If you’ve got a tiny place to host on Airbnb, you’ve got a golden ticket to every experience-seeking Guest’s heart & it’s a good idea to gather up some inspiration & small Airbnb ideas to get that space looking cute, cozy and irresistible!
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Small is a novelty these days when it comes to Airbnbs and whether you have a tiny home, a studio apartment in the city, a cozy little cabin in the woods, you’ve got a unique opportunity to provide a guest experience like no other.
Small spaces can be a challenge to work with, but if you tap in to your creative brain, it can be a really fun undertaking. Many of my own Airbnb listings are studio apartments, and I’ve acquired a few great small Airbnb ideas along the way. In this post I’ll share with you some of my secrets to how to layout, furnish, decorate, and optimize a small space for the best Guest experience.
This post is all about small Airbnb ideas.
BEST SMALL AIRBNB IDEAS:
Embrace Your Tiny Space: Small Airbnb Decor Ideas
With the trends of tiny homes and minimalism still going strong, small spaces are what guests are loving, and if you do it right, your small Airbnb can be a hit. As you embrace your tiny space, it can be helpful to narrow in on and commit to a design style.
The Minimalist Design Style
Minimalism is not only the trending idea that embraces a life of more meaning with less, but it’s also a design style. Lucky for us Airbnb hosts, it’s easy to achieve this look, guests love it, AND it’s easy on your furnishing and decor budget.
The minimalist design style focuses on simplicity and function by using neutral colors, a less-is-more approach, and limited decor. Everything has a place and a purpose. Minimalism is great when you’re tight on space because you can still achieve an open, spacious look even if you don’t have a large space.
Guests who’ll Love this Style:
- Remote Workers
- Traveling Professionals
- VFR Travelers (Visiting Friends & Relatives)
- Tourists
The Maximalist Design Style
If a minimalist style won’t work for you, why not swing the pendulum to the other extreme and go for a maximalist look! Heres why. Maximalism can be just as great look for a small place because it can give that cozy, surrounded look and feel that experience-seeking guests are after.
This style is characterized by layers, texture, fun colors, patterns, and lots of accessories. The maximalist look is not easy to pull off, but if you can, it can be a fun, inspiring, and ultra-cozy look that guests will love.
Guests who’ll Love this Style:
- Tourists
- Vacationers
- Staycationers
- Remote Workers
Swap Kitchen Appliances out for Mini Versions
While it is nice to have kitchen appliances and cooking basics for guests who like to cook, the reality is that most guests won’t use them or will use them very little. If your Airbnb has a kitchen with large appliances, consider swapping them out for mini versions (or in some cases, go without them altogether).
You’ll be amazed what you can do with the added space. Plus, mini appliances are simply adorable and add to that “tiny space” feel we are going for.
Midi-Sized fridge
Swap out your large refrigerator for a midi-sized one. These adorable retro ones are the perfect size for what a guest would need and they are just so cute!
Mini Stove
There are also some adorable mini stoves on the market, both classic and retro style. Most guests won’t be doing any substantial amount of cooking on the stove and wont mind a smaller version.
This old small gas stove came with the property at our one bedroom cottage, and at first I thought we’d replace it. After spending some time in the space, I grew to actually like the mini stove. It just fit the space well and was actually really charming!
Go Stove-less
Your small Airbnb may not have a kitchen. But if it does, that doesn’t mean you are required to have every kitchen appliance! Most basic hotel rooms are equipped only with a coffee maker & mini fridge-maybe a microwave if you’re lucky. Going without a stove is not out of the question. But if you choose to go stove-less, you might opt to add some of these convenient amenities:
- Toaster Oven
- Keurig
- Electric Water Kettle
- French Press
Be Strategic with your Furnishings
Less usually is more in a small space, so think through what is necessary to provide. You don’t want to clutter your rooms too much, but you also want to provide furnishings that are useful to your guests and work well in the space.
Its also helpful to think through your target market/guest and what their wants or needs are. Are you in a vacation market? A Metropolitan market? Will guests be working remotely from your space?
Create a Lounge Area instead of a Couch
One of the most commonly requested amenities from my guests is not what I imagined it would be…..a reading chair. I was surprised to discover from guest feedback that many would prefer a comfortable chair over a couch.
If you’re working with a small space and wondering how you’re going to cram all the obligatory living space furnishings in, consider ditching the sofa and instead create a sitting are with one or two chairs.
Give the Coffee is Own Station
One way to de-clutter a small kitchen space is to move appliances like the coffee maker or microwave off the countertop and into a different room. You can do this by creating a coffee station with a cart or table.
Use a Slim Bar top for Your Dining space
A bar top table can be a game changer for a small Airbnb if you’ve got limited space for a dining area. The height, minimalist design, and open bottom of this bar table helps keep a clear and open look in the space. Whats great is that you can also position them to face inward, as shown in this photo, creating additional living room seating
Bar tops can also be a great option for a small workspace if you want to provide one but are short on space for a desk. It helps to make sure you’re placed near an outlet for convenience of plugging in devices.
Use Vertical Space
You’ve probably heard this phrase before when it comes to working with small spaces, and for good reason. When you open up your mind to what you can do with your vertical space, the possibilities are endless and you can come up with some really creative ideas. Here are some great examples.
Hang a Ladder to Create a Bedside Essentials Station
Bed placement can be a challenge in a small airbnb bedroom, and you might find yourself in the predicament of putting the bed up against the wall on one side. While this is bound to cause a fight or two between partners over who gets which side of the bed, its completely doable, AND theres a way to make it totally functional for the wall-side slumberer.
If you look closely at this bed setup, you’ll see the adorable bedside essentials station created with a wire basket attached to a decorative ladder on the wall. You could even toss a magazine or book over one of the rungs to mark your spot.
Mount Your TV
Not really out of the box, but just in case you needed this idea, its here! Once you’ve decided to mount your TV, now think about what you can do with that added space. You might add in extra seating, your workspace, or put your coffee/microwave station here.
Hang Wall Sconces
Another great way to use your vertical space is by hanging wall sconces. These can be a great option for bedside if you don’t have room for a bedside table lamp.
5. Details Matter: Make a Place for Everything
As an Airbnb host, we need to be constantly thinking about guest experience- down to every finishing touch and detail. Here are some thing you don’t want to forget about when setting up your small Airbnb.
Hooks Everywhere
Hooks are life-changing little pieces of joy for anyone who like to keep their space tidy- including your guests. Think about all the items your Guest could hang from the moment the come through your door and where would be an ideal place to hang them. Here are all the hooks you need in your small Airbnb:
- Coat rack near the entrance
- Key hooks near entryway
- Plenty of towel Hooks in the bathroom
- Extra hooks in the bathroom for clothing or a hanging toiletry bag
- Hooks in the bedroom for a towel, robe or extra clothing
Use Lots of Mirrors
Not only do mirrors bounce light around to create a more open look, they are an extremely useful part of the guest experience.
Think about placing a full-length mirror in the bedroom or near the entry way so guests can check their outfit before heading out to town.
It’s also a good idea to place a large mirror elsewhere in your space where one guest could do makeup and such while another guest is in the bathroom.
Add a Phone Charging Station
After a long day of travel, a guest checking in is going to get settled and look for a place to charge up their devices. Have a clear designated spot with USB charging ports where they can easily toss their charger.
Make sure you also have a phone charging station in the bedroom. If your bedroom is too small to have bedside table, you can put it on a dresser, desk, or other surface nearby. Here are some options for phone charging stations:
This post wall all about Small Airbnb Ideas
If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like: The Complete Host’s Guide: How to Decorate an Airbnb on a Budget
