The Art of the Zhuzh: How a Little Design Intention Can Transform Your Furnished Rental

The Moment That Shaped How I Work With Hosts

One of the biggest honors, and career-defining moments, of my life was working as a Host Advisor for the Airbnb Plus program.

I worked out of Airbnb’s global headquarters in San Francisco, supporting hosts whose homes were being considered for one of their most design-forward programs.

And then there was that moment.

The first time I ever met Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, I was completely unprepared.

Me + Daphne, our Interior Design Lead, understood the assignment.

It was Halloween. I was dressed as Eleven from Stranger Things.

Slicked back hair, bloody nose and all.

I wasn’t expecting him to be there, but he stopped at my desk, said hello, introduced himself, and asked me:

“What’s one thing you’ve learned from working as a Host Advisor for Plus?”

I didn’t have time to think. And the first thing that came out of my mouth was:

“Hosts are really DIY… they like doing things themselves.”

That was pretty much all I said — a quick, unpolished response in a flash of a moment. And honestly, I’m pretty sure I turned as bright red as a lobster right after that.

But thinking back on it now, that instinctive answer really was true.

My answer may have come across as “they don’t need us,” but that’s not what I meant at all. What I was noticing was that while our team was promoting hands-off, white-glove service, hosts actually wanted to be involved.

They absolutely valued and appreciated our guidance, mood boards, and suggestions, but more often than not, they asked to complete the tasks themselves: purchasing & putting furniture together, painting the walls, and implementing the ideas on their own.

Where Home Sharing Gets Its Soul

The hosts I worked with in San Francisco weren’t off-site investors running full-time vacation rentals.

A fun guest suite we onboarded to Airbnb Plus. The owner was a comic book writer.

They were home-sharing hosts.

People renting out:

• Basement apartments

• In-law suites

• ADUs and backyard cottages

• Their primary residence when they traveled

  
  

They were scrappy. They were thrifty. They were DIYers, proud of what they built.

Many of them were artists, writers, photographers, and creatives who didn’t come from a formal design background — but they absolutely had heart and soul to pour into their spaces.

Interior designers would encourage these hosts to start with what they already had. Sure, a few new additions could be nice, but the real transformation came from being more intentional, not from spending more money.

Designers would suggest things like:

• Framing posters that had been rolled up in closets

• Creating a small gallery wall using the host's own photographs

• Adding peel-and-stick wallpaper or a large plant to transform a small space

• Layering lighting and repositioning mirrors to make a room feel brighter

• Painting one feature wall, to help it pop in Airbnb search results

Suddenly, these spaces felt charming, personal, and memorable — not like a catalog listing filled with generic art.

The Reality of Starting a Furnished Rental

After 10+ years working with furnished rentals, here’s what I see over and over again:

Most hosts start with the essentials. Beds. Tables and chairs, kitchen basics. Toilet paper (always important).

That makes complete sense. Starting a brand-new furnished rental is expensive, and most hosts are being thoughtful and cautious with their money.

Then something magical happens.

The rental starts making money.

A year or two later, hosts circle back and say:

“Okay… I’m ready to level this up.”

That’s where design intention comes in.

Why Design Matters More Than You Think

Before the Zhuzh

Humans are incredibly visual creatures. It’s honestly wild how much impact wall color, lighting, art, plants, and texture can have on how a space feels, and how it performs.

Last year, I invested about $1,000 into upgrading one of my furnished rentals — mostly styling and finishing touches — plus new professional photos.

After. I painted the walls, added some inexpensive lights & curtains & a mirror.

The result?

My monthly income from that listing jumped from $3,700 to $4,100, overnight.

Same space. Same layout. Same market. Just better design and better visuals. Yeah, I put some of my own elbow grease in. But what a difference, right?!

Think of the Zhuzh Up As…

A client's living room, before.

Your space, elevated.

If your rental is doing fine but you know it could do better, this is often the missing piece.

Design doesn’t have to be intimidating, expensive, or outsourced to be impactful.

Post-Zhuzh. Check out the listing HERE.

Some of the best-performing spaces I’ve ever worked with were created by hosts who simply had the right guidance, a clear vision, and the confidence to implement it themselves.

That’s the art of the zhuzh — knowing what to do, why it works, and then bringing it to life in a way that still feels like you.

Ready to Zhuzh Your Space?

If you’re a DIY host who already has the basics and wants your listing to stand out, I’d love to help.

👉 Let’s turn your furnished rental into something guests remember, and are happy to pay more for. Learn more HERE.