Good design, décor, and furnishings can do a lot to boost interest and promote conversions for a property and no-one knows this more than the founders of 1ChicRetreat – Mercedes Brennan and Karen Campbell. The popular blog has inspired many readers to experiment with color, seek out curiosities (not accents) and ditch their beige furniture and outdated wall colors. Now they are sharing their ‘One Bizarrely Effective Color Secret You Need To Know For Your Vacation Rental'.

This blog post is from 2014 but deserves a boost as it’s a revelation – at least for those of us who aren’t blessed with the design gene.

In simple terms, Mercedes and Karen suggest we take a look at images of fields of wildflowers and translate them to a design and decorating concept for our vacation homes.

In a 4-step process, they take us through creating our sky, choosing ‘greenery’, understanding earth tones are not restricted to beige and brown upholstery, and having fun with flowers i.e. using color in accessories, furnishing, lamps, and artwork.

Some of their comments are hilarious – ‘

‘It was as if they had thrown up wood’

‘It looked as if the person who decorated had a Red Bull and then started on the color’

'We know we are at the beach and life is pretty good, so why bother with the sign that tells us that “Life is Better at the Beach”?'

'The room felt like color on crack'

Listen to this and you’ll be looking at your décor with new and refreshed eyes.

The 1 Chic Retreat team share:

• How creating an ‘instagramable’ tiny home got 17 bookings in 3 days.
• Why a large property that dropped ranking had a 46% boost in conversions due to changes in color.
• The beige revolution and how to combat it (It’s why we don’t stop on a scenic drive to look at a plowed field.).
• Their top five things to avoid when decorating.
• The difference in white paint (they recommend Simply White by Benjamin Moore or Alabaster by Sherwin Williams).
• Why you should go to Etsy to buy cushions.

‍Episode 220 with Mercedes and Karen

Brendie’s Tiny House – décor by 1Chic Retreat