Hello friends, it's Richard, Founder of Short Term Rental University and Airbnb Super host. Today's video is about the importance of decorating. I have four tips from a professional Airbnb decorating team. We did a podcast. If you haven't listened to the podcast, we'll include the link below but check it out it's gonna be really helpful. And the reason this is so timely is Airbnb just announced their Airbnb Plus Program and one of the things they're really highlighting is the design and the aesthetic and the comfort for guests. So these are four tips that everyone should be doing. Really easy to follow and I just wanna make sure that we get to em right now.

So the first tip is to paint your room a neutral color. You may have a very vibrant personality and you may want it to be reflective of that. Well, it's great for you. It may not be broadly applicable for a lot of your guests. So, for example, I'm sitting here in the place that I bought in Jackson Hole and you can see bright pink wallpaper over here and behind me is a lime green kitchen and then you'll also notice that the kitchen cabinet behind me has a paint sample and in the corner of the wall over there, Charles if you can get that, you'll see that there's neutral colors. I'm changing all of that. The person that did this for themselves, that I bought it from, obviously loved it. I personally don't love it but I also don't think it's broadly acceptable for a short term rental and so I'm actually doing exactly what I'm proposing that you do. I'm gonna decorate with neutral colors and in order to spice it up a little bit and show some of my personality, I'm gonna use accents such as throw pillows, throws over the couches that bring out some color and a little more vibrancy.

So I recommend you do the same. The second tip is to mix and match different genres, different textures, different fabrics, different colors. Don't try and go into like we used to do in the 1950s or 60s and walk into a department store and take the entire set and everything matches. That doesn't really work in today's eclectic lifestyle. So you can have a very modern home and have a vintage fan or you can have very cottage rustic home and have a very modern clock or decorate. So just try and make things interesting, reflective of your personality. Don't try and take things off the shelf that all look the same. Just mix it up a little bit, have fun with it. So by way of example, in this particular condo, this bright red wall here is gonna be reclaimed barn wood, very warm barn wood and then over by the fireplace it's gonna be a very modern minimalist steel fireplace. And so I'm mixing and matching, I'm mixing warm and outdoor and farm with industrial modern cold and I think it's gonna turn out great.

Number three, lighting. This is really important and lighting is a very personal detail. A lot of people don't like overhead lighting, a lot of people prefer floor lamps and table lamps and that's really cool but that doesn't mean that all of your guests feel similarly so make sure that you have enough lighting and if it's too much lighting for you when you stay there then just install a dimmer. That way you can have really bright lighting for your guests that want it, dimmable lighting for those that don't want it and when you're there you don't have to use it at all or you can keep it super dim. The two areas of focus that I think are critically important are the kitchen, so when people are prepping dinner and so on there's enough light and they can see. And then the second area's in the bathroom but pay close attention to the lighting in the kitchen and in the bathroom.

The fourth item is to just use your location for inspiration. Recognize that people are traveling all over the world and they probably wanna stay in a place that is reminiscent of where you are. So what I mean by that is if you're at the beach, don't make the place look like a Swiss ski chalet. And likewise, if you're in a rainforest, embrace that. People wanna be in the area that they've selected and just use that for inspiration. Don't go overboard. So, for instance, I'm here in Wyoming, I'm not gonna have antler and all these deer skins. You don't wanna make a mockery of it but you do wanna touch base as to where they are and so in my own mind, what I'm creating here is modern mountain sort of lifestyle. I'm not gonna have any antlers or anything like that but I am gonna have reclaimed wood. I am gonna have colors that are reminiscent of Wyoming and I'm gonna have throws and accent pieces that also highlight that.

As well as all of the books on the coffee table, it's gonna be about the Tetons and hiking and skiing and things like that, bringing back into the fact that people are staying with me in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. So in closing, if you've found this video helpful please go ahead and like it. If you want more details listen to the podcast again, the details are linked below. Really great tips, a lot of wonderful actionable items, not expensive, we're not trying to break anybody's bank. In fact, we're trying to do the exact opposite, tell people how to do the best practices inexpensively, creatively, get great results. The photos on your listing will be great, people will absolutely love it. So check out the podcasts and subscribe to the podcast and while you're subscribing, go ahead and do so on our YouTube channel as well.

Really appreciate it, happy hosting, thanks so very much.