Airbnb & Holiday Rental Styling: How to Style a Property That Books Out Fast
Good holiday rental styling, for an Airbnb or any short stay, comes down to one rule: invest where guests spend their time and save where they don’t. That means investing in the living space, the outdoor entertaining area and the beds, keeping the rest simple, and choosing timeless, hard-wearing pieces over whatever is trending this year. A holiday rental is judged twice: first in a handful of listing photos, then in person by guests who will review how closely the stay matched the pictures. Good styling has to work for both. It needs to photograph beautifully, suit the location and the guests you want to attract, and still look good after a full summer of sandy feet, wet towels and suitcases. Here is how we approach it at Unfolded.
In short:
Put the budget into the spaces guests use most: the living area, outdoor entertaining and the beds.
Save on secondary bedrooms, accessories and anything that will need replacing regularly anyway.
Timeless pieces mean you are not swapping furniture out every time a trend moves on.
Style for the location and the guest you want, so the stay matches the photos and the reviews follow.
“A holiday home has to work harder than your own home. It needs to look beautiful in a photo, and still look beautiful long after forty different families have stayed in it.”
Where should you invest in holiday rental styling?
Invest in the areas that get the most use: living spaces, outdoor entertaining and beds. The living area is usually the hero image on a listing and the room where a group spends its evenings, so the sofa, the dining table and the lighting need to be comfortable, generous and well made. Outdoor entertaining matters just as much in a coastal rental. A proper outdoor table, seating for everyone the home sleeps and a barbecue are what turn a place to stay into a holiday. A BBQ sits in the ten amenities guests search for most on Airbnb.
Beds are the third place to spend. Guests will forgive a plain bedside table. They will not forgive a bad night’s sleep, and it is one of the first things to show up in a review. A quality mattress, good pillows and simple, layered bedding in every bedroom will do more for your ratings than any amount of decorative styling. If the budget only stretches to one upgrade per bedroom, this is the one to choose.
Where can you save?
Save on the things guests barely notice and the things that will be replaced regularly regardless of what you pay. Secondary bedrooms need a great bed, bedside tables, a rug, a mirror, good lighting and somewhere to put a suitcase. Accessories, cushions, glassware and towels take the most wear in a rental, so choose them to be simple, consistent and easy to reorder. Fewer, larger decorative pieces also read better in photos and make changeovers faster for your cleaners.
Invest
Save
Sofa and living room seating
Secondary bedroom furniture
Dining table and chairs that seat every guest
Cushions, throws and small accessories
Outdoor dining, seating and a barbecue
Glassware, crockery and towels
Mattresses, pillows and bedding
Decorative objects and shelf styling
Lighting in the main living spaces
Artwork in bedrooms and hallways
Why do timeless pieces outperform trends in a holiday rental?
Timeless pieces outperform trends because you only buy them once. Furnish a rental around this year’s look and you will be replacing perfectly good furniture in two or three years, simply because the trend has moved on and the listing now looks dated beside newer ones. A considered base of natural materials, a calm palette and well-proportioned furniture keeps photographing well year after year. If you want the home to feel fresh, that can come from the inexpensive layer: cushions, bedding and a few accessories that are easy to update.
“If you buy for the trend, you will be buying again when the trend changes. I would rather you spend once on pieces that still look right in five years. And we’re here to help with that.”
Camilla Ingall, Unfolded
How do you style for the location and the guest?
Start with where the property is and who you want staying in it. A beach house booked by families needs robust fabrics, plenty of seating and somewhere for wet towels. A couples’ retreat can be softer and more layered. At Unfolded, our holiday rental styling is designed to suit the existing environment and your target guest, so the home feels like it belongs where it is. On the coast, that usually means a relaxed, natural feel that nods to the setting without filling every shelf with shells and anchors. You can see the same thinking in our coastal projects at Macmasters Beach and The Esplanade, Ettalong.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use an interior designer to style an Airbnb or holiday rental property?
Yes. Unfolded offers specialist styling for Airbnb and holiday rental properties. We work with you to style the home to suit its location and the guests you want to attract, sourcing furniture, artwork, rugs and accessories that look beautiful in listing photos and stand up to regular use.
What should I spend the most on when furnishing a holiday rental?
Spend the most on the areas guests use most: the living space, outdoor entertaining and the beds. These shape both the listing photos and the reviews. Secondary bedrooms, accessories and everyday items like towels and glassware are where you can comfortably spend less
When should you call an interior designer for an Airbnb?
When you are furnishing from scratch, when the budget needs to be prioritised carefully, or when a listing is underperforming and you are not sure why. Bringing a designer in early means the money goes into the right places the first time, so the home photographs well, lasts longer and keeps booking.
How often should a holiday rental be restyled?
If the main furniture is timeless and well made, a full restyle should rarely be needed. Plan instead for a light refresh of soft furnishings, bedding and accessories every year or two, and replace worn items as they come up, so the home always matches its photos. Swapping out artwork is also an easy way to bring a fresh character and colour to the space without replacing any furniture.
Is it better to follow trends or keep a holiday rental neutral?
Keep the foundation timeless and let personality come through in the details. Trend-led furniture dates quickly and costs more to replace. A calm, considered base with a few distinctive pieces gives the home character in photos without locking you into a look that will not last.
Let’s Talk
At Unfolded, our process starts with sitting down with you and going through the materials before anything is bought. We look at how each fabric, finish and surface will hold up to sandy feet, wet towels and a full summer of guests, so every piece you invest in is chosen to last. If you have a holiday home in Sydney or Central Coast that is about to be listed, or one that is not booking the way you hoped, get in touch and we can go through where to invest and where to save.
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