I just got back from a trip to Colorado, and man-oh-man did I leave feeling inspired. I also left with a head cold of sorts, but that is neither here nor there.
My husband, Maxwell, and I love Colorado. I went to school up in Boulder for a bit & then graduated from CSU in Fort Collins. We got married at The Farmette in Lyons back in 2019. And one of the last trips our late dads took us on separately before their passing was to Colorado. Maxwell and I lost our dads when we were 7. We didn’t know each other at the time, but coincidentally, our last family trips with our fathers were also to Colorado. So to put it briefly, Colorado means a lot to us.
For this Colorado trip, Maxwell and I went to Estes Park, Nederland & Boulder, and we stayed in some of the cutest airbnbs. In fact, it was these airbnbs that inspired me so much!
Earlier this year I took a Short Term Rental Design Course, and actually got a certification in STR design & styling. I originally took this course after my stepdad passed away, as a way to distract myself, and honestly haven't even thought about that certification until the last month or so.
Believe it or not, being a short-term rental host has been a dream of mine for a few years. I know some people think this job would be their worst nightmare, but I think it would be so fun!
I love creating spaces that are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also cater to my guest's needs. Perhaps it's the enneagram 2 in me, but there is just something about the whole hosting & designing & guessing people's travel needs that makes me do a little shoulder shimmy.
While I am very happy with my current full-time interior design job, this trip had me dreaming of what's to come next in life. As you may know from a previous blog post of mine, I have had a bad habit of trying to juggle all my passion projects simultaneously. Which is not something I want to do this year, or really any year ever again. So instead, I'm recognizing the dream, and prepping for the dream to happen sometime in the future. What time in the future, you may ask? Well, honestly, I'm not too sure! But I guess that can sometimes be the "fun" aspect of dreaming. You don't have to figure out every logistical detail at this stage.
Meanwhile, I have put some walkthrough videos on TikTok where I give you a little tour of our Colorado airbnbs, and tell you why certain design elements work for a short-term rental space.
While I don't travel as much as I used to, perhaps this will be a reoccurring series! Let me know what you think!
For the time being, if any of you lovelies have a short-term rental space in Austin (or beyond) that is in need of sprucing up, or starting from the ground up, let me know! I can help design the space, and live vicariously through you in the interim. :)
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