Strategy Session
$740
A working call where I map exactly what your property needs to hit your investment goal. Replay and action plan included. Credited if you move into a design service.
See what is included →Airbnb Interior Designer
An Airbnb interior designer who starts with the numbers.
I design short-term rentals for investors who want the top of their market, not the middle of it. Before I pick a single piece of furniture, I study your comps, your market, and the guest who pays the most to stay there.
Most Airbnb design is decoration with a furniture budget.
A pretty property that books at market average is still a rate ceiling, and it is slow and expensive to climb out of. Once you start discounting to fill the calendar, you attract the guests you did not want in the first place.
My work sits between design and investment analysis. I spent years as a business analyst at NASA before I started designing vacation rentals, and that is still how I think. Comps first, guest psychology second, finishes last.
That is the Designing for Dollars® methodology, and it is the reason investors hire me instead of a local residential designer.
How I design an Airbnb
The Designing for Dollars® method
01
Market and comp analysis
I study the listings already winning in your market so I know where to invest and where to pull back.
02
Guest review mining
I read what the highest paying guest in your market praises and complains about, then design for it.
03
Photo-first thinking
Every angle is designed to stop the scroll in the Airbnb search grid.
04
Strategic space planning
Layouts built around how your ideal guest will actually use the property.
05
Value-based design
Your rate is supported by the value the design conveys, not by what the furniture cost.
06
Unique experience design
One reason to book your listing that no comparable property in the market offers.
Ways to work with an Airbnb designer
Start with the strategy. Then decide who executes it.
Virtual Design
From $8,750
The full strategy and design without me on site. Sourcing and a complete purchase list included. Your team handles delivery and install.
See what is included →Full-Service Design
From $17,850
Hand it off completely. Design, sourcing, ordering, receiving warehouse, install, photoshoot styling, and a property Instagram.
See what is included →Want the number before we talk? Build your estimate on the pricing page.
Who you are hiring
I am Erica Dike, a former NASA business analyst turned short-term rental design strategist.
I have shared this approach on BiggerPockets, The Short Term Show, Smart Stay Show, The STR Sisterhood, and Living Off Rentals, and my work has been featured in Real Simple, The Spruce, and Homes & Gardens.
Common questions
What does an Airbnb interior designer actually do?
I decide what your short-term rental should be, for whom, and at what nightly rate, then design and furnish it to support that number. That includes the market research, the floor plan, the furnishings and materials, the photo styling, and the details that show up in reviews.
How is this different from a traditional interior designer?
A traditional residential project is designed around the owner's taste. An Airbnb is a business, so I design around the highest paying guest in your market and the comps you are competing against. Every choice has to earn its place in the nightly rate.
Do you work outside your local area?
Yes. I work with vacation rental investors across the United States. Full-Service Design includes travel and install, and Virtual Design gives you the same strategy and purchase list while your team handles delivery and install on your timeline.
What does it cost to design an Airbnb?
Design fees start at $8,750 for Virtual Design and $17,850 for Full-Service Design, with furnishings and materials budgeted separately. You can build your own estimate on the pricing page in about a minute.
Where do we start?
With a Designing for Dollars Strategy Session. It is a working call where I walk you through exactly what needs to happen in your property to hit your investment goal, with a replay and an action plan. The session fee is credited if you move into Full-Service or Virtual Design.
Book your strategy session and see what your Airbnb can do.
Book Your SessionQuestions first? Get in touch.