to host. Leave room for guests’ belongings as well as the items supplied with the property. Consider how the room will be cleaned and the bed made between stays.
Then add lighting, bedding, curtains and a small number of decorative details that support the chosen style. These finishing touches can bring warmth and character without filling every surface. Check the room in daylight and in the evening, and review the finished space from a guest’s point of view before taking listing photographs.
Plan your bedroom furniture with Revival Beds
Revival Beds has been making wooden beds and bedroom furniture in Nottinghamshire since 1983. Explore our wooden beds and solid wood bedroom furniture, or book a showroom visit to discuss your plans. You can also request wood samples to compare finishes in your apartment.
