Should You Hire a Decorator

In a previous post, we talked about the importance of good interior design in a vacation home rental. For some homeowners, an interior design project may sound like a task they can take on themselves. Browsing through online furniture stores. Looking at tile samples. Selecting interesting artwork. Trying out different paint colors. For some, the whole process of interior design is an exciting challenge. 

But for others, the idea of decorating their vacation rental home is intimidating. What if that paint color looks weird? What if you end up hating that tile? What exactly is shiplap, anyway? If you’re the type who would rather have a professional handle the interior design for your vacation rental home, Eden Crest is here to help. The following tips will help you choose the right designer to help you get the most return on your Smoky Mountain vacation rental home investment.

Decide on Your Personal Style

The best interior designer in the world can’t help you design your vacation rental home unless you have an idea of your own personal style. If you’ve never thought about it before, now might be a good time to create a vision board

Start collecting images of homes you admire and want to emulate. Take a scroll through our gorgeous rental homes for some awesome mountain design inspiration. Organize the photos on Pinterest or in a file folder on your laptop or phone. Or go “old-school” and clip images from magazines that you find appealing. You’ll soon start to see a common thread in the photos— a color that keeps repeating or a style of furniture that keeps popping up. This is your personal interior design style. This type of research will be super-helpful to you and to your decorator as you move forward in the design process. 

Look at Your Designer’s Style

Choose a designer who inspires you. Check out their portfolio. Make sure that the designer’s personal style blends well with yours. 

As the homeowner, you have the last word in all the design choices. But your decorator’s style will also come through in the final design. Hire a decorator that doesn’t view your personal style as a strict set of rules to adhere to, but rather as inspiration.

Have a Walk Through

Besides viewing a designer’s portfolio, you also want to have a walkthrough with them of your vacation rental home. Tell them your goals. Let them view your vision board files. Invite them into your space to walk around and add their ideas. 

Communicate your ideas clearly, but allow plenty of space for them to talk. Make sure their input is combining well with your vision. You want to have good chemistry with your designer, and feel like you are both on the same page.

Hire a Decorator Who Understands Vacation Rentals

Decorating a vacation rental home is very different from decorating your main residence. You want your vacation rental to be durable enough to withstand a lot of traffic, while still being cozy and welcoming. 

Some designers may have difficulty maintaining the line between comfort and durability. Hire a designer that understands this balance, and is open and welcome to the challenge.

Agree on a Budget and Timeline

Once you’ve got the design plan mapped out, you also want to construct a rough budget for the project. This will help both you and the decorator stay on track and focused. Be realistic and thoughtful with your budget choices. Hire a designer who is open to collaborating on the budget. 

Come up with a project timeline that you are both comfortable with. Depending on the scope of the design, your designer should have a timeline for project completion. For bigger projects, they should also provide smaller, individual timelines for certain areas of the design. This helps the final schedule stays on track. 

Find a designer that is comfortable with a detailed timeline. This is especially important with a vacation rental home. Finishing the project will determine when you can start accepting rentals and seeing a return on your investment. A project that drags on will take a big bite out of your income.

Open Up to Recommendations

The experts at Eden Crest can recommend favorite local designers to you. We know better than anyone how to make your home stand out from the crowd with exceptional interior design. Travelers to the Smoky Mountains are looking for a relaxing, peaceful mountain escape. Hiring a professional to decorate your home will help you accomplish this and more.

Professional interior design also means that your online photographs are flawless— which is the key to more bookings for your Smoky Mountain vacation rental home. 

Eden Crest can help you choose the right local designer to help you reach your vacation rental goals. Drop us a line or give us a call today.

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