How much does it really cost to furnish a short-term rental? A 2026 category-by-category guide.

Most short-term rental design firms hide their numbers. We don't. This is what an editorial-tier Airbnb actually costs to furnish in 2026: beds to bath linens, kitchen tools to wallpaper, hospitality amenities to install and freight.

The single most common question I get from owners considering a short-term rental design firm is some variation of: what's a realistic budget for furniture? The single most common answer they get from those firms is some variation of: it depends.

It does depend. But owners aren't asking for a quote. They're asking for orientation. They're trying to figure out whether they're in the right ballpark before they spend two months interviewing designers. Almost no firm in this category will give them that orientation, because pricing transparency is uncomfortable, because furnishing budgets are where designers hide their margin, and because "it depends" makes the conversation easier to control.

Yellowwood Atelier publishes the math. Here it is.

An Editorial-tier furnishing budget for a 3-bedroom short-term rental typically runs $55,000–$95,000 in supplier cost, plus 22% for install, freight, and photography, plus state sales tax (5–10%). All-in furnishing project total: roughly $75,000–$130,000.

That's the headline. The rest of this post breaks it down by category, explains why each line item costs what it costs, flags the place owners almost always under-budget, and points to a free tool you can use to estimate your own property right now.

The three tiers we benchmark against.

Before the categories, the price tiers. Furnishing a short-term rental at $35K is a different project than furnishing one at $135K, and both are correct for different properties. The question isn't "what's the right number," it's "what tier of finish does this property warrant, given its market and target ADR."

Editorial tier is what Yellowwood Atelier targets by default. It's the tier where the math below lands. Standard tier is roughly 65% of these numbers. Luxury tier is roughly 165%. Same property, same square footage, very different supplier costs.

Category 1: Bedrooms.

Per bedroom, at Editorial tier, plan for $2,700–$6,800 in supplier cost. The midpoint is about $4,500.

That covers:

• Bed (frame + mattress + headboard): $1,500–$3,500. The mattress is the biggest variable. Avocado, Saatva, Birch: editorial baseline runs $1,500–$2,500.
• Soft goods (sheets, duvet, pillows, throws): $400–$800. Two complete sets minimum. Linen blend with a Mongolian wool throw is editorial standard.
• Bedroom décor (lamps, art, rug, accents): $600–$1,200. A pair of side-table lamps ($300), wall art or mirror ($300–$500), a bedside rug ($300–$600), accents ($100–$200).
• Bedroom seating (chair, bench): $0–$800. Primary suite typically yes; secondary bedrooms often skip.
• Curtains: $200–$500. Linen-blend rod-pocket panels are editorial standard.

The primary suite tends to run higher than secondary bedrooms because of seating, additional accents, and usually a more substantial bed-frame moment. A bunk room sleeping four-plus reads as 1.5 bedrooms in our budget math.

Category 2: Common spaces.

The living/kitchen/dining combination is where most of the visible design budget lives. At Editorial tier, plan for $13.50–$37 per square foot of common-area supplier cost. For a typical 700 sqft House archetype, that's roughly $9,500–$26,000.

The line items:

• Sofa (1–2 typical): $1,500–$5,000 each. Modular performance fabric is the STR-native answer: Castlery, Albany Park, Sundays.
• Dining table + chairs (6–8 seats): $1,200–$4,000. Live-edge wood or trestle. Bench plus four chairs is a standard editorial move.
• Coffee + side tables: $400–$1,500. Multi-functional with storage helps.
• Lighting (lamps, sconces, pendants, floor): $800–$2,500. Editorial properties layer four to six light sources per room.
• Wall art + décor (common area): $800–$2,500. Anchor piece ($600–$1,200) plus supporting frames and accents.
• Rugs (common area): $1,200–$3,500. The 8x10 or 9x12 living-room rug is the anchor.
• Curtains (common area): $400–$1,500. Linen panels with custom rods.

Category 3: Kitchen tools and tabletop.

This is the most underbudgeted category in short-term rental furnishing, typically by 30–50%. Owners default to "we'll throw in some pots and dishes" and then learn that guests photograph and review the kitchen as much as the bedroom.

Plan for $2,300–$5,500 per property at Editorial tier. That covers cookware, knives, a stand mixer, espresso, blender, full coffee/tea station, dishes (two times guest-count minimum), glassware, flatware, and serveware.

An Editorial-tier kitchen is photographable. The owner's old All-Clad seconds and assorted IKEA glasses do not photograph well. The math is small relative to the project total, and it's the category where owners save the wrong dollar and lose ADR for it.

Category 4: Bathrooms.

Per bathroom, at Editorial tier, plan for $700–$2,600 in supplier cost. The midpoint is roughly $1,500.

Bath linens (three sets of bath towels, hand towels, bath mats) account for $300–$600. Bath décor and accent storage (counter tray, art, plant, soap dispensers, basket) add $200–$500. If the existing fixtures need a refresh (mirrors, lighting upgrades), budget another $200–$700. A powder-room wallpaper moment can add $0–$800, and is one of the highest-leverage editorial moves in the property (see the next category).

Category 5: Wallpaper and wall treatments.

Wallpaper is the line item that distinguishes a designed STR from an undesigned one in photographs, more than almost anything else.

Per property, at Editorial tier, plan for $0–$3,200. The "$0" floor exists because some properties don't get wallpaper at all. The "$3,200" ceiling reflects 2–3 deliberate moments: a floor-to-ceiling powder-room wallpaper, an accent bedroom wall, and a dining-ceiling treatment, for example.

For the cost of one mid-tier sofa, you can transform the most photographed room in the house into the most-shared image of the property.

Category 6: Outdoor zones.

Per outdoor zone (deck, patio, fire-pit, hot-tub area), plan for $3,800–$14,400 in supplier cost. Wide range because outdoor varies wildly: a small deck with a single seating arrangement is at the floor; a fully programmed multi-zone outdoor space with hot tub, fire pit, and dining is at the ceiling.

The line items per zone:

• Outdoor furniture (sofa/loveseat + chairs + table): $2,000–$8,000. Polywood, Yardbird, Outer.
• Outdoor lighting (string, lanterns, sconces): $200–$800.
• Outdoor rug (performance/synthetic): $300–$800.
• Hot tub or pool accessories (towels, bins, robes, side tables): $200–$800.
• Fire-pit area (chairs, side tables, decor): $800–$2,500 if applicable.
• Grill and outdoor kitchen tools: $300–$1,500.

Category 7: Hospitality and amenities.

The category guests photograph and post about. Per property, at Editorial tier, plan for $1,550–$4,300 in supplier cost.

That covers the welcome basket and arrival kit ($200–$500), scent profile (candles, diffusers, linen mist; $200–$500), playlist curation (no cost, but operational time), bath products (initial stock; $300–$700), in-property guidebook printed and digital ($150–$400), local pairing list, signage and printed materials ($200–$700), and curated books and games ($500–$1,500).

This is the smallest line item and the one that drives the strongest reviews. Owners who skip it lose review velocity in the first 90 days, which compounds against ADR for a year.

The hidden costs: install, freight, photography, tax.

FF&E supplier cost is not the all-in number. On top, plan for roughly 22% in install/freight/photography production, plus 5–10% in state sales tax.

The breakdown of the 22%:

• Receiving and quality-control labor: $500–$2,000
• Consolidated freight: 8–15% of supplier cost (good consolidation saves 30–40%)
• Local install crew (2–3 people, 2–3 days): $1,500–$4,500
• Photography production for the launch shoot: $1,500–$4,000

What the all-in numbers actually look like.

Roll all of the above together by property archetype:

What's NOT in these numbers.

Above is furnishing: supplier cost plus install, freight, photo, tax. It does not include:

• Design fees (Yellowwood Atelier, or any STR design firm)
• Architectural collaboration, permits, or structural changes
• Custom millwork or cabinetry fabrication
• General contractor and trade labor
• Photography production beyond standard install
• Property management fees (Yellowwood Properties, Vacasa, or your operator)

For a complete project budget (design fee + furnishing + install + management), layer those on top. Yellowwood Atelier's design fee structure is published on the Investment page.

The single most important takeaway.

The kitchen tools line is where most short-term rentals lose ADR for the first year. Not the sofa.

Almost every owner under-budgets the kitchen and over-budgets a single anchor piece (usually the sofa). Editorial-tier short-term rentals consistently invert that: spend slightly less on the showpiece, slightly more on the line items guests interact with five times a day. The reviews follow the interaction, not the moodboard.

Use this in your budget conversation.

Whether you're deciding to hire Yellowwood Atelier, a different design firm, or to manage furnishing yourself, take this article into the conversation. Ask any firm you're interviewing what their categorical budget looks like, and how they price FF&E procurement. Most firms charge a hidden 15–30% markup on FF&E. Yellowwood Atelier discloses ours: +18%, locked in the contract, no surprises.

If you want to skip the conversation entirely and just see what your specific property might cost, our free estimator does that in 60 seconds.

— Tara