Bridgette Whitney stumbled into designing Airbnbs after furnishing her own short-term rental in Nashville.
Whitney, 24, began hosting the unit in 2022 through rental arbitrage, meaning she does not own the unit but instead leases it from the building and then rents it out on Airbnb. She hosts with her boyfriend Blue Delgado, 26, whom she met at San Diego State University.
The number of Airbnbs in Nashville have more than doubled since 2017, according to data from analytics site AirDNA, growing from 3,700 in 2017 to 7,700 in 2022. Knowing how competitive rentals had become in the Music City, Whitney was determined to stand out.
"There are thousands of Airbnbs in Nashville. We needed to make this weird," said Whitney, who shares her design savvy with 124,000 followers on Instagram.
Whitney painted the walls of her two-bedroom unit in downtown Nashville hot pink and orange with squiggly line patterns and purchased items like a gumball machine and a bowl-shaped couch to outfit the space.
Travelers have responded enthusiastically.
"When you have a space that is colorful and lively, you attract guests that are happy," Whitney said. The couple says a typical month's revenue for the unit, which goes for $328/night and up, is $9,500.
The pressure is on for Airbnb hosts headed into 2023. Demand for short-term stays will continue to increase, but there is more competition than ever from a growing number of rental properties.
Making bold and adventurous design choices is one way to keep a competitive edge, Whitney said. She's already been tapped to design six other Airbnbs across Arizona and North Carolina.
"I genuinely feel, in the time we're living, you really have to go above and beyond with those extra steps," she told Insider.
Whitney stressed that hosts don't need to break the bank, but just pick just one room or area to focus on. She broke down her four entry-level tips for going bold with design.