Airbnb vacation rental
the brief
Having a standalone 53 sqm guesthouse on our property in rural Sweden, I decided to completely renovate, modernize, and expand it to 65 sqm between 2022 and 2023.
Initially, it served simply as a place for visiting family and friends to stay.
There was no real design concept behind it; it was just a functional, modern space filled with a mismatched collection of leftover furniture.
When made the decision to convert the property into an Airbnb, december 2024, my market research revealed a glaring gap: Almost all competing listings in Sweden completely lacked a cohesive concept and suffered from poor, uninspired photography.
I knew I could do better than that.
To stand out in a crowded market, the property simply required a well-thought-out visual identity and high-quality presentation.
the solution
While the guesthouse is incredibly idyllic, it is not located directly on a lake — which is usually a massive selling point in the Swedish vacation market.
To compensate for this, the listing needed a distinct, visual aesthetic that would make it stand out besides other listings with superior locations.
I captured all the photography myself, utilizing an iphone for the inside, a lumix for the details and drone shots to properly showcase the entire outdoor area, documenting the property across all seasons so potential guests could get a better feel for their specific booking period.
For the interior concept, I chose a “neo-70s” style that felt timeless, suited the natural surroundings, and corresponded well with the house’s modern kitchen and bathroom.
To make the listing shine a bit more through concept artwork, that acts as a cohesive thread running through the entire space, creating an editorial, magazine-like feel without looking overly staged or forced.
The creative direction focused on “info-art”: illustrating traditional Swedish customs, famous personalities, and iconic inventions in two distinct visual styles, paired with educational captions.
The launch was a massive success. Since opening in May 2025, the guesthouse has been almost entirely fully booked, even in winter and off seasons.
Driven exclusively by five-star reviews, we quickly earned Superhost status and were even featured on Airbnb’s main landing page for regional Sweden searches.
Rather unexpected from my side, the custom artwork became a talking point, with multiple guests asking where they could purchase the prints.
After initially printing copies on demand, the frequent inquiries led me to design an in-house flyer showcasing available formats and pricing, in case somebody would like to take home a „swedish“ souvenir.
You can see the active Airbnb listing here: View listing.
The website with all information for the guests including a guestbook can be found here: View website.
