Read enough five-star Airbnb reviews and a pattern shows up: guests mention the wall art. Not always. But surprisingly often. "The prints made it feel like a home, not a rental." "I wanted to take the one in the bedroom with me." "You can tell the host actually chose things."
That is the review you are trying to earn. And art is one of the cheapest, highest-leverage ways to earn it.
Before I started House of Summer, I worked in the short-term rental industry with Airbnb, helping hosts and owners set up spaces that guests wanted to return to. The prints a host chose signalled more about the experience than the sheets did. Here is what I learned — and twelve prints that work.
Why wall art punches above its weight in short-term rentals
A short-term guest is absorbing a space in ninety seconds. Thread count is invisible. The espresso machine is a bonus but not a story. The wall art is the thing they will photograph and the thing that shapes their first impression.
Generic hotel-print-of-a-city does nothing. A single, considered piece of art with some warmth in it creates what interior stylists call "host presence" — the feeling that a real person curated this space, not a property manager with a Costco account.
What works in a short-term rental
Three rules, learned the hard way:
- Warm over cold. Airbnb photographs in warm tones get more clicks. Warm-palette prints carry this forward when guests arrive.
- Place-driven, not generic. A beach-somewhere print is forgettable. A specific beach — Uluwatu, St Tropez, Mallorca — reads as intention.
- One print per wall. Not three. Galleries over-style a rental and signal property-management rather than hospitality.
• • •
The twelve that earn their review
1. Take Me to St Tropez
The most photographed wall in any Riviera-style rental. Warm blues, soft yellows, a sense of afternoon light. Works over a bed or a sofa.
2. Take Me to Mallorca
Softer than St Tropez. Pairs with linen, unbleached wood, and terracotta. Especially strong in coastal rentals trying to avoid the nautical cliche.
3. Uluwatu cliffs
For rentals with tall ceilings or open living rooms. The horizon line extends the room visually. Guests photograph this one against morning light.
4. Bali morning
A softer Bali palette — greens, ochres, a sense of incense. Ideal in bedrooms and spa-style bathrooms.
5. Manifesting Your Escape
Quietly aspirational. Works in studios and smaller rentals where the guest is there to reset. Reads as intention, not decoration.
6. The Unbothered
For rentals aimed at solo travellers and creatives. Carries attitude without being loud. A statement piece above a writing desk or a reading chair.
7. Riviera coastline at golden hour
The one for rentals that want a Mediterranean mood without going too literal. Pairs with any neutral palette.
8. Mallorca cove
Mid-size print that holds a small wall. Good choice for hallways and entry corridors.
9. Bondi pool
A modern classic. For rentals styled around a clean, Australian-coastal vibe. Photographs exceptionally well.
10. Tropical botanical
Works in kitchens, breakfast nooks, and any space that needs a single strong plant reference without adding actual plants that will die.
11. Kilchberg lake calm
For Zurich rentals specifically, or for anyone who wants the serenity of a Swiss lakeside morning. Unexpected in a rental, which is exactly why it works.
12. The Table (napkin-print pairing)
If your rental has a dining area, a smaller travel print plus a hand-printed cotton napkin on the table creates a finished dinner-for-two setup that guests notice immediately.
Where to hang them
- Above the bed: one statement print, framed, centred, at eye level when seated on the bed.
- Above the sofa: the most photographed wall. Use your strongest piece here.
- Entrance hallway: narrow or mid-sized print — the first impression.
- Dining area: a print that references food, travel, or a coastal meal. Pairs with The Table napkins.
- Bathroom: yes, genuinely. A small framed piece of Bali or Mallorca above a toilet makes a bathroom memorable.
• • •
Frames, paper, and shipping (the boring questions guests do not ask)
Every House of Summer print is hand-illustrated, printed on 200gsm archival paper, and produced on demand by regional print partners, which keeps shipping times short and the carbon footprint manageable. Framed prints look more expensive than they are — and in a rental, framing matters more than almost anything else.
A host tip from the industry
Most hosts over-decorate. The winning rental is the one where every item feels chosen. Three good prints across a two-bedroom apartment beats nine average ones. Less is more. Intentional is more.
Browse the full collection, or start with the Tropical Escapes or Riviera capsules for travel-driven interiors.
Your guests will remember the art. They will say so in the review.