Luxury Bedding
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Vacation Rental Must-Haves

Melanie Morris June 26, 2021 Beach / Caribbean, Furnishings, Interior Design, Tips & Tricks 0



Renting your home out as a vacation property is easier than ever, thanks to sites like VRBO and Airbnb. More people are choosing to rent homes rather than stay in hotels, and many individuals can now purchase vacation properties thanks to the additional income the rentals can provide.

Almost two million short-term rental properties are listed on VRBO, the most popular rental site in the US. According to VRBO, there are over 38,000 properties in the Caribbean that can be rented short-term for your next getaway.  If you happen to be so lucky to own one of those properties, you have some major competition for bookings.

Great design can help your property stand out from other listings, stay cleaner and fresher longer, and with less maintenance. This will help your listing to garner 5-star reviews from guests who will be back and recommend your property to their friends and family! Keep reading, for more information on how to create the ultimate vacation rental.

For an even deeper dive into all things that can elevate your vacation rental, check out our eBook, full of decades of rental design experience.



1. Local Art

Your décor should represent the surrounding region, and while we don’t want to be too over the top, you do want your guests to feel what is unique to the area. If they have come to the Caribbean for vacation, are you sure you want to market a farmhouse? Incorporating local art is a great way to achieve an authentic vacation experience. When you feature the work of local artists in your home, you also give back to the community, and in return, those artists are likely to have great things to say about your property. It’s a win all the way around and helps to bring everything within the design full circle.

Vacation Rental Must Haves

The painting over the sofa is by local artist Elisa Bryan.

The décor featured in this vacation rental has a coastal aesthetic. The rental is also located on a Caribbean beach, which helps support each piece and makes everything in the space look and feel appropriate for a Caribbean getaway.  We used colors that the homeowner would not have chosen for her primary residence in the Pacific Northwest!  The turquoise and coral are a fun Caribbean touch, while the natural textures of the rug and coffee table keep things feeling easy and casual.

2. Luxury Bedding

Unique guest experiences lead to great reviews and repeat business.  Since many people look forward to sleeping in on their vacations, make them comfortable.  It might be tempting to view linens as disposable to where you can just buy the cheapest thing available, but that is not always for the best.

Luxury Bedding


There is a certain way we always make up the bed in rentals. If you look through our portfolio pictures, you will see the same format repeated. The things you don’t see are just as important. You don’t see the amazing comfy mattress here that is firm in the core but has a nice thick memory foam top. You don’t see the mattress pad that is waterproof but doesn’t make crinkly noises when you lay on it. Lastly, I wish you could feel the silky bamboo sheets. They are so nice and cool and breathable on warm Caribbean nights and naturally stain-resistant.

3. Flexible Sleeping Spaces


Functionality is critical in a rental home.  Adding extra sleeping spaces leads to increased revenue.  A couple of our favorite ways to keep the sleeping arrangements flexible are with two twins that can combine into a king and adding ottomans that pop out into twin beds. Ottomans can also serve as a place for luggage to land during your guests’ stay.

Flexible Sleeping Spaces

This ottoman pops out into an extra bed and is perfect for a couple with a young child that wants to stay close or makes the room suitable for three kids.  The cover is a machine-washable slipcover made from durable outdoor fabric, making it both functional and practical.


Flexible Sleeping Spaces for Vacation Rentals
These two twin beds combine to make a king, and the wall mount headboard works perfectly with either setup.  Planning this ahead of time, has given the room a lot of flexibility.

4. Easy Care Materials

Housekeeping is essential! If you have a popular home in peak season, you will likely have days when one guest checks out at 10 am and the following checks in at 3 pm, leaving only five short hours to completely clean and reset the space for the next guest to enjoy. So set your housekeeping staff up for success on those days! Choose rugs that are easy to care for, and that can be spot cleaned. We always recommend slipcovers on furniture and buying a second set just in case. If someone has a spill on the sofa, pull that cover off, and put the new one on! The first one can be washed offsite and returned for the next group. You can learn more about slipcovers for seaside home furniture on our previous blog here.


Easy Care Materials


This light and beachy sofa is covered in Sunbrella outdoor fabric, and the covers come off quickly and easily to be machine washed.  We even did the pillows all in outdoor fabrics!

5. Great Photography Makes for IG Worthy Moments


This is where you can see your investment in great interiors work for you. When you create a space that photographs well, your listing will be more eye-catching. Breathtaking spaces will stop potential renters from scrolling past your listing and will help your home to book first. Great décor will get your guests talking, and there’s no better advertisement than having your guests send a picture to friends back home or post them on social media. I work with an amazing photographer and have learned so much over the years from his perspective on how to achieve the best Instagram-worthy moments from photoshoots. There are many ways to design a room that will help it to photograph better.


IG Worthy Moments


The front entry of this rental home lets you know from the minute you walk in the door that this place is going to be fun!  This space has also been the location for many selfies!  Creating little moments like this throughout the design is great for marketing and making memories!


6. A Well-Stocked Kitchen

More often than not, vacationers will choose to rent a home, over a hotel so that they can have a kitchen. This might be because they have young children that are hard to feed at restaurants or they may simply want to celebrate a holiday with their family in a new location.  Providing a fully stocked kitchen will be attractive to those renters.  We often set up kitchens for our clients with everything from the coffee maker to the dishes. To make the process quick and easy we’ve put together our kitchen checklist along with the bedding and safety items, in an all-in-one document that’s available to you on our website, here.

kitchen design

 

After remodeling this client’s kitchen, I was a little jealous of all the great storage space we were able to add! This helped to free up even more real estate within the vacation rental for those little touches like champagne and fresh flowers.

Here are some resources to help you get your vacation rental property set up quickly and easily. 

    1. Decorating and Designing Your Vacation Rental Property
    2. Vacation Rental Checklist

If you need more assistance with your vacation rental property, give us a call. We would love to help you on your way to renting your vacation property for a one-of-a-kind experience that is sure to receive compliments from your guests and repeat business. 

Tile Design
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How To Layout Bathroom Tile in 7 Easy Steps

Melanie Morris March 30, 2021 Bathrooms, Beach / Caribbean, Color, Interior Design, Tips & Tricks 0

How to Layout Bathroom Tile in 7 Easy Steps

1. Start With the Basics

When we start a new bathroom design, we love to start with the tile.  There are so many options to choose from it can sometimes be hard to decide.

Since your tile is so permanent in the home and the labor is expensive, we want to be sure that our choices will do three things.

  1. Suit the architecture of the home
  2. Have some longevity in terms of style
  3. Serve the client well in terms of durability and ease of maintenance

If we have a client who dyes their hair at home in the shower, a limestone shower floor would be a disaster very quickly! We like to keep in mind that your lifestyle will have a direct impact on the wear and tear of your environment.

Make Groups

2. Make Your Tile Selections by Groupings

When it comes to creating a grouping of tiles that will come together and create a unique look, stick to the rule of three. This is an easy, foolproof way to get a great finished product without driving yourself crazy! The practice is basically this, choose three tiles that will pair well together.  

The three types of tile are:

  1. Floor tile
  2. Field tile
  3. Accent tile

The field tile is the one you use the most. It’s typically a solid color and textural piece. In comparison, the accent tile is the one with all the colors and adds personality to the room. I love the look above, and it’s such a simple design plan that utilizes very durable materials appropriate for a vacation home.

Bath Remodel
3. Consider the Size and Scale

Pay attention to scale.

The size of the tile you select matters, especially when it comes to creating meaningful layouts for your bathroom. Some patterns are just better suited to larger rooms and vice versa.

When you are looking at small tile samples in a showroom, it’s easy to forget that you will have a lot more of it once it’s installed in the space. To put it into perspective, you can break out the design into two different types of patterns. They are:

  1. Pattern 1 – The repetition of the pattern.
  2. Pattern 2 – The color of the actual piece of tile, which also includes the geometric pattern for the installation.

The combination of these two patterns can create an overly busy design very quickly.

If you have a small shower stall, you might want to stay away from larger format tile. If the installer has to make multiple cuts, the impact of the size and the pattern of the layout can get lost.

In a smaller space, go for either smaller-scale pieces or one big piece. We love the ultra-large porcelain slabs that are becoming increasingly available in sizes as large as 5 ft. X 10 ft.

In larger spaces, you may want to find ways to break up larger runs of tile. However, this doesn’t mean you need more tile options. Instead, try using more of the same thing in different ways. You can vary the direction or change the sizes in the same material to give a slight variation that is still refined yet elevated.

4. Get Creative

Mixing and matching different shapes can provide interest in the finished product. Here are some tips to help you create the perfect mix.

  1. Look for a tile collection you love and use multiple shapes within the same tile line or collection. With contrasting grout, the geometry of your mix will stand out beautifully.
  2. Use larger scale rectangles mixed with elongated hexagons. The two long and lean shapes can help emphasize the height of a room when needed.
  3. Create a frame! A great way to enjoy a bold color or mosaic and add detail to the room is to create a frame and then put the more exotic accent tile in the frame.  Some mosaics really do deserve to be treated as art! This might be done at the focal point of a back wall to a shower or possibly on the floor in a larger room. The frame will allow you to place and pattern mosaic into any field tile. Just be sure to buy a beautiful trim to set it off!

5. Get Precise

Tile IllustrationsTile Examples

The difference between an okay tile job and a magnificent tile job is in the details. Having the correct trim pieces is SO essential to getting that high-quality level of finish. I often start a tile search by looking at which collections will offer me all the trim pieces needed. 

Be sure to have a plan for every edge. Some great options to use are:

  1. Trim with a solid surface material that matches the countertop.
  2. Look for coordinating bullnose pieces, chair rail tiles, or pencil moldings.
  3. For modern designs, try Schluter trim pieces. They come in a variety of shapes for unique applications.

Tile Design

6. For Dramatic Effect

Grout Color

Once grouted, tiles can take on a completely different look, and the color of the grout can have a dramatic effect on the overall color tone. The contrast of the tile examples above has varying grades of grout that showcase different degrees of detail, and depending on the aesthetic of your bathroom; one may lend itself more to the space than the other. This is something to consider and play with before the whole install is complete.

7. Ensure Proper Planning

Selections
No matter where you are in your process, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to plan properly. Every detail matters, and as you can see, there are many when it comes to pulling off a flawless tile installation. Great planning will help you to be sure you have all the materials on hand when the installation starts and will help you to be able to get more accurate price quotes for the labor to install your dream bathroom.  Simple can be beautiful when thoughtfully planned and executed.

Are you ready to start your new bathroom design? Are you stuck trying to decide what options to go with for your island home? We are here to help! Contact us today so we can help you identify your exact tile selections for your dream oasis. The style of your interiors with durable materials will give you fulfilling days and a lifetime of joy.




Seaside Furniture
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Furniture for Seaside Vacation Homes

Melanie Morris February 24, 2021 Beach / Caribbean, Furnishings, Tips & Tricks 10


Living spaces are places where we gather with friends and family. They become the backdrops of many holidays, birthdays, and anniversary celebrations and set the tone for those simple days at home.

How we furnish these spaces lends itself to conversation, relaxation and supports our time together and time for ourselves. The choices we make in these spaces will influence how we experience our homes and will be seen for a long time to come in family photos. 

Seaside Furniture

If you have a coastal vacation home, especially one that you rent out short-term, AIRBNB style, then you know that the choice of furnishings is so important for so many more reasons. You know you need things that are durable, but they should also be stylish, comfortable, and easy to clean. That’s a lot to ask from a sofa!! Going shopping for all that “stuff” can be a little overwhelming as well. After all, this isn’t your full-time residence, and other people will be staying there when you’re not home. 

Slipcover Seating for Your Seaside Escape

TOP 3 CONSIDERATIONS

Vacation Home Furniture

  1. DURABILITY

    It’s true that vacation rental guests can be a bit hard on your furnishings. Some of our clients feel that they will go the route of buying the cheapest possible thing, plan on it falling apart and then get another. I disagree with this philosophy for two reasons:
    a.) Do we really need to plan to put more furniture in the landfill?
    b.) Every time you are doing a “project”, waiting on furniture delivery, and doing that “some assembly required” thing, you have lost a potential day of rental income, or possibly more. If you don’t live in the area now you are also paying someone else to handle that for you, on top of paying to ship multiple items. Spending a little more for greater durability at the outset can really save you money in the long run.

    Clean-ability for Furniture

  2. CLEANABILITY

    Even before the pandemic, it was important to be able to clean everything in a rental home easily and well. After all, it is essentially functioning as a hotel room.  We select everything for our clients with this factor in mind from the flooring to the bedding. When everything is easy to clean, the homestays looking fresh longer. It’s also easier for the housekeeping staff when one group checks out at 10 am and the next checks in at 3 PM!

    Pro Tip: If you have more than three bedrooms, install two washer/dryer sets so that the laundry gets done twice as fast!

    Seaside Comfort

  3. COMFORT

    Choosing a comfortable item doesn’t always mean the biggest sofa. Comfort comes from multiple factors. Yes, it should feel good to sit in, so pay attention to the seating dimensions. It should also fit the room well, and the room should be planned to accommodate the correct number of people. If you sleep 6-8 then there should be seating for 8 people in the living room. If you only have 4 seats in the living room, half the party will not be very comfortable!

    After years of designing rental homes, we definitely have some dos and don’ts and of course those go-to items. Here are just a couple of our favorites to help you get started below.

    DO:

    1. Choose soft seating pieces with tailored slipcovers.
    2. Look for pieces with cushions that come off and zippered cushion covers.
    3. Use indoor and outdoor fabrics for upholstery and even drapery!

    DON’T:

    1. Use embroidered fabrics for upholstery or drapery. It’s just too delicate for a rental environment. If you love it, have one pillow made and lock it in the owner’s closet for your personal use.
    2. Buy a mattress that you wouldn’t even want to sleep on just because it’s inexpensive.
    3. Buy core pieces like dressers and dining tables in particleboard or MDF. Look for solid wood dressers and tables with wood bases and glass tops.

    Want more details? You’re in luck, we have a new book out with the whole scoop on exactly how we set up a rental home. You can find it here.

    Vacation-Rental-Design-Guide

    Some of our favorite seating pieces for coastal rental homes are right here.

    Slipcover sofas that are super comfy, covered in washable performance fabrics, well made, and at a reasonable price point – yes, please!



Island Christmas
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A Remote Christmas Holiday

Melanie Morris December 1, 2020 Beach / Caribbean, Furnishings, Interior Design, Kitchens, Lighting, Outdoor Living, Tips & Tricks 0

A St. Thomas Christmas
How do you and your family celebrate the holidays? Does everyone gather at a family member’s home to enjoy great company and great food? Or is it a time for an annual dining experience at your favorite local restaurant? What about a Christmas getaway kind of custom? Many families spend their Christmas holiday with a classic Christmas family vacation filled with luxury and tradition. This take on Christmas makes it one to remember every year with new adventures and joyous memories made in paradise. There are a few things to consider for your vacation home with an added island style for a magical experience during the most magical time of the year.

A Remote Christmas Holiday

 

Exotic holiday vacation spots can bring the festive yuletide, minus the snow. The culture, seasonality, and entertainment of your destination will make for a memorable adventure. With these vacation rental tips, your home will be the perfect place to “sleigh” the holidays.

1. Comforts of Home

Coming home for the holidays does not mean you have to go to your family’s permanent residence. Coming home for the holidays can also mean coming home to your family’s holiday island excursion. Spending the holidays in a home away from home still leaves a yearning for those little things in life that bring us comfort and cheer during this joyous season. Leaving plenty of room for holiday décor is one way to help make a holiday retreat extra special. Let those lights, tinsel, and holly fly! Ample amounts of kitchen space for families to gather in and make memories together to prepare all of their favorite decadent holiday delights is a sure way to make sure everyone’s spirits are bright. 

 

A Remote Island Christmas

 

2. One of a Kind Design

Unlike your typical hotel and resorts, vacation homes are much more personal and family-friendly. The amount of control you have over your vacation rental allows you to create a one-of-a-kind design for your guests to enjoy. Whether you are renting a beachfront or a villa that overlooks the island’s twinkling lights, your vacation rental will be the perfect home base for island visitors. Capitalizing on design elements that make St. Thomas a memorable and exotic experience is another way to make your guests’ accommodations unique. Gathering places that go beyond the living room, such as fire pits or outdoor seating areas that face the ocean’s grandness, offer memorable Christmas moments that you can only enjoy in a place like St. Thomas.

 

Island Christmas

 

3. Family Friendly

Not all vacation spots are the same. After a long year of COVID and many other hurdles, families will be planning on reconnecting to close out this year together. Family-friendly spaces will be environments for more intimate events but allow plenty of wiggle room for those larger families who have survived this year together. Open kitchens, sofa filled lounges, or roomy decks overlooking the beach are all ways you can prepare your home for plenty of space to play, dine, and celebrate. 

To pull off a St. Thomas Christmas holiday experience, give us a call. Our perspective and well-experienced team know island vacation rentals inside and out. We can weave the holidays’ magic with the prestige of island paradise, so the only question will be where you want to spend the holidays this year?

Kitchen Design Tips
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How to Design the Perfect Kitchen

Melanie Morris November 15, 2020 Beach / Caribbean, Interior Design, Kitchens, Lighting, Tips & Tricks 2

The kitchen is the heart and soul of many homes. There is something special about having all of your favorite people in one place to enjoy some delicious food and lasting memories. As you and your families begin to plan and prepare for the holiday season, you may find yourself spending a lot more time in this area of your home if you haven’t already been this year. In our previous blog post, How to Design Your Vacation Rental, we talk about the kitchen arena’s importance. Because of the kitchen’s larger footprint, we thought it would be best to devote a blog article to include anything and everything in its own entry. If you plan on remodeling or updating aspects of your kitchen, there are quite a few things to consider. 

Kitchen Design Tips

APPLIANCES

How many people do you anticipate having in your home at any given time? This will help you decide on the size of furniture and appliances to purchase. If you have a group of 12 or more in attendance for a gathering, you may want to splurge on a larger fridge, (or multiple refrigerators) to store larger quantities of groceries and any prepped dishes that require refrigeration. If you are limited on space, an extra outdoor fridge or dry bar area could take care of any overflow items you may accumulate. If you own a seaside location, consider an ice maker as well to keep island cocktails cool and water fresh.

Heating elements in your kitchen are another important appliance piece of your kitchen. We recommend induction cooktops for preparing a fantastic dish. They heat quickly like a gas stove but do not have an open flame. This set up is also super easy to clean. If you are one who has family members with dietary restrictions, multigenerational families, or if you are hosting your family’s holiday gathering this year, here is our favorite kitchen appliance piece to help you cook your traditional favorites. While this appliance is a little on the expensive side, this microwave/convection oven is a huge space saver that can hold a larger size pan.

No matter what your appliance choices are, it is always best to choose your appliances first. They are the functional part of the design, and appliances have very limited size options. Cabinets can be made in any size so it’s best to fit the cabinets around the appliances. 

CABINETS 

Your cabinets should be paired with the heart and character of your home. If you are thinking of updating your cabinets but unsure what options to go with, we recommend hiring a professional. There are many trends and styles out there to filter through and having a professional’s perspective can help you make choices that will suit both your home’s style and your family’s needs.

Cabinets are lasting fixtures in your home and a big investment so tapping into a pro’s knowledge even if they charge a fee is usually worth it! You can opt for custom cabinetry tailored to your home’s exact size and style and equipped with extra organizers if the budget allows. You could also explore pull pantry or trash units to help increase storage and make navigating storage even easier for you and your family. Here is our favorite cabinet style, hands down. The enduring classic, the Shaker cabinets. These cabinets can be dressed up in various ways and have many subtle variations to help you style them for a specific look.

COUNTERTOPS

When it comes to countertops, quartz is our go-to. This man-made material is durable, affordable, and gives a fresh, clean look to a kitchen. There are an infinite number of styles, colors, patterns to choose from in the world of quartz surfaces. If you’d prefer a more luxurious countertop, you could opt for granite or quartzite. These natural stone options are beautiful and well worth the investment. When you are designing your countertops, make sure you have plenty of counter space that maintains the room’s flow. If the room feels a little tight, don’t feel like you have to have a piece that does not fit your space. A countertop fit for a breakfast bar or a built-in banquette dining makes for perfect space savers that still allow everyone to gather in for a casual lunch.

LIGHTING

Ample lighting in the kitchen is essential. With all the activities in your kitchen, it will serve you better to have plenty of light for any task or event. Your space should include overhead and under-cabinet lighting to allow for easy use and overall warmth in the space. That homey feeling can also be brought in with decorative pendant lighting to accentuate the room’s overall look and feel. 

COLOR CHOICES

Color choices can amplify the personality of your kitchen. Dropping a brightly colored kitchen backsplash to your cooking area is a great way to add a little extra flair. This small area is not too hard to change out or add in later, and it can make a massive difference to your master chef environment. Here are some other ways to add color to your kitchen:

  1. Colorful Dishtowels
  2. Serve-ware
  3. A Fun Toaster
  4. Coffee Maker
  5. Colorful Dinnerware
  6. Cookware

DINING ROOM AND SEATING

The more, the merrier! Make sure you have enough seats for the maximum number of people you plan on having in your home. Another thing to remember is the purpose of the gathering. Is it meant to be more of a formal dining entertainment event or a fun come and go setting where swimsuits are welcome? Family is family, which does not mean you all must sit together to enjoy the others company. Whether your guests are seated at the breakfast bar or dining table, as long as everyone is together in the same house, and they can feel the love, you are good to go. For dining table selections, glass is always super easy to clean. However, if fingerprints will drive you nuts, maybe a rustic edge wood table would serve you better. Remember, seating for guests should be comfortable and relatively easy to move if anyone needs to be squeezed in. It is okay to spend a little more on a chair that will hold up better and provide sturdy support for all of your guests.  

 

 

We hope this discussion helps you start thinking of those essential elements needed for your kitchen renovation or update. We are happy to provide our expertise in the transformation and would love to discuss your kitchen project details. Going through the process will significantly impact yours and your families’ quality time, where so many activities and memories are made.

Book here, today! 

Are you looking for the perfect kitchen accessories for the holidays? Check out my latest guide on items that all ship to the VI!

How to Design Island Rentals
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How to Design for Island Rentals

Melanie Morris November 4, 2020 Beach / Caribbean, Furnishings, Interior Design, Tips & Tricks 8

How to Design Island Rentals

As a travel enthusiast, there is just something special about staying in an exotic place where new adventures and memories await. On your way to your destination the anticipation to just get there builds. Your excitement bubbles over into a giddy-ness that is hard to contain. Once you finally arrive, your new environment should welcome and delight you and your family. If we take a step back, and look at the selection process when it comes to finding your place to stay, what stands out? Are there specific rentals you would pick over others based on location, size, or interiors? There are many factors that go into the final decision and as a rental owner, you will want to be able to distinguish your property from others available online. Your goal is to provide an escape that everyone can enjoy. We have the preparation for a successful vacation rental down to a science when it comes to curating the best materials that make guests feel right at home, and here they are.

How to Set Things Up for Success

How you set up your vacation get-away will help its overall success. While this blog is geared more towards island rentals the same guidelines can also apply to mountain retreats, sleek city stays, or anywhere that is considered to be a popular vacation destination for visitors to come and relax. When you decide that you want to rent your home out to travelers, you have to start thinking of your home as a commercial space that can accommodate someone who has never been there. This is where hiring a professional interior designer can make all the difference. Bringing in a fresh perspective can help improve the flow, function, and aesthetic of the space. Ease of use is a key component to keep in mind and let’s not forget home safety. That is part of business, and if you are renting, then you are in the business of hospitality, my friends. 

If you are in the market for a short-term rental property, you’ll need to review your options with a different lens rather than if you were buying for your family home. Your rental could be the backdrop to a family vacation or wedding weekend and having all the pieces in place will just add to the overall experience. Beautiful design adds a huge return on your investment and keeping your rental’s interiors fresh, and on-trend will help you maximize your investment.

  1. Your rental will stay booked.
  2. You will attract those higher-quality guests that are willing and able to pay
    a little more for an exceptional and more comfortable stay.
    3. Once you are ready to sell, the investment you’ve made in your rental will be apparent. You will not only be selling a beautiful property but a business that produces income.

Do Not Forget

Hiring a design professional can also help your home be more accessible to individuals with disabilities or families who may have elderly family members. Interior designers know how to accommodate their needs as well as limit your liability in-home safety. Don’t forget, you are making decisions for your guests who deserve to feel safe and comfortable in their home away from home. Making things safe does not mean they have to lack in pizzazz or island flair.

St Thomas Rental Spots

First Impressions

Vacation Here

The moment when someone walks into your home should be warm and memorable. Create a personalized welcome for your guests and make them feel more at home by designating a place for them that includes a welcome binder and guest book. Take a moment and customize items where you can and let your guests know about some of your favorite activities or restaurants in the area. First impressions are everything, and here are some ways to keep that white-glove service without the resort.

1. BEDROOMS
a. Buy plenty of the same white sheets. This makes cleaning a breeze and will make the room feel crisp and fresh.
b. You can add color and a layer of soft comfort with cozy rugs, or warm throw blankets across the bed.
c. Use layers to build in that personality.
d. Protect soft furnishings with covers or fabrics that are easy to clean and maintain.
e. Designate a space to sleep and a place to get work done. Depending on how long their stay is, some guests may need to pop in for work from time to time, and having a place available can make working on vacation less of a hassle.

Rental Design
2. BATHROOMS
a. Floors and walls get cleaned more than any other place in the rental, so make sure these are materials that are easy to clean. Porcelain is our recommended tile of choice. It is durable and alleviates the likelihood of someone slipping on a slick tile.
b. When it comes to plumbing fixtures, consider adding a handheld in the shower. This will help elevate your guests showering experience and help you in tidying up after their stay.
c. Lighting should include overhead and sconces to cover all the bases and keep the bathroom well-lit and beautiful.
d. Personalize the bathroom with an intricate pattern or brightly colored mirror
e. Make sure there are plenty of towels and just as many, if not more places to store or hang them.

Vacation Rental Design
3. LIVING & KITCHEN SPACES
a. This is the place for everyone to gather so it should be comfortable, and durable.
b. Make sure you have plenty of space for seating.
c. Since this room is a heavily used space, slipcovers will extend the life of your furniture.
d. Performance fabrics have also come a long way and you no longer have to sacrifice performance for a look.
e. A well-stocked fridge and pantry are a luxury and are always greatly appreciated.
f. Have a space for entertaining and plenty of refreshments. Cocktail anyone? Set up a bar if you have the room or leave extra fridge space for water and sodas.
g. Technology and entertainment options are expected nowadays in a more high-end rental.

Rental Design

Other Things to Consider

Quality in all aspects of interiors should always come before the price. If you go with a cheaper option, you may end up paying for it later with hidden costs in buying the cheaper stuff. There is also freight to consider if you’re in a remote location. If you purchase pieces that will last a long time you may only have to pay for freight once especially on those bigger items. Make the most of what is available to you at your rental, especially if you have an outdoor space. A breath of fresh air is always welcome especially when it involves a grill, some drinks, and great company. Those finishing touches can make all the difference in your rental’s overall success and your investment. Let us help you bring those pieces together so the next time someone is looking to book, there will be no question of where they choose for their families to stay. Safe travels to all in the upcoming holiday season and we can’t wait to begin working with those of you who will be bringing that luxurious home away from home for others to enjoy.

Want to book a stay in the home featured in this article click here to book your reservation. 

Interested in updating your vacation rental? Grab a copy of our e-book today for easy rental recipes to create an amazing experience for all your visitors.

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First Impressions

Melanie Morris June 30, 2020 Interior Design, Tips & Tricks 0

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Lately, I’ve been binge-watching the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and it has me thinking about the architectural details in interiors that have all but become a thing of the past.

The scenes of the pre-war era apartment buildings in New York are so intriguing.  New Yorkers have really perfected the art of gracious small-space living, long before that became a thing. There are a lot of little lessons that one can adapt from those vintage apartments.

How about those scenes where the apartment would conserve a lovely phone nook – talk about things that we no longer have!

LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

It’s really the entry foyers that I love. Those have been lost a bit in the modern times of open concept living.  What a gracious way to welcome guests to your home.  Much like a party invitation, the design should foreshadow the theme of the gathering with its color scheme and graphics. The same can be said for foyers, where a little taste of what is yet to come is tucked away further inside the home.

There are some places where you open the front door, step inside, and hello – you are now smack dab in the middle of the living room. When a package is brought to your door or the girl scouts stop by with cookies, do they really need to be in the living area?  I feel that it is so much more civil to have that little space between your primary living space and the front door.  This smaller area is easy to keep tidy, even if your kitchen and living room are being over run by your kids and their friends eating popcorn. If other parts of your home look like a bomb went off… the pop-in guest doesn’t necessarily need to see that!

Here are some of our favorite first impressions in these elegant homes.

 

 

 

 

Foyer related resources.
Architectural Digest
Haute Residence
Coco Dsgn
Southern Living

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How To Mix Metals In Interior Design

Melanie Morris April 7, 2020 Tips & Tricks 0

Gold is one of the hottest interior design trends right now, and manufacturers are meeting this need by producing a range of new gold tones and finish choices. There are many ways to style gold accents, from embracing the color and using gold on everything, to mixing and matching different tones of gold for an eclectic look.

If going all-in on gold isn’t your style, I recommend blending different metal accents. The casual elegance of this look is perfect for island living; it looks accidental, but in reality, was carefully planned. Here are some tips on what to look for and how to mix metals.

Types of Metals in Interior Design

When choosing metal accents for your home decor, you must select between the metal tone, type and finish.  There are three tones: warm, cool and neutral. There are also three main categories of finishes: polished, satin and hammered. Each of these tones and finishes can be applied to any type of metal.

Mixing metals can be difficult, but I have a few tips to help you. Many types of metals are used in interior design, but these eight are the most popular:

Cool Tones

  • Chrome
  • Nickel
  • Stainless steel

Warm Tones

  • Gold
  • Brass
  • Copper
  • Oil rubbed bronze

Neutral Tones

  • Cast iron
  • Black matte brass

How to Mix Metal Accents

Hiring an interior designer is the safest bet when it comes to mixing metals and making other design choices in your home. But if you’re looking to DIY the project, these are my three steps to successfully mix metals:

  1. Choose two or three metals you’d like to work with. Two is best if you’re not used to mixing. All of the metals should have the same finish (either polished, satin or hammered).
  2. Select one of your metals as the dominant color to be used on most of your accents in the space. The other metals will become the secondary colors.
  3. Begin decorating by item category. In bathrooms, the main categories are plumbing, lighting, accessories and mirrors. In kitchens, the main categories are plumbing, appliances and accessories.

Let’s use a bathroom for example. Regardless of whether it’s a full bath or a powder room, plumbing is the most dominant fixture in the room, so I would use the dominant metal there. Then apply the accent metal to lighting and accessories like drawer pulls or towel bars. Because there’s typically only one or two mirrors in a bathroom and they are large items, try using a third metal or another unique material like rope, rattan or shells.

Finding More Metal Inspiration

Following these tips should help get you started mixing metals in your kitchen or bathroom. Follow us on Pinterest for even more design inspiration and interior design tips.

If you’re still feeling lost after reading these three steps, it may be time to consider hiring an interior designer. Lagnappe Custom Interiors is the top authority on interior design in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we’d love to help you design and decorate your beach house so it’s just as beautiful as the islands we live on.

The dominant color in this bathroom is silver, which is used on the plumbing fixtures, lighting and accessories. Matte black is the first accent color, used on the drawer pulls. The final accent color is not a metal at all, but a third, totally unique material — shells. Design by Lagnappe Custom Interiors.
In this bathroom, the light fixture and cabinet pulls are in brass with a satin finish, while the plumbing is in stainless steel. Design by Lagnappe Custom Interiors.
This kitchen mixes stainless steel, seen on the appliances and plumbing, with brass, seen on the cabinet pulls and lighting. Design by Lagnappe Custom Interiors.
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How to Stay Involved with Long-Distance Decorating

Melanie Morris February 6, 2020 Tips & Tricks 0

The U.S. Virgin Islands are an amazing place to visit, and many visitors love it so much they decide to buy a second home or vacation home in the Virgin Islands. That’s often when we get a call. Lagnappe Custom Interiors specializes in interior design for island living, so we’re accustomed to working on a project while the client is hundreds of miles away.

While this experience is old hat for us, it’s often new to many clients. They want to be involved in their home design but aren’t sure how to do so long-distance. Here are our top three ways you can stay involved in your island home design from afar.

Set a Standing Meeting

If you’ve ever been in a long-distance relationship with a partner, you know that communication is the key to success. And though your relationship with your interior designer isn’t a romantic one, the same rule applies. To ensure you feel involved in the design process, consider setting up a standing meeting where you can check in and get progress updates. The frequency of these meetings may change depending on the phase of your project. During planning, for example, your meetings may be less frequent than during construction when you may want to have a call every other week.

Though phone calls are a reliable way to meet, there are many other types of communication platforms, like video chatting via FaceTime, Skype and Zoom. Talking with your designer face-to-face can help build a relationship with them, but also allows them to show you what’s happening at your beach home if they’re on site during the call.

Ask for Visuals

Interior design is a visual medium. Many of the decisions revolve around color, texture, size, shape and space planning. It can be hard to fully understand your designer’s vision without seeing their plans for your home. To resolve this problem, ask for as many visuals as possible. At minimum, this should include a floorplan of your home. Many designers use computer programs to model their designs. Lagnappe Custom Interiors uses a program called Sketchup Pro, for example, which shows our clients a 3D rendering of what the final space will look like. This is especially helpful when making a decision on a paint color or furniture piece because the software allows you to see what the finished room will look like.

Depending on the product in discussion, you may also want to ask your designer to send you samples for the tiles, wood flooring, fabrics, paints and other finishes they are considering. And while it may not be practical to mail you a countertop sample, your designer may be able to coordinate a showroom visit near you if you’re choosing engineered stone countertops.

It can be hard to envision a space when it looks like this — an empty shell full of possibilities. Your designer should provide you with sketches or renderings to help you understand what the final design will look like.
The sketches or renderings should look almost identical to the final design, as seen here. Design by Lagnappe Custom Interiors.

Plan a Visit

Although you may not be able to live in the Virgin Islands while your vacation home is being designed, you may want to schedule a couple of visits during the design process. This will allow you to meet your interior designer in person and see the progress on your beach home first-hand.

I recommend scheduling at least one visit after construction has begun, but before finishes are being installed. You’ll be able to get an idea for the flow of the home with wall framing in place, and will still have an opportunity to change things if you don’t like what you see. This is also a great time to view all the finish and fabric samples in person and see them in the space.  We always recommend seeing finishes in person when possible before confirming your orders.

We recommend scheduling at least one visit after construction has begun. The home will look like this — a “before” photo — with old finishes removed.
After the renovation is complete, your home should be as functional as it is beautiful. This master bath is full of island hues and loads of storage. Design by Lagnappe Custom Interiors.
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A Tropical Mood Board that will inspire your next Interior Design Project

PMMAdmin3 December 2, 2019 Color, DIY, Furnishings, Tips & Tricks 1

Creating a Tropical mood board while designing vacation homes remotely, helps to visualize the final design.

You love the purples and pinks of a Caribbean sunset. Seashells would look beautiful carved into a custom piece of furniture in your living room. Colors, textures, patterns, fabrics. What style furniture will suit, and how will it look inside a room? The options for expression and creativity in interior design are endless

Making Mood Board Decisions

With so many choices and decisions to make when designing and styling a home, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, and there comes a need to channel your wishes in one direction. Starting with pictures and a theme for inspiration, and then having a visual layout of all the components of a room in one place is the best approach.

We create mood boards for all of our projects. It’s a great visual way to pull thoughts and inspiration together at the beginning of a project. To be honest, most of our mood boards aren’t actually boards but ‘baskets’.

Tropical fabric swatches to use when creating mood boards with polka dot patterns, leaves and blue rug

Digital mood boards are a tool we use for our clients all the time. It makes working together with people off island easy, efficient, and fun. A lot of mood boards intend to inspire and let the imagination run wild to get a clear visual of what you hope to achieve in the decor and design of their home. However, there comes a point in every project where we need to pull together some actual real world items, that will not only suit the clients’ space, but also their budget.

Often times there will be multiple options for each room so when you come in for our presentation, they have something to react to. This changes the conversation from what we like in broad, general strokes to specifically what we do or don’t like about this item.  A mood board helps the you get a sense of how all of the items will work together in a room. 

Filling in Details of a Tropical Mood Board

Once we have this design direction laid out in full color, it’s pretty easy for me to fill in the details in a way that will make sense with the design and I know my clients will love. After all, a few happy surprises make the reveal day even more fun.

One of the simplest online tools is Pinterest. It’s free, easy to set up, and very user-friendly. It’s become such a popular tool not only for designers, artists, and people selling, but it’s where many people get ideas for their own projects.

We often ask our clients to put together a Pinterest board with inspiration images of things they love, even if they don’t seem to go together. The visuals make it possible to see some connections and bring some of their loves to the project.

There are tons of Apps that aim to make the process easy, but I’m pretty old school and just use Power Point to create my tropical mood boards. The main focus here is to create a collage of the items you wish to mix in the room and get a sense of whether or not they will feel balanced. When they are all together on a page, you’ll know if one item feels out of place

How to create a Tropical Mood Board

  1. Start with your floor plan of your space

    It’s all pretty meaningless if it doesn’t fit in the room. Your floor plan is your guide for what you need and what size and shape it should be.Mood board bedroom floor-plan

  2. Choose an inspiration item for your tropical mood board

    Is there a rug or a piece of art you’ve fallen in love with? This is a great starting point for color scheme and the over all feel of the room. Mood board inspiration elements of sea shells, sunsets, and colorful macarons.

  3. Add tropical color chips to your mood board

    Use your inspiration piece, whether it’s a rug, a photo, or handbag, to generate a color palette.Mood Board color chips taken from a beach

  4. Collect images and specs of key pieces

    If you’re working on a bedroom mood board, then choose the bed next since this is usually the largest piece in the room. Look for an item with the right styling to compliment your inspiration and evaluate available finishes. Key Mood board pieces including large furniture pieces that will go in a room. Couches, colorful accent pillows, vintage lamp and dresser.

  5. Layer in accessories and signature items

    What will define this space feel ‘oh-so you’? What things make you and your family comfortable?Mood Board Accessories include Framed prints of tropical scenery and curtains with tropical prints

  6. Stick with what works

    Once you’ve added all these items into the collage pages, you’ll clearly be able to see which ones are harmonizing and which ones are just not working with the others.

Why we use Mood Boards

Mood boards are a visual way for us to communicate. By providing your favorite colors, styles, and designs, no matter how different they may be from each other, you can come up with a plan which works as a beautiful end result. I like challenges when someone has varied interests when it comes to design. It’s my intention to work in as much of your tastes as possible into a tasteful-looking and welcoming home!

Lagnappe Custom Interiors is a full-service interior design firm, specializing in bringing the small niceties to a home or commercial space that make it memorable, functional and yours. Based out of St. Thomas, Lagnappe [LAN-YAP] is led by Tiffany Cassidy who enjoys working with property owners to create a home that reflects their style and needs. Tiffany marries her artistic and scientific sides together to bring the residents of the Virgin Islands and continental U.S. an interior decorating service that manages the complex and turns it into beauty. Her goal is to not only make a home prettier, but in doing so, make your life better. Visit www.Lagnappe.com for more information.