Bland short term rental owners- keep scrolling!

Paint is a simple and inexpensive way to establish a unique experience for your guests. Colorful accents define a space that is tastefully whimsical and fun- memorable, but not overwhelming.

Here’s how to use paint to elevate the design of your short term rental with accent features.

Paint a shape on the wall to highlight or define an object.

This might not be a long-lived trend, but it’s everywhere these days!

A shape (geometric or otherwise) can surround a wall-mounted television, desk, or bed. It distinguishes the area as a focal point and adds a dash of interest without the commitment of a full wall of color.

Planning to sparsely furniture your rental? Make it feel more welcoming with colorful half (or third) walls.

Forget the wall borders of the 1990s! This painting technique adds color to a space without going full height- which allows you to use more bold colors in a less overwhelming way. The color adds interest to spaces with basic furnishings, wall art, or curtains.

Reduce guests’ tendency to rearrange furniture by creating a designated space for specific furniture.

Who is going to move the bench from the space below?! It belongs inside this painted arch!

Furniture that is placed with obvious design intent helps the guest work within the space you have designed.

Double down and accentuate a space with color AND light.

The red stripe here defines the dining space from wall to ceiling within a white space. The pendant chandelier follows along this zone, further defining the area above the dining table.

This is an especially bold application, so note that a colorful ceiling plane works best in an otherwise colorless space.

Decorate with complementary shapes and wall art (or plants!)

These muted circles and arches define zones of different plants in this space and reflect the hanging patterns and/or shape of the plants themselves.

Lean into the horizontal or vertical qualities of your room.

The green block behind the bed emphasizes the horizontal nature of the bed. The rung shelving with bold horizontal shelves and repeating horizontal artwork above the bed reinforces the shape of the painted wall.

This vertical stripe is perfect!

It emphasizes an otherwise underutilized space between the bed and wall. The trailing plant and vertically striped curtains repeat the vertical motif and work beautifully to make a funky, colorful bedside niche.

Show off your color matching!

Create an art display that reinforces a color palette. The painted wall makes a bold statement and sticking to the color palette of 3-5 colors adds interest without being too matchy.

Influence the feel of the space with shape.

Round geometries convey softness.

Sharper geometries are more energetic.

Really love the paint trend? Commit to it with a mural!

Create the perfect moody bathroom, stylish living room, or accent wall with a full mural. Make sure to establish your color palette ahead of time and use a projector if you don’t feel comfortable free-handing the design.

Define a specific use zone within a room.

Use color to distinguish a specific use within a larger room. Here, the entryway is visually separated from the rest of the room with paint and a flooring change.

The rooms below show different ways to define a corner reading nook.

Now that we’ve discussed different design ideas for your short term rental, let’s talk about mistakes to avoid!

Adding too many layers without hierarchy.

This layering is confusing as the yellow circle and mirror compete for dominance. This would look better with a paler yellow circle, shifted a bit to overlap more with the mirror. Or, a mirror with a more pronounced frame would enhance this application.

Too much painting pizazz.

Paint is great, but don’t get too carried away!

As shown below, it’s okay to let doors be their boring old selves. If a door is a rectangle, it does not need a painted faux arch. This door would look much more charming if it was painted teal as a whole. If you MUST have an arched doorway, replace your door!

Introducing a multitude of visual clutter.

Accent walls should be used sparingly along with other décor motifs.

Here, we see a coral arch, blue accent wall, gallery wall, and two different types of open shelving- the book shelves and the bar cart. There is too much visual clutter with no real focal point.

Accent shapes that are too big or to small for what they host.

Size your arch or painted area based on your furniture or your artwork. Consider if the accent element runs in the vertical or horizontal direction and how it would be best to fill that space.

I would love it if this signage were slightly larger and slightly lower. The deep green arch is a bit top heavy as shown below.

Here’s an example where the arch is hosting too much! It’s okay to not cram your accent with furniture and artwork.

I would relocate the chair below, shift the drawers to the right, and maybe add a floor mounted vase with the same pampas grasses or center the drawers outright and add artwork or a table lamp to the top surface.

As you have read above; there are so many ways to enhance your space with paint!

Wall arches might be a current trend, but they are easy to paint over when tastes change and are super cute to enjoy in the interim! Don’t be afraid to try it out in your home.

Still worried about what to do? Reach out via my contact page and we can work together to identify the best area for a paint application in your space.