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When it comes to Airbnb rentals, you’re most likely looking for a place to stay. Depending on how long you intend on staying, you might be looking for a place that has great quality furniture that appeals to you.
But perhaps you’re not the person looking to stay in an Airbnb? What if, instead, you are the owner of the Airbnb? In this case, as an Airbnb owner, there are many things you need to know before you furnish your rented space.
At La-Z-Boy, we know a thing or two about furnishing all kinds of spaces, including rental properties. When it comes to furnishing an Airbnb, La-Z-Boy can offer a range of high-quality, sustainable, and transitional furniture pieces that would thrive in an Airbnb.
To help with this article, Lisa Rolo, the store merchandiser for La-Z-Boy Kingston, has helped put together some furniture tips on how to furnish the perfect Airbnb rental home by using La-Z-Boy furniture.
In This Article…
- Optimize All the Space in Your Airbnb
- Make Sure Your Airbnb Furniture is Multifunctional
- Choose a Theme for Your Airbnb
- Make Sure Your Furniture Appeals to All Age Groups
- Consider Specialty Fabrics for Your Airbnb Furniture
- Consider Your Budget
Some Context Before We Get Started...
Lisa Rolo has been the store merchandiser for La-Z-Boy Kingston for over 10 years but also has experience in staging homes.
With her experience in tackling home staging, she recently was able to help furnish a home for an Airbnb that resides in Yarker, Ontario (about 20 mins away from Kingston).
“The property was originally going to be an investment property for his family, but because the market was so busy, he decided to turn it into an Airbnb instead.”
This new project for Lisa was a bit of a challenge since she had never furnished an Airbnb rental before. So, she did everything she could with the knowledge she had to create the perfect Airbnb for someone to stay in!
Here are the things Lisa learned when furnishing the Airbnb in Yarker…
We hope that Lisa’s experience will provide valuable tips and insight as you furnish your very own Airbnb property!
1. Optimize All the Space in Your Airbnb
Lisa first pointed out that depending on how big the living area is, you want to optimize the space as much as possible. Given that Lisa was furnishing an Airbnb that could house up to 10 people, she made sure to have as many seats as possible in the living areas.
With this, Lisa’s living room arrangement consisted of a large sectional sofa and several accent chairs.
“I could’ve gone with a small sectional sofa,” she says, “But I [also] felt as though the accent chairs helped make the living room look nicer.”
Accent chairs help create an eye-popping room with an additional pattern or colour. To learn more about our Best Selling Accents Chairs, take a look at this article.
Another reason why she put a lot of different seats in the living room was that she was trying to take advantage of the space the place had. “It wouldn’t be ideal for an Airbnb to look empty, so I made sure that no space was left untouched,” she said.
She also said that she made sure to have accent tables along with accent chairs to optimize the space, as well as a coffee table that was big enough to accommodate multiple guests.
When adding multiple pieces of furniture to a new space, it is always important to Measure Your Space, which you can learn more about with this article.
2. Make Sure Your Airbnb Furniture is Multifunctional
When it came to the type of furniture used to furnish the apartment, Lisa said that multifunctional furniture items were key.
Multifunctional furniture items are essential because “It means that a space like a living room can facilitate many different human needs,” as Lisa says.
Because of this, most of the furniture items mentioned in the previous section serve more than just one need of a guest. For example, Lisa chose the Scarlett High-Leg Recliner for accent chairs because they can secretly recline and are very versatile in style.
You can learn more about the Scarlett High-Leg Recliner by checking out this review article.
Lisa also went with a Sofa Bed instead of a regular sofa because it allows for extra overnight guests which helps with sleeping arrangements. This can ultimately increase the value of the Airbnb for the owner.
At the time, Lisa went with the Twilight Sleeper Sofa, however, this item is currently discontinued. Given that the Twilight is now discontinued, the Kennedy Sleeper Sofa is a great alternative.
“I honestly believe that any sleeper sofa is a good choice because of its multifunctionality. But i’d still keep in mind that the furniture you choose should appeal to a lot of different age groups,” she says.
Lisa also mentioned that she had also purchased the Laurel Chair & a Half for the Airbnb because it not only seats one person but it seats two people.
You can learn more about the Laurel Chair & a Half by checking out this review article. If the Laurel doesn’t appeal to you, check out La-Z-Boy’s 5 Best-Selling Chair & a Halfs.
In terms of coffee and accent tables, Lisa made sure to go with options that could hold some kind of storage items. She also said that ottomans with storage are great choices if you decide to go with stationary furniture but still want guests to have the ability to kick their feet up.
To learn more about La-Z-Boy Ottomans and Coffee Tables with Storage, take a look at these articles. The case goods that La-Z-Boy offers are from our corporate subdivisions at Hammary, Kincaid, and American Drew.
Further, on the subject of dining room furniture, Lisa decided to go with the East Side Collection from the La-Z-Boy collaborator, Canadel Custom Dining. “I went with East Side furniture because they have long extension tables for multiple guests and it was on theme with the decor,” she says.
Finally, you want to make sure that everything in the Airbnb space has a function. For example, Lisa put a lot of comfortable items in the home like blankets and pillows because it was close to a lakefront. “If the items in your home don’t serve a purpose, it won’t make sense,” she says.
3. Choose a Theme for Your Airbnb
When furnishing an Airbnb, you might consider following a theme to entice guests to stay at your place, says Lisa.
There are many different themes that people can go with, but Lisa recommends going with a theme that isn’t too complicated and can make anyone interested.
For her theme, Lisa decided to go with a beachfront theme with some industrial accents, since the place she was furnishing was a lakehouse. With this, she decided to go with light colours with splashes of blue and green to represent nature and water.
There were also decorations that were centred around nature-themed items, as well as curtains that were coloured blue. These natural elements and colour palettes are likely to attract guests given that incorporating nature is a popular design trend. Further, you can learn more about trending colours by checking out our article on Colour Trends for 2022.
“I also wanted to go with an area rug, but we didn’t have enough time to find one that fit the theme,” she says. Keep in mind that decor items like Area Rugs can be effective design elements in bringing a design theme to life. To learn more about the Area Rug Selection at La-Z-Boy, check out this article.
4. Make Sure Your Furniture Appeals to All Age Groups
While the furniture selection that Lisa chose stayed on theme with the area of the lakehouse, she was also able to appeal to a wide variety of age groups.
When furnishing an Airbnb rental, you want to make sure that the furniture not only appeals to people your age, but to people of multiple age groups. After all, the more open your furniture is to a wide range of age groups, the more guests you will attract.
Lisa says she chose the Scarlett, the Twilight, and the Laurel furniture pieces because they can all comfortably seat anyone with an average height, as well as many different body types.
Another thing to point out is that all of these furniture pieces are stationary furniture items. The reason being is that reclining furniture is not meant for everyone. For example, if you are someone that has mobility issues, it might be harder to get in and out of reclining furniture safely and comfortably.
5. Consider Specialty Fabrics for Your Airbnb Furniture
As previously mentioned, you never know who will show up to stay in your Airbnb, so you must prepare yourself for anything. This involves possibly investing in specialty fabrics and leathers that protect your furniture from damage or abuse.
Lisa did not use any specialty fabrics for her Airbnb rental, but it was highly recommended. “We ended up not going with any specialty fabrics because we were trying to hit a deadline and getting specialty fabrics is very time-consuming,” she says.
In further explanation, specialty fabric is a customization and customized furniture has a longer lead time than in-stock furniture items.
With that being said, La-Z-Boy has a wide range of fabrics and leathers to choose from, including over 800 upholstery covers. The following specialty fabrics are offered at La-Z-Boy…
- Stain Resistant: Innovative iClean Technology surrounds each fabric fibre, creating a barrier that repels spills before turning into stains.
- Pet Friendly: Tested and formulated to withstand the scratches and wear that a pet can cause to ensure a durable and easily washable fabric.
- Antimicrobial: Antimicrobial properties surround each fibre to protect against mould, mildew and odour-causing bacteria.
- Performance: Superior stain and fade resistance properties make fabrics easy to clean and incredibly durable.
- Eco-Friendly: Conserve Sustainable Fabrics are soft, durable and made from recycled water bottles.
La-Z-Boy also has an extensive range of leathers to choose from. To learn more about our La-Z-Boy Leather Selection, check out this article.
6. Consider Your Budget
Purchasing an Airbnb rental property is an investment and so should the furniture that you fill it with. Given that furniture can be a significant expense, it is important to determine a realistic budget.
If you're intent on purchasing La-Z-Boy furniture for your Airbnb, Lisa understands that La-Z-Boy products can be considered expensive. “Some people may look at our prices and freak out thinking ‘this is crazy expensive,’” she says.
but, it is important to remember that purchasing La-Z-Boy furniture is a long-lasting investment. Our furniture is quality-crafted with longevity in mind, meaning you won’t have to replace the furniture in your Airbnb frequently.
It is also important to keep in mind that La-Z-Boy offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty that comes with our furniture, as well as an optional 5 Year Protection Plan to further protect your furniture. The Protection Plan is especially encouraged if your furniture is for an Airbnb home.
What's Next?
Lisa leaves us with some final thoughts: do not overcomplicate things!
“You might feel stuck with how to furnish your Airbnb but always remember to take a deep breath and do not overthink your process,” she says.
Now that you have read our useful tips on how to furnish an Airbnb rental home with La-Z-Boy furniture, it is time to furnish an Airbnb of your own!
If you do decide to go with La-Z-Boy furniture, why not come shop for some furniture products today?
You can start shopping by visiting one of our local showrooms located in Ottawa or Kingston. You can also schedule a visit online before coming in.
Our design consultants are always eager to lend a helping hand. Take advantage of our interior design services to see how our furniture could fit in your rental home.
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