Interior Design for Rentals & Accommodation Properties
Getting the right style for your rental or accommodation property is essential to make it a continued success. Whether it’s for securing the right customers, setting the best price, minimizing the maintenance, or being more sustainable. When it comes to getting the right interior design for accommodations, there’s plenty to consider.
You may have long term renters, holiday lettings, students, or employee accommodation, but for any type of property you need to balance the right style with the amenities you need; plus any little must-have extras your typical guests likely expect to see.
In this article we’ll help you understand what you need to think about now and for the future, whether you’re at the start of your venture, or refreshing a property’s current interior design.
NOBLE BE33 @ BTS Phrom Phong A.K.A. Japan Town
Choosing the Right Theme and Colors
The first big decision to make is your underlying theme and color choices. This can influence guests’ decision to use your accommodation, as well as the enjoyment of their stay, their reviews, recommendations and possibly repeat business.
Here is where your style has a huge impact on your potential revenue. The most desirable look makes it possible to not only secure greater numbers of bookings through contracts, repeat business and recommendations to others, but can also allow you to increase the amount you charge as a result.
To maximize your chances of success, you need to be sure you truly understand the kind of guests you want to appeal to and expect to stay with you, and then match a theme and color scheme to that target audience. Ask yourself whether they are staying at your property to live, to relax, to work, or to enjoy themselves, then adjust the style to create the perfect personal environment to achieve the right type of space. Going a step further, you should consider the typical age range and profiles of your guests – or even their employers if you’re working with businesses and their staff. Does it match the potential company style, or the tone your guests would expect for their age or budget?
This might seem obvious now, but it’s often overlooked, always remember that you’re designing the accommodation for your guests and not yourself. This a trap that many fall into. You may have your own unique style and want to create an individual space based upon your personality, but try to not impose that on the accommodation at the expense of what’s best for your customers. Find the right balance by putting your own stylish stamp on the place in a way that complements the overall theme.
PARK 24 SHOWROOM (STUDIO) @ BTS Phrom Phong A.K.A. EM-District
Durability & Creating a Style That Lasts
It’s one thing to create an interior design style that looks perfect before your first customer arrives, but it’s quite another to have something that can still look as good to your guests over time. Be sure to think about how long your style will remain fresh and what the impact of wear and tear will be on the look of the accommodation.
Remember, rented properties are rarely treated as well as regular homes. This is something that must be considered with the number of different guests and the less care many will take with something that’s not their own. For example, striking one-of-a-kind statement pieces might have an initial wow factor, but are they practical in the longer term? Can the theme still hold up if a replacement is needed?
One important tip is to be prepared to invest a little more up front on more resilient, but good quality and practical furnishings that last. Consider how to use more durable furniture, linen, flooring and other items without compromising your overall theme, and always plan for replacements and renovations in your continuing budget. Practicing this line of thinking will help you keep your final design more consistent for all guests and reduce spending in the long-term for replacing cheaper or more delicate items.
What Your Guests Need & What They Don’t
Once you have your overall theme set, you’ll need to think about the amenities you’ll be providing too. This is another balancing act in an effort to get things just right.
Obviously, you should always ensure that within your design you include the essentials that your guests would expect to have available. It may cost you and your business in the future if you don’t have the standard amenities that your guests need. Take some time to identify what your typical guests will need either to work, rest or play, and then incorporate those items into your overall design.
However, it’s important not to complicate the style or provide unnecessary extras either. Over-doing what you provide for guests will not only be an expense that could’ve easily been avoided, but could also give guests less space and make them feel that they are paying a higher price for things they don’t need. Understanding the right level of extras to provide is a real skill for accommodation owners to learn, so the sooner you consider it the better.
Don’t feel like you’re being stingy, this is all part of showing your customers that you understand what they need from your accommodation. There’s a clear difference between a lower-budget room like a student hall, where value and durability are key, and luxury accommodation like holiday cottages or apartments for executive travelers, where more is expected.
Knowing your typical customer both inside and out will greatly help you to effectively style your accommodation.
Incorporate Sustainable Solutions
A final thing to consider is sustainability and how environmentally-friendly your accommodation is. It’s an issue of growing importance, and specialist interior design solutions may need to be considered.
Addressing sustainability could be as simple as wanting to reduce the cost and waste to your own business. If this is the case, then incorporating more energy efficient appliances and sustainable materials into your design can help achieve that goal.
Making these changes will also work if they are part of a wider passion towards an ethos of more sustainable values. Whether it’s your own preferred approach personally, or something important to the type of customers you expect to host. Having an environmentally conscious element to your accommodation could set you apart from the competition and increase demand among a growing number of ethically minded customers.
Summary
Every accommodation is different, from the modern and bold to the classic and charming, but the interior design skills needed to make it a success are often the same.
No matter the type of customer, budget, or location, always ensure you’re led by your typical guests and what they need, want, and expect from your property. Ensuring that this consideration is front and center when developing your design will also help you find the right balance between showing your personal style and imposing it.
Lastly, always think long term with your interior design. Making the perfect first impression is important, but always factor in durability, cost, the practicalities of replacement and renovation, and environmentally-friendly factors.
Stick to these rules and you can be confident in bringing the perfect style to life, while running a business that gives your customers the ideal place to stay.
