Ways to Make Your Small Vacation Rental Feel Spacious

Compact spaces are cozy!

If your vacation rental room or home is on the small side, never fear! Small spaces are cozy and perfect for couples or the single traveler. Here’s our top tips to make your Airbnb or VRBO feel spacious.

Select furniture that fits the space.  The L-shaped sofa with a chaise is likely too large for many vacation rental homes. Selecting furniture that is appropriately sized to the room is critical in making a room feel as large as possible. Try selecting a standard sofa instead of an L-shaped one and increase conversation areas by adding some low-profile swivel chairs. 

Use a monochromatic color scheme.  Contrasting colors can visually break up a room, making it appear smaller. By selecting furniture pieces that are similar in color, your eye sees one large color block, helping to create the illusion of a larger room. 

Place the bed against the wall.  I’m rarely in favor of placing any piece of furniture against a wall, but in small spaces, it may be necessary. Rather than positioning the bed in the middle of the room, move it against a wall to free up precious space.

Add an oversized mirror.  Mirrors generally increase the visual size of a room, helping to bounce light and create a more open feeling.

Stretch with stripes.  A narrow living room may be short on space, but a quick fix to make it feel larger is simple: Add a striped area rug. The longer the area rug, the more spacious your living room will feel.