Have you ever attempted to furnish a room only to find that there’s no good place to put a bed, a dresser, or a television? Had a kitchen that was frustrating to use? Struggled to figure out just where to store extra linens and towels so that your guests won’t use every single one during a 3-night stay?
As a designer, it’s frustrating to deal with these problems knowing that they could have been prevented if someone had taken a little more care in the drawing and planning phase of a remodel or new build.
Experience allows me to look at a set of plans and know how they will work in real life. I can visualize awkward door swings, off-center windows, not enough storage, and unattractive focal points, among many other things, long before a sledgehammer hits a wall.
Most designers can do this, but when I review drawings for vacation rentals, I’m looking for more than just architectural bad ideas. I’m looking for the things that help my clients end up with beautiful photos, safe and happy guests, happy housekeepers, and higher profits.
Planning a remodel or new build? Read on for some ideas of what to look for in your architectural drawings.
Table of Contents
Here’s what I look for in a set of architectural drawings for a vacation rental remodel.
Photo ops
One of the big differences between a vacation rental and a private residence is that the rental will be photographed quite a bit. So, I think about what the primary angles for photography will be for that room, and what will be in those photos. I consider what you see when you first walk into a property or a room and question whether that view can be improved. I think about places where I could add interest with wall features, lighting, an interesting surface material, or something else.
Beyond that, here are some more questions I ask myself.
Are there any elements that can be adjusted to create more symmetry?
- Are there opportunities for interesting lighting, wall features, or cabinetry?
- How might the furniture be arranged? Are there enough outlets? Are there floor outlets where you might need them for lamps?
- Are there built-in bookshelves? If so, are they the best solution?
Note: Here’s why I take a close look at bookshelves. They can look great, no doubt, but it takes some effort to style them, especially if they’re being photographed. Styling bookshelves can take a lot more accessories than most people think, and those accessories need to be the right size and shape. Once they’re styled, the trick for vacation rentals is to keep them styled. Will your housekeepers put things back the way you want them to? Shelves may be an easy way to fill wall space, but be aware that they may add a little more work to your list when you get your place ready to rent.
Need help styling a bookcase? We can help.
Lighting
Good lighting is often the thing that makes a residence feel luxurious, welcoming, or just plain good. Unfortunately, many builders treat lighting as an afterthought, which explains multimillion-dollar homes that make you feel like you’re about to walk into an alien autopsy.
You need to have enough light for your housekeeping team to do a thorough job, but you don’t want your guests to feel like they’re about to be interrogated. Plenty of lights on dimmers is the answer, but you also want to avoid that thing that builders do when they install a gazillion recessed lights. Somewhere between dim and swiss cheese ceilings lies just-right lighting: Bright when you need it, cozy when you don’t, comfortable and attractive.
Photo Unknown | Designer: Unlikely | From: Deborah Nicholson , lighting designer, who is also using this as an example of what not to do
The drawing that shows where all of the ceiling lights go, along with vents, smoke detectors, and everything else that goes in the ceiling is called a reflected ceiling plan, or RCP for short.
Here’s what I look for on an RCP.
Is there enough lighting?
Look, this is a really hard question to answer, I know. There are loads of complicated equations lighting designers do to get everything right, and if you have a luxury property it may be worth it to hire one. The rest of us should think about this: Every room should have layers of light in three categories: ambient, task, and decorative. Think about a kitchen. If there are recessed lights, those are ambient lights. If there are pendants, those are decorative, If there are under-counter lights, that is task lighting. All of the light in a room shouldn’t come from just one of those sources. In the kitchen example, all recessed lights would mean that you would have shadows on the countertops with upper cabinets and probably not enough lighting for tasks like washing dishes. If you only had pendants, you would probably have shadows in the corners and probably not enough light in general. If you only had under-counter lighting, you definitely wouldn’t have enough light full stop. Think about whether you have all three types of light in every room.
Are there too many recessed lights?
If it looks like someone drew a 4’ x 4’ grid and placed a light at every intersection, then yes, there are probably too many recessed lights, aka, Swiss cheese ceilings. See above.
Do the switches and dimmers make sense?
Your RCP should show where the dimmers and switches will be. Think about moving through the space to analyze the placement of the switches. Will it be easy to find them when you walk into the room? Easy to turn them off when you leave? Are there enough dimmers that your rental can cater to both young and healthy eyeballs and those of us who are too vain to wear our reading glasses (cough)?
Does everything line up?
Besides lights, new homes and remodels may have a lot of stuff on the ceiling: vents, speakers, smoke detectors, sprinklers, and who knows what else. Is there an order to it? Does the placement of all the ceiling things look planned?
Are there vacancy sensors?
These are more often used in commercial buildings, but they’re good to think about in a vacation rental since guests like leaving all the lights on all the time. A small sensor mounted on the ceiling will shut the lights off if there’s no movement in the room for a certain amount of time. (Note: in California, the building code requires vacancy sensors in bathrooms if you use non-energy-saving lights).
Are there places that could use natural light?
I’m a fan of solar tubes, especially in dark hallways and bathrooms with no windows. They look like recessed lights from the inside, but they use reflected sunlight, so they’re “always on.” I especially like them in showers, where they can make the tile sparkle. Avoid them in bedrooms since they might brighten a room a little too early for some guests.
Can you spot the grab bar? | Photo Christopher Lee Foto | Designer: Beth Fortune, Wildheart Design
Sense of arrival
What do the guests see when they walk in? Is there a sense of arrival, something to make them feel special? Is there a place to hang coats, take off and put on shoes, or set down bags?
Remember that your guests will be arriving with baggage, and also suitcases. That means you’ll want to leave enough space at the entrance of your vacation rental to wheel bags around without knocking things over or bashing into walls.
Storage and laundry
Do you have a place to store extra sheets, towels, and supplies? Having backups will be helpful for tight turnovers and quick replacements of torn or stained linens, but you’ll want to keep them locked away since some guests enjoy the novelty of using every sheet and towel they can get their hands on.
You may also want a locked owner’s closet to keep your own vacation gear safe.
If you’ve got a large house, especially one with a pool (thus, pool towels), you may also want to consider leaving enough room and installing hookups for a second set of laundry appliances. One of the biggest challenges in getting a big house turned over for a same-day check-out/check-in is getting all the laundry done.
While we’re on the subject of laundry, consider adding a water softener now if you need it.
Blah bedrooms
Beautiful photos of inviting bedrooms give potential guests all kinds of vacation ideas, so make sure you’re making the most of yours.
Specifically, is there a wall where you can put a bed without putting it in front of windows? If the bed is in front of windows, are they symmetrical? Is there enough wall space across from a bed for a dresser and a TV? Are there windows in awkward locations? Is there a place for a desk? A reading chair? What’s the biggest-sized bed you can fit in the room with enough clearance to walk around it?
If your place is a dedicated vacation rental, consider borrowing space from closets if it will help your layout.
And look, I love a cool custom bunk room as much as the next Instagram user but ask yourself how hard it will be to change the sheets when you think about putting one in. Are you adding unnecessary friction to your housekeeper’s tasks on turnover days? Or worse, risking potential injury to them or your guests?
Danger
The last thing any vacation rental owner wants is for someone to get hurt on their property. Keep in mind that renters come in all ages, sizes, and physical conditions, and avoid features that will trip them up.
When possible, eliminate steps up or down into the house or a room. These can be very dangerous because they’re unexpected. For remodels, look into raising decks or patios or building up subfloors to keep transitions level. (Note that if you do this at exterior doors you’ll want to talk to your contractor about how to prevent water from getting in.)
While you’re in the planning phase, consider adding grab bars in your shower. Some plumbing manufacturers, like Kohler and Brizo, make bars that match the rest of the plumbing fixtures, which keeps them from looking institutional. Lots of people lose their balance in a shower for lots of reasons, adding grab bars will keep your guests safe and prevent them from damaging plumbing fixtures that aren’t made to be grabbed.
Can you spot the grab bar? | Photo Christopher Lee Foto | Designer: Beth Fortune, Wildheart Design
Finally, if you’ve got the room, consider making your rental accessible for those guests using wheelchairs or walkers. Wider doorways, bigger bathrooms, lever door and faucet handles, and curbless showers with benches are a few of the things to think about when you’re reviewing your plans for accessibility. If you’d like to make your property fully accessible, work with a professional with relevant experience, or certification like CPABE (Certified Professional in Accessible Built Environments) or CAPS (Certified Aging In Place Specialist).
Need a plan review for your project? Schedule a free phone call to talk it over with me.
Have I given you something to think about? Planning a new build or a remodel? Got any other tips? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
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