What’s your mountain house fantasy? Mine includes a crackling fire, a snuggly blanket, cozy socks, and a great book. It’s well-earned spiked hot chocolate, pom-pom hats, and silly conversations with friends around the fire pit after a day of skiing, snowshoeing, or hiking. It’s making the pups wear adorable sweaters.
Whether a tiny cozy cabin in the woods or a luxurious ski chalet, a mountain Airbnb should live up to the fantasy that the idea of a trip to your area evokes. There are no rules about style; your interpretation can be mid-century modern, early American cabin, or luxury lodge. Regardless of style, the important thing is that your listing photos put your ideal guest in that dreamy state of mind.
Sounds great, right? So how do you do it? I’m so glad you asked! Here’s how to use interior design and decor to create the perfect mountain vacation rental experience.
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Table of Contents
Know your ideal guests
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know we’re always telling you to know your best customer. The idea is that you want to do your best to attract the kind of renters you want, whether that’s families, couples, friend groups, or business travelers. That’s certainly the case for your mountain house interior design plan.
This is how it works. Say your cozy cabin is perfect for couples. Up the romance factor by playing up special features like fireplaces or hot tubs, including upgrades like a spa bath for two when you remodel, and styling beds to look super inviting. On the other hand, if groups of skiers are your best bookers, think about how you can maximize heads in beds. Does it mean designing a bunk room for adults, using benches at your dining table to accommodate the most seating, or adding a boot room to your design plan? Design your space to be exactly what your ideal guest is dreaming of, and show it in your listing photos.
If your Airbnb is new and you’re not yet sure who your ideal guests would be, start with a little research on your competitors. Find properties that are similar to yours, and look at those that charge a nightly fee you would love to get, and that have great reviews and full calendars. Who are they targeting? What could you do better? Is there a gap in the market that you could fill?
Bergaliv Landscape Hotel | Architect: Hanna Michelson, Tham & Videgård Arkitekter | Via: Dezeen
Embrace the great outdoors
Make the most of views
If you’re lucky enough to have amazing views, play them up. If possible, make sure you can see stunning scenery from as many places as possible, especially if you can see it from your entry. Arrange furniture for maximum sightlines, and choose window coverings that allow your guests to easily open everything up.
Note that with a few exceptions, I don’t recommend skipping window coverings altogether. Your guests deserve privacy and the option to block out light and glare. You deserve to be as efficient with your heating and cooling as possible. This is especially important in bedrooms. Even if the view is amazing, your guests will feel uneasy at best and pissed off at worst with bare windows.
Be sure to play up those amazing views outside, too. Cozy seating areas, safe firepits, and steamy spas look super inviting in listing photos, especially if you style them with blankets, pillows, and warm beverages.
Show a sense of place
Chances are, there’s a lot that’s special about your location. Show it with regional art, wildlife prints, handmade local pottery, or antique signs. You can look for these even if you don’t live near your vacation rental; just search for your area on Etsy. You might be surprised at what comes up.
Natural materials are a must
There’s a reason wood beams, stone fireplaces, and reclaimed wood are popular in mountain house design: they look great! How you use these materials is up to you, natural doesn’t always mean rustic.
If you’re starting with a space that’s lacking in these types of features, think about how you could layer them in. Could you add some wood paneling, quirky wallpaper, an electric fireplace, or stone tile? You don’t need to go full lodge here, think focal points first and go from there.
Natural materials can make for some excellent decor, too. Think cool twisty branches mounted to the wall as art, dried flowers or grasses in vases, or cool rocks on display. A little goes a long way here, one or two accents will look special, but a whole house full of outside stuff can start to look unhinged.
But avoid all dark or all-brown (or all dark brown) rooms
The most common mistake I see when people furnish their mountain cabins is that they mistake cozy for dark. Wood paneling is a common feature, and it can be lovely, but it can also be tricky to design a room that photographs well with wood walls.
That’s especially true if the paneling is vintage and has turned orange or if it has a thick coat of glossy varnish. If the paneling is in good condition otherwise, you can update it by giving it a good sanding, using a transparent white or light gray stain if the wood has gotten too orange or red, and using a matte sealer.
Good photos require good lighting, preferably natural light. White walls bounce that natural light around, and dark ones absorb it, so if you’re sticking with dark walls, whether wood or painted, do it deliberately.
If you’ve got plenty of natural light, great, you’re most of the way there. If you don’t, that’s okay. You can still go dark but make sure to add good lighting with a mix of ambient, task, and decorative lights. In a living room, for example, you might have a couple of recessed lights for ambient light, interesting wall sconces for decorative light, and a reading lamp near a chair for task light. Choose bright lighting and put it on a dimmer. Your older guests will appreciate the choice to brighten things up, and your housekeepers will need full blast to do a good job.
Good photos also need contrast, so be sure to add it with your furnishings and art. Make furniture pop choosing light and/or bright colors, break up walls with large pieces of bright art, or (gasp) painting some of that wood. Do this, especially if none of your competitors are, because your listing photos will be a breath of fresh mountain air in comparison.
Show all seasons
If you’ve got all four seasons at your location, show them (or at least three of them, spring/summer, fall, and winter). Photograph your vacation rental when the plants are at their greenest in the spring/summer, when the autumn leaves are at their best, and when the snow is picture-perfect. Try to figure out when people are booking for those seasons and change out your listing photos when appropriate.
If possible, change up your decor seasonally, too. It doesn’t take much to add some (faux) wildflowers in the summer, cozy fall decor, or winter charm. You don’t have to do it every year, but you sure should when you’re getting ready for the photographer. After all, you want those low-season rentals, too, don’t you?
Capitalize on outdoor activities
What do people like to do at your mountain vacation rental? Ski, snowshoe, mountain biking or hiking? Think about what you can do to make those activities easier, like providing storage for ski gear, a mud room to take off snowy or wet boots and gear, or a wash station outside for muddy bikes. It will make both your guests and your housekeeper happy.
Activities can be another fun way to decorate your mountain house. Think antique skis, sleds, or snow shoes, posters from national parks, hiking trail maps as art, or wildlife identification posters. Not sure where to find such things? Local shops or Etsy, of course.
Looking Glass Lodge | Photo: Tom Bird | Architect: Michael Kendric Architects | Via: Dezeen
Layer in classic mountain house vibes
Make it cozy.
Cozy textiles, such as soft woven blankets, fluffy pillows, and warm cotton throws, are essential for creating a comfortable ambiance in your mountain vacation rental and a cheap and effective way to incorporate color into your decor. Fabrics with lots of texture, like nubby wool, chunky knits, and velvet add inviting tactile appeal that shines through even in photos.
Keep it comfy.
When you’re choosing furniture for your mountain house, avoid anything that could be described as fussy or formal. Go for deep seating and coffee tables that can withstand feet, and avoid anything that needs to be polished. Vintage accents can be a great fit, but save the pricey antiques for your personal home.
Go rustic.
Rustic accents are a staple of mountain decor, and for a good reason. These elements, such as wooden beams, stone fireplaces, and rough-hewn furniture, will make your rental homey and inviting. When buying a sofa for your vacation rental, you can consider using materials like top grain leather – not only is it durable, but you’ll have one less thing to worry about when it comes to protecting the furniture in your pet-friendly vacation rental since it is easy to clean.
Infuse your decor with personality
Just because a mountain vacation rental should feel – well, like everything I described above – doesn’t mean it has to be serious all the time. So, feel free to let your personality shine through in your decor choices. Whether it’s a funky lamp, a colorful piece of wall art, or a playful throw pillow, a little bit of whimsy can go a long way. It will add a dash of playfulness to the space and make your guests feel relaxed.
One of my favorite ways to decorate a rental on a budget as well as add some personality is to go vintage. Just imagine an Instagram-worthy listing photo featuring a vintage rocking chair draped with a hand-knit throw in front of a window showcasing your killer view. Sold!
Photo: Ema Peter Photography | Architect: Mark Burkart, Little Giant Studio | Via: Clever
Choose lighting carefully
Mountain house lighting needs to be soft and moody, not too dark and not too bright. Don’t rely on overhead lighting alone, even if it’s on dimmers (and it should be on dimmers). Add accent and decorative lighting with table and floor lamps, wall sconces, and even string lights to up the style and charm and to achieve just-right lighting.
Don’t forget about storage space
Mountain vacations often involve outdoor activities like hiking, biking, skiing, and more, which means your guests will have a lot of gear to store. If you’ve got room, provide secure storage space so guests can unpack everything and keep your place tidy. One client I consulted with added a bike washing station and a lockable bike garage to the back of his cabin because mountain bikers were his main guests. It was a relatively simple addition that showed that he really understood what his guests needed. Think about ways to manage all the gear your guests will bring with them. It will keep your guests happier and your floors cleaner.
Enjoy the fantasy
Lucky for you, one of the best ways to make your vacation rental perfect for your guests is to stay at your place yourself! Make sure you visit during both the winter and spring, and do all the fun things your guests will be doing. It’s for work! That way, you can really see what’s working and what could use improvement, and you can give your guests expert advice about things to do during their stay.
Want to really impress your guests? Check out these 39 Airbnb amenities they will absolutely love.
Need help with designing the vacation rental of your dreams? Book a free chat with me so we can talk about it over a cup of coffee.
