Picking a Color Palette for Your Short Tem Rental

Picking a color palette for your short term rental can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Think about the brand you’ve established or are establishing for your short term rental, and start there! Choose colors that reinforce that brand and can blend into other marketing ideas.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

If you are catering to the family market think kid friendly colors. We’re not recommending light pink and baby blue. There are fun playful combos that are fun for kids and sophisticated and appealing to adults.

BLACK AND WHITE w/ PUNCHES OF PRIMARY COLORS

BUSINESS TRAVELER

Business travelers will appreciate sophisticated but restful palettes.

SPA INFLUENCED PALE GREEN AND BLUE

ROMANTIC GETAWAY

If you are marketing a romantic getaway, go for a cozy cabin feel or think old Hollywood glamour.

DEEP JEWEL TONE

Where to Start

It’s best not to start your color search with picking paint colors. Instead, find upholstered furniture and/or bedding that fit your color schemes and use them to choose paint colors. While paint does not need to match these items perfectly, you don’t want them to clash.

Allow the colors to flow through the unit. Using lighter and darker shades of the same color families throughout the space, this helps to reinforce the brand and allows for adjustments based on light exposure and room function.

In the mood board below, we started with a new duvet cover that Elizabeth found recently. The pinks and oranges felt whimsical enough to delight a child, yet sophisticated enough to keep parents’ sanity in tact while staying in the home. We then pulled together ideas for furnishing the whole apartment keeping the theme alive throughout, without overwhelming the guests.  What do you think?

Mood Board Dissected 

1. Still Life with Pink Pear – A playful, but grown up print for the kitchen incorporating pink and organge by artistFrancesca Iannaccone available from Minted.com
2. Orange Double Espresso Cup – Fun orange coffee cups bring the theme to the kitchen in a very functional way. 
3. Holly Art Print– An adult version of pink and orange, great for the livinig room or bedroom by Katie Craig.
4. Pink Zinnia – Fresh flowers are always a “secret sauce” touch; match them to your color scheme and you’ll blow your guests away! 
5. Pink and Orange Pillow– Pull your theme into the living room with vibrant throw pillows.  
6. Sofa – A neutral sofa is a great way will play nicely with kid friendly pink and orange.
7. White and Black Lamp – White and black lamp can balance out the brighter pink and orange splashes and remind your guests that they’re still in a sophiscticated space. 
8. Pink and Coral Rug– A beautiful rug can set the stage for your theme. 
9. Orange & Pink Jelly Beans – If you leave a welcome gift for your guests, consider including a sweet treat that matches your color scheme! 
10. Orange Lamps –These orange lamps are great on a bedside table for a kid’s room.
11. Magic Eight Ball – Who doesn’t love a Magic Eighball for conversation starters? Old fashioned black picks up on a more adult accent color in a plyaful way.  
12. Duvet Cover – This playful and fun duvet set is perfect for a kid’s room, but it’s sophisticated enough for an adult bedroom, too. If you have a room that doubles may be used interchangeably by kids and adults, a duvet like this is a great idea. 
13. Pink Rubik’s Cube – You can even take the them to toys and games. A pink Rubk’s Cube will keep kids and adults occupied on rainy days.
14. Cerise Penguin– Add childlike art as an accent in your theme color. This penguin comes from our local 21C hotel, so it also brings in some local flare. 
15. Vintage Cordial Glasses – Raid your grandmother’s curio cabinet or the local thrift store for fun accents like these orange cordial glasses that will be unique to your rental and delight the grownups on their stay. 
16. Orange Pink Striped Pillow – we found this cutie pillow on etsy. It’s handmade and matches our color scheme perfectly and allows us to support an individual artisan in a fun way. 

Keep it Clean–A Guide to Paint Finish

One more consideration is the sheen of your paints. High-gloss or semi-gloss finishes in the bathroom and kitchen allow for easier clean up, always a consideration in a short term rental. The trade off is that these finishes show flaws in walls that aren’t perfeclty smooth.  Outside of the kitchen and bathroom these finishes are generally best used for trim. Satin finish is a good, durable finish for walls in high traffic areas such as family rooms and halls. It provides better coverage than high- or semi-gloss and is cleanable. Save the eggshell finish, which has less luster than satin finish for low traffic and areas that don’t have the potential to get wet.