Top 5 Short-Term Rental Design Mistakes That Hurt Bookings
Designing a short-term rental isn’t the same as decorating your home.
But a lot of property owners treat it that way, and end up wondering why the bookings aren’t coming in.
We’ve walked into dozens of beautiful, high-potential properties that were struggling to perform. And in most cases, the problem wasn’t the property, it was the furniture.
The good news? You don’t need a huge design budget to fix it.
You just need to know what not to do.
Here are the five most common furnishing mistakes we see in STRs, and how to avoid them.
Mistake no. 1
Making the Rental Feel Cramped With Too Much Furniture
You walk in and feel it immediately: everything’s too close. There’s no room to breathe, no flow, and suddenly, even the prettiest property feels uncomfortable. A lot of people try to fill the space with too much stuff, or too big of furniture and don’t notice how it is for guests to move around, and it doesn’t feel relaxing.
We’ve seen sectionals jammed into small living rooms where guests can’t pass behind someone without brushing their knees. We’ve seen dining tables that dominate a room so much that there’s no place left to store luggage or stretch out. Even spectacular designer pieces lose their charm when guests have to shuffle sideways to get to the bathroom.
Listing photos only exaggerate the problem. Wide-angle lenses can warp scale, making rooms look smaller and furniture appear even more overwhelming. And once guests arrive and realize the place doesn’t feel anything like the photos, you’ve already lost their trust.
What to do instead:
Start with a floor plan. Measure your rooms, sketch out traffic flow, and note where natural walkways will be. Allow at least 30 inches between major pieces so guests can move around without squeezing. Use painter’s tape or online tools to map out potential layouts before purchasing anything. Take photos from guest eye-level to ensure the layout feels balanced in-camera as well as in person.
Mistake no. 2
Prioritizing Aesthetics Over Durability
A sculptural ivory chair might win on style, but it will lose the moment a family of four uses it like a jungle gym, or the first time someone spills wine on it, and trust us - someone will spill wine on it.
Aesthetics are important for bookings, but longevity matters just as much for your ROI. That dreamy, cloud-like white sofa might look incredible in listing photos, but if it shows every mark or sags after a month, your reviews will tank and your replacement costs will skyrocket.
We’ve walked into properties where cushions were already flattened, fabrics were pilled, and finishes were scratched, all within weeks of guests checking in. These aren’t just style decisions. They’re business liabilities and will drag ROI down.
What to do instead:
Choose materials that can handle turnover and are easy to clean. Look for stain-resistant fabrics, dark tones for high-traffic items, and cleanable finishes. Prioritize solid wood frames, removable cushion covers, and anything rated for commercial use. Make design choices as if your guests will be hard on everything, because some of them will be.
Mistake no. 3
Forgetting About How It Photographs
The biggest difference between a property that gets booked and one that doesn’t is how it looks in the listing photos. Your listing isn’t selling a space. It’s selling a photo of the space.
1-star reviews from disappointed Guests don’t say, “It wasn’t photogenic.”
They say, “Looked better in photos than in real life.”
Even if a room feels great in person, if it reads flat or cluttered in a photo, you’ve lost the guest’s attention before they even consider the amenities.
We’ve seen STRs with beautiful furniture that completely disappeared in photos due to poor lighting or lack of visual contrast. We've seen great layouts ruined by awkward photo angles or uninspiring staging.
What to do instead:
Test every setup through the lens. Literally. Snap phone photos of each room during staging to check for depth, color contrast, and visual flow. Use layered textiles, varying materials, and natural light to create dimension. Add anchors (like rugs, art, or light fixtures) to guide the eye. If your space looks flat or cold in images, guests will keep scrolling. We’ve often used the trick to add a linen curtain or textured throw even if the space is already good - it just looks 10x better in images.
Mistake no. 4
Styling Your STR Like a Private Home
This one’s big. Many owners furnish their STR like a personal home, mixing favorite styles, shopping by whim, and adding whatever fits their taste. But a short-term rental isn’t about you. It’s about the guest.
When you decorate like it’s your house, the end result often feels personal, cluttered, or inconsistent. One room feels coastal, another leans rustic, and the bathroom looks like it was copied from a chain hotel. That visual whiplash confuses guests and makes your property feel like a patchwork, not a product.
And in a crowded market, you don’t want to feel like “just another Jen who listed her house on Airbnb while she’s spending winter in Florida.” You want to feel intentional, recognizable, and curated - like a space someone would save to their favorites, even if they’re not booking right away.
What to do instead:
Choose a design direction the same way you’d define a brand, and put together a menu. Consider your property’s personality, your ideal guest, and your location, then stick to a single visual language. Whether that’s desert-boho or clean minimalist, consistency wins. Let that style inform every decision: textiles, lighting, art, accessories. Cohesion builds trust and leaves an lasting impression.
Mistake no. 5
Skimping on the Basic Functionality
It’s easy to get caught up in the statement pieces, the velvet sofa, the arched floor lamp, the curated coffee table books, but if your guests can’t hang up a wet towel, none of it matters.
A gorgeous sofa doesn’t fix the fact that guests don’t have a convenient place to put their drinks while lounging, enough outlets to charge their phones, or a table big enough to eat together.
We’ve seen listings that looked great online, but had many 1 and 2 star reviews because guests became frusterated over too few outlets, nowhere to set a suitcase, or dining tables that seated four when the property slept eight. These friction points add up - and fast.
Even a property with high-end finishes and curated decor will underperform if you don’t predict and fix those frictions points. When functionality fails, it clouds the entire experience.
What to do instead:
Build your space around human behavior. Start with how your ideal guest lives in the space, where they set things down, how they gather, and what they need on hand. Add surfaces for every seat. Include lamps where people read or unwind. Ensure every bed has a nightstand and outlet access. Invest in dining tables that match your max occupancy. These aren’t extras, they’re the foundation of a five-star experience that makes people want to come back.
It’s the Last 5% That Makes the Difference
Most STR owners get the big stuff right. A decent layout. Clean photos. Functional furniture. But it’s the last 5% that makes your space unforgettable. The final layer of thoughtful, human-centered design choices that take a short-term rental from good to great, those subtle details that most owners overlook but guests absolutely feel.
At Block & Barker, we bring the full strategy: space planning, guest psychology, design cohesion, durability, photo readiness, and usability. But what sets us apart is how we obsess over that final layer, the part most people skip, because that’s where the best reviews come from. Those final details are what guests remember, and that’s what gets you re-booked again and again.
Want to make your short-term rental one of the most desired listings in your market? Let’s design it that way.
Frequently Asked questions
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Too much furniture. Too little thought about how guests actually use the space. We’ve seen beautiful homes that photograph well but fall apart in person because the layout’s tight, the furniture’s delicate, and the vibe feels random. A guest shouldn’t have to shuffle sideways to get to the bathroom. And they shouldn’t be wondering if the headboard was stolen from a hotel liquidation sale.
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Flow matters more than square footage.
You can have a tiny one-bedroom that feels airy and calm if the layout is right and a five-bedroom that feels like a maze if it’s not.
We always start with traffic flow and movement. Guests need to walk, stretch, unpack. If a space doesn’t feel easy to be in, they won’t book it again. Simple as that.
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No. Your STR isn’t your living room and guests don’t want to feel like they’re crashing at your cousin’s house.
When people decorate from personal taste instead of purpose, the space ends up confused. You’ve got beachy art in one room, industrial lighting in another, and suddenly it all feels... off. A rental should feel intentional and consistent, not like a Pinterest board with no direction.
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Guests don’t leave reviews that say “bad design.”
They say, “The sofa was uncomfortable,” or “Nowhere to plug in a phone,” or “Felt smaller than the photos.”
Design is what shapes those first impressions and the stay itself. If you get it wrong, they’ll feel it, whether they have the words for it or not.
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You don’t need to knock down walls to make it feel spacious, but make smarter design choices.
Scale the furniture to the room.
Keep pathways clear.
Use mirrors, texture, and light to open it up.We’ve made tight spaces feel like a retreat just by removing one clunky chair and shifting the rug. Less stuff, more thought.
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They go hand in hand. But if we had to pick? Function wins.
That velvet sofa might photograph beautifully, but if your guests can’t find a place to charge their phone or hang a wet towel, you’re going to hear about it. Great design is more than pretty, it works hard in the background to make everything feel seamless.
We’re Pete & Georgie - The Founders of Block & Barker
With 8+ years of experience and a portfolio of 20+ properties, we’ve learned what works (and what doesn’t) in Short-Term Rental Management. On this blog, we share our tried and tested insider strategies, and real lessons from running successful rentals—so whether you're just starting out or looking to optimize, you’ll find plenty of value here. Our goal is to help you maximize your earnings, streamline your operations, and build a standout short-term rental business.
