Designed to Rent: How to Furnish a Vacation Rental-Friendly Second Home

Homeowners of a 1957 Alexander/Krisel home give an inside perspective on how to style a mid century modern vacation rental.

For Randi Merel and her husband Allen LeHew, finding a home in the Little Beverly Hills neighborhood of Palm Springs was just the beginning. The couple is based in Chicago and loves the Palm Springs MCM style and vibe. When they bought a 1957 home built by the Alexander Construction Company with William Krisel as the architect, it met all their criteria: Krisel-designed, with clerestory windows and floor to ceiling glass for stunning views and that classic indoor-outdoor feel. However, being based in Chicago, they were only able to use the home for a few weeks per year. In addition to a vacation home, it became an investment as a vacation rental property, dubbed West Elm House 1, the Alexander.

Build on an MCM Foundation

If your vacation home rental is in a Mid Century Modern Mecca like Palm Springs, then making sure your home reflects that is the first layer. The previous owners had recently renovated, and so their job was to furnish it and make it vacation-rental worthy. Randi decorates with a mix of old and reproduction. It’s important for her that the design pays homage to the location but also can stand up to the wear and tear of heavy use. Her furniture is a mix of reliable stylish finds from West Elm, Bludot, and Mitchel Gold + Bob Williams with some MCM minded new picks from Modway and Modernica. She used FLOR carpet tiles for her high-traffic areas because of it’s durability and ease of maintenance. “I was really impressed because I picked my patterns online and when they arrived they were exactly as pictured—the colors looked just like they did onscreen,” she says.

Outdoor seating area with a turquoise sofa, woven chairs, yellow cushions and potted plants beside a lush hedge. — In addition to appeal and comfort, the furniture needs to be durable, especially if it’s outdoors. Notice as well that while the landscape creates a natural border around the conversation area, there are no prickly cactus in this central spot.

Even if you don’t live in Palm Springs or a location similarly known for its Mid Century Modern style, the aesthetic will still draw visitors who much prefer the clean lines, good vibes and great design of the mid-century rather than the unremarkable style of most hotels or rentals.

Palm Springs outdoor lounge with turquoise and yellow seating arranged around a glass coffee table beneath a blue shade sail. — The canvas sail provides welcome shade from the desert sun and an ideal spot for lounging and conversation while also being able to keep an eye on kids in the pool. The bright turquoise and yellow adds to the carefree vacation feel.

A Mid Century Modern Vacation Rental Must: Create a Ready-for-Anything Exterior

If someone is renting an entire home for their vacation, there’s likely a higher number of guests. On vacation, “people really are looking for an indoor-outdoor experience,” Randi says. Make sure to accommodate that by having several outdoor zones that serve for mingling and retreat, dining, relaxing and playing. Also, make sure your exterior is ready for the variety of weather. For instance, Randi has outdoor fans installed on her home’s outdoor porch and used artificial grass sparingly since that gets hotter than natural grass in the summer. Fire pits are also appealing for cold desert nights. Make sure there are plenty of shaded areas for shelter from the sun.

Mid-Century Modern living room with a yellow accent wall, gray sofa, olive lounge chair, wood shelving and white tiled fireplace. — Randi recently updated the rugs in some key rooms with FLOR carpet tiles. She was in search of something that was durable and easy to care for and was drawn to elevated modernist style of this Tailored Touch pattern for the living room.

Be Practical

When it comes to furniture, Randi says that you be aware that no one is going to treat the home with the same care you will. “People will lay on the sofa like it’s a bed. People will put their feet on a cocktail table,” Randi says. So, Randi suggests, opt for consignment store furniture, monitor Facebook Marketplace or shop for replicas. “Make sure you don’t have an emotional attachment to anything,” she says.

Mid-Century Modern home office with a wood desk, yellow chair, abstract artwork, vintage telephone and floor lamp. — A stylish desk is one of those practical amenities that’s simple to have but offers a well-appointed and well lit place for guests working remotely.

You also want to keep in mind the variety of people who may be staying there. Is it kid friendly? Beware of hard edges on your furniture and the placement of prickly cactus in your landscaping. Is everything durable? Also, keep in mind that you might have quick “turns,” when one group checks out and another checks in, potentially even the same day. Can everything in the house be easily cleaned or swapped out quickly to accommodate quick turns?

Randi actually keeps extra tiles of her FLOR rugs on-hand so that any stained sections can be quickly swapped out for the next guest while the stained tile is cleaned.

Mid-Century Modern bedroom with a gray upholstered bed, colorful blue and yellow pillows, wood accent wall and large glass doors opening to a patio. — If you look closely, can you tell that the FLOR rug is actually carpet tiles? It’s both extremely practical and stylish. The bedroom’s sliding glass door opening out onto a patio with an outdoor shower creates the dreamy indoor-outdoor connection Palm Springs guests are looking for.

Vacation Style

With all that said, you can invest a bit more and have fun with wall art and lighting fixtures. “People don’t tend to damage those,” Randi says. This will keep the atmosphere vibrant and fun. Don’t be afraid to go bold with the color, either. “It makes it feel more like a vacation rental rather than staying in someone’s home,” Randi says of her vacation home’s color scheme of chartreuse with yellow and blue accents.

Bedroom detail with a dark upholstered headboard, textured gray bedding, blue pillow, wood-paneled wall, yellow pendant light and vintage bedside clock. — The funky light fixture and texture from the wood wall add warmth while the headboard and bedding create a sense of serenity.

FLOR: Versatile, Practical and Fashionable Rugs

Rugs add warmth, softness and style to living spaces. But what if the space you have in mind is a mid century modern vacation rental? We spoke with James Pope, General Manager of FLOR, about how FLOR rugs are almost tailor made for this situation.

Versatility. First of all, all FLOR rugs are made from carpet tiles. As you can see from Randi’s home, you can’t tell that they are tiles—it appears as one complete rug. If you’d like to experiment and mix and match tiles, you can. If you’d prefer a complete design ready to go, FLOR’s signature rugs offer a solution. James elaborates, “FLOR provides the design and the number of carpet tiles needed—customers can choose a size, put it together, and enjoy.”
Practicality. “When one carpet tile is damaged or stained, it can be easily washed or replaced with limited maintenance or resources,” James says. “This is especially great for vacation rentals that are often more prone to spills and mess.”
Fashion. James explains, “In February 2024, we launched our immersive area rug collaboration collection with fashion designer Trina Turk.” The debut collection was vintage and Palm Springs-inspired, making it a perfect fit for Randi’s Palm Springs vacation rental, but also for others wanting to add a fun, fashionable splash.
But how do you choose? With the potential for guests with varying tastes, we asked James how vacation rental owners should choose from FLOR’s many options. James replied, “Although rental guests may have varying design tastes, the best thing designers can do is choose a lane and stick to it. Confident design equals beautiful design, and FLOR can help you achieve a well-thought out, on-trend space fit for any style.”

Looking for more vacation home inspiration? Check out this post on MCM vacation rentals on the coast. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!