Airbnb Design Tips to Get More Bookings

The design choices that get you more bookings are the ones that photograph well and stand up to heavy guest usage over time. Guests book from a screen, so your first five photos do almost all of the selling. Everything else is about backing up that first impression once they walk in the door.

Most hosts overspend on things guests never notice and underspend on the three or four things that decide whether someone books and whether they leave five stars. Below are the design moves that move bookings, roughly in order of impact, plus the mistakes that quietly cost you guests.

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The design moves that matter most

1. Design for the camera first
2. Pick one cohesive style and palette
3. Buy contract-grade furniture for the pieces guests use hard
4. Make the bed the hero
5. Light the space in layers
6. Give the property a sense of place
7. Build photogenic, functional moments
8. Don't neglect the kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor space

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Design for the camera first

Photos are what get booked, not the rooms. The first five images in your listing carry most of the weight, so build at least a few spots that look great through a wide-angle lens: a made bed with layered bedding, a styled sofa, a bright kitchen counter, an inviting outdoor seat.

Walk each room and frame it on your phone before you finalize anything. If a corner looks flat or cluttered on camera, it photographs that way for every guest deciding whether to book. Then hire a professional photographer. It's the highest-return money you'll spend on the whole project.

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Pick one cohesive style and palette

Commit to a single design style and a tight color palette, then carry it through every room. The most common reason a property looks "off" in photos is a mix of leftover furniture, clashing woods, and three competing color stories in one frame. A cohesive look reads as intentional and more expensive, even when the pieces aren't.

Pick three or four colors and repeat them: a neutral base, one or two accents, and a wood or metal tone. Modern, coastal, mid-century, and warm minimal all photograph well. The specific style matters less than picking one and sticking to it.

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Buy contract-grade furniture for the pieces guests use hard

Spend on the pieces guests sit on, sleep on, and eat at: the sofa, the bed, the dining set. Buy contract-grade where you can. Contract-grade furniture is built for commercial use and rated for high-traffic durability and safety, so it survives turnover after turnover instead of looking beat up by month six. Cheap furniture in a high-traffic areas of a busy property is not a money saver, it is just an extra stop on your way to spending more.

HostGPO members get member pricing on contract-grade lines from vendor partners like Crate & Barrel, Article and others so you can furnish to that standard without paying full retail. Our buying guides break down the specific pieces that hold up: beds, mattresses, sheets, and pillows.

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Make the bed the hero

Treat the primary bed as the centerpiece of the property, because it's the first thing guests look for in photos and the thing they remember from the stay. White hotel-style linens, a quality mattress, a real duvet, and layered pillows do more for perceived quality than almost any other single purchase.

White is the answer for linens. It looks clean and hotel-grade in photos, it signals you actually wash everything, and it's easy to keep uniform across stays. Layer two to four pillows per bed and add a folded throw at the foot for the photo.

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Pro tip:

It doesn't hurt to strategically stand out. If everyone in your city is focusing on the same handful of rooms or pieces of furniture, one way to set yourself apart is to build an exceptional set of amenities, like a sauna, hot tub, etc. A brand like Backyard Discovery is one of our favorite options. Rather than lead with your bed in this instance, try focusing on a stellar feature of your property that pushes forward a stay's experience.

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Light the space in layers

Light every room in layers instead of relying on one overhead fixture. A single ceiling light makes a room look like a rental; lamps, sconces, and warm bulbs make it look like a home. Layered light also photographs far better, with fewer harsh shadows and a warmer feel.

Use warm white bulbs (2700K to 3000K) and add a lamp to any corner that goes dark at night. Dimmers help. Guests notice lighting even when they can't name why a room feels good.

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Give the property a sense of place

Add a few touches that tell guests where they are, because "could be anywhere" listings blend into the search results. Local art is the fastest way to do it. Society6 lets you search your city or state and surfaces art themed to that location, and HostGPO members can browse art we've curated for top travel markets like Florida, Texas, and Arizona.

Keep it tasteful and sparse. A couple of framed local prints and one regional accent beat a wall crowded with generic decor.

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Build photogenic, functional moments

Create two or three small "moments" that are both useful and photogenic: a coffee and tea bar on the counter, a small work nook with good light, a reading chair by a window. These spots give you extra listing photos, and they show up in reviews because guests actually use them.

Each moment should earn its space. A coffee bar guests use beats a decorative shelf they don't.

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Don't neglect the kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor space

Finish the rooms hosts tend to skip, because guests photograph and review them anyway. A clean, well-stocked kitchen, a bathroom with matching white towels and good lighting, and any usable outdoor space (even a small balcony with two chairs) all pull weight in both photos and reviews.

Matching towels, a soap dispenser instead of a half-used bar, and a clutter-free counter make a bathroom read as cared-for. Outdoor seating, when you have it, is one of the most clicked photo types in a listing.

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How to make your Airbnb look more luxurious

Luxury reads as restraint plus texture, not more stuff. Fewer, better pieces look more expensive than a room packed with budget furniture. Add texture through a quality rug, linen or cotton bedding, and a mix of materials (wood, ceramic, woven). Keep surfaces clear. Hotel-style touches like a tray on the bed, a folded throw, and matching nightstands and lamps lift the whole room for very little money.

The fastest luxury upgrade is usually the bed and the lighting, in that order.

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Design mistakes that cost you bookings

Avoid the few mistakes that quietly sink otherwise good properties. Clutter is the big one; it makes spaces look smaller and dirtier on camera. Mismatched, hand-me-down furniture reads as low quality. Harsh single-source lighting flattens every photo. Over-personalized decor (family photos, niche taste, anything political) makes it harder for guests to picture themselves there. And dark, poorly lit photos lose the booking before anyone reads a word.

Fix those five and you're ahead of most of the listings you're competing with.

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Frequently asked questions

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How do I make my Airbnb look more luxurious?

Spend on fewer, better pieces and add texture: a quality rug, linen or cotton bedding, mixed materials, and clear surfaces. Upgrade the bed and the lighting first. Restraint reads as more expensive than a room full of budget furniture.

What style is best for an Airbnb?

The best style is one cohesive style carried through every room. Modern, coastal, mid-century, and warm minimal all photograph well. Picking one and sticking to it matters more than which one you pick.

Do professional photos really matter for Airbnb bookings?

Yes. Guests book from photos, and the first five do most of the selling. Professional photos are the highest-return spend in the whole design project.

What design features get the most bookings?

A photogenic primary bed, a cohesive palette, layered lighting, and a usable outdoor space. Design the property to look great in a wide-angle photo.

Pro tip: If you're in an area where many properties look and photograph the same, get creative. Think of an exciting feature that will enhance guests' experience, incorporate that to your listing, and feature the photo early in your library.

Should I hire an interior designer for my Airbnb?

Not required, but worth it for larger or higher-end properties where design drives a higher nightly rate. For a single standard unit, a cohesive palette and the tips above get you most of the way.

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Looking for more? Learn about How to Write an Intriguing Description for your Airbnb.