Unique Airbnb Home Rentals Interior Design

Unique Airbnb Home Rentals Interior Design

If you’re planning an inbound weekend getaway or an impromptu road trip, chances are, you’re most likely planning to steer clear of hotel chains. Just because you’re not flying abroad, it doesn’t mean you can’t experience living under the roof of a truly unique piece of architecture with spectacular interiors. In most instances, vacation rentals are better than hotels when it comes to uniqueness and experience.

Whether you’re wondering where to organize your next staycation with your gang, a relaxing weekend away with a significant other, or your soul-searching solo adventure, here’s a Hypebeast list of some of the most interesting Airbnb and home rentals to check out within the states.

A Private and Historic Hilltop Home With Sweeping Views of Downtown LA

According to reports, John Lennon and Yoko Ono previously resided in this hilltop home sometime during the ‘70s. While quite a lot of its original furniture and decor have been replaced, the home retains much of its original flavors – an idiosyncratic mix of boho and mid-century Danish decors with Japanese Meiji-style interior design.

Privacy is ensured as this house rental is perched up at the top of hills in Laurel Canyon. With numerous decks, equipped with sun loungers and hammocks, renters can completely relax while enjoying the sweeping views of downtown LA. This tranquil sanctuary caters to an intimate group with its three bedrooms, an open kitchen, and one newly renovated bathroom. Another gorgeous feat in this property that’s worth highlighting is the study, which is attired with wooden floors, ceilings, in-build shelving, and desks that emanates the appeal of historical Japanese home interiors.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $600 USD
Location: Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles.

Industrial Meets Modern Interiors in This Factory-Turned Studio Home

Now a unique, urban industrial loft space nestled in Chicago’s trendiest neighborhood, The Tea Studio was formerly a distillery during the Prohibition era, before being converted into a spring factory for decades. Fitted with 14-inch timber ceilings, solid oak flooring, and exposed floor-to-ceiling brick walls, the industrial vibes are imbued with touches of Chinese and Japanese decors. Culinary enthusiasts can utilize the fully-equipped, professional-grade kitchen, which was granted first runner-up at the Signature Kitchen & Bath’s 2014 annual kitchen awards. A great vacation rental for couples or solo travelers seeking to explore the city without sacrificing homeliness.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $222 USD
Location: Chicago, Illinois.

A Surrealist Home Away for a Digital Detox

If you’re looking for designer homes paired with the great outdoors, The Monument House seems like the perfect fit for those who’re also looking for a complete digital-detox. A product of architect Josh Schweitzer, this iconic property was previously reserved for only his friends and family for three decades and was only opened for the public near the end of 2022.

On the outside, The Monument House comprises cubic forms and trapezoidal openings that mirror its surroundings. Meanwhile, its vivid walls add a splash of colors to the barren landscape. As it was built between 1989 and 1990, the home decor feels almost like a time capsule of its time with designer furniture such as a dining table by Roy McMakin, and dining chairs designed by Schweitzer himself to match the modern exterior of the home. Read more about the property here.

Booking: Homestead Modern
Price per night: $619 USD
Location: Joshua Tree, California.

A Luxury Treehouse With 5-Star Resort Amenities

If one of your childhood dreams is to sleep inside a fully decked-out treehouse, then this Airbnb will meet your expectations with flying colors. Settled in a tropical rainforest on the Big Island of Hawaii, this treehouse is built in a Kukui Nut Tree, letting guests reside 15 feet above the ground. With a live tree trunk integrated within its structure, the property is surrounded by stunning tropical foliage, ocean views, and is equipped with the amenities of a 5-star resort as stated on its Airbnb listing. As this is a handcrafted treehouse, much of its furniture and home decor are locally sourced, notably the king-sized bed frame and dressers made of mango wood.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $678 USD
Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

An Off-Grid Desert Bungalow With Raw Modern Interior Design

This creative and eco-conscious dwelling is completely hand-built by its home owner and host Dan. Located just outside Taos, Dan’s Earthship is surrounded by a wondrous mountain view of the Sangre de Cristo. Its exterior combines a domical stone build with a green-house-like structure that regulates temperature while illuminating the indoors with natural light. From storing rainwater to generating electricity via its solar-power panels, this Airbnb also sustains a comfortable 72° F all year round without heating or AC.

Its interior design is amalgamated with rustic wooden ceilings, raw and modern walls, and acid-stained flooring, adorned with both modern and old-fashioned furniture. While the Earthship is undoubtedly an off-grid property, it’s fully equipped with modern amenities, appliances, and fully functional bathrooms that can cater up to a party of four.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $170 USD
Location: Taos, New Mexico.

The Ex of In, an Experimental Woodland Cabin

Described as an “architectural wonder in the woods” on Airbnb, this rare gem is actually part of the experimental “T” Space project by Steven Holl Architects. In a video interview with Architectural Digest, Holl explains he was inspired by Peter Sloterdijk’s Spheres trilogy, which explores myriad spaces and its fundamental formation of human life. The cabin derives its name from the “Explorations of In,” which were a series of developmental models that the studio conducted to intersect spheres into trapezoidal volumes.

Lightweight and porous, the facade of the house is attired in pour-over stucco, which are made of recycled glass to explore Holl’s concept of spheres in microscopic levels. Although the house can sleep up to five people, there are no designated bedrooms. As every space connects and illuminates with another, many spherical concepts are also incorporated into the property. In terms of materiality, the house is constructed with mostly solid, non-coated, wood. A great portion of the home’s decor and mid-century-style furniture is created by Steven Holl Architects, including the ‘70s Porosity light fixture, the Ex of In table lamp and the A-chairs, to name a few.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $461 USD
Location: Rhinebeck, New York.

A Rustic Little Church on the Hill

Formerly a small, local church constructed in 1913, the property was later fully converted as a living space in the ‘50s. Much like its exteriors, the inside of the church has preserved much of its quaint charms – from the 25-foot cathedral ceilings, original stained glass windows, and early 20th-century textured tin walls, to the old-fashioned spiral staircase. Fun fact, the late Gael Greene, acclaimed restaurant critic actually lived in this property with her husband during the ‘60s.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $296 USD
Location: Woodstock, New York.

The Rubber House, a Secluded Artist Colony & Retreat

Erected in the ‘80s, The Rubber House is a secluded post-modern home designed by landscape architect Tom Pritchard. As the home originally belonged to Eugene Loring, a separate dance studio was also built on the estate for the renowned choreographer.

The building’s facade is made of paint-free neoprene, which provides the home with natural ventilation. Another highlight of this unique Airbnb is its glass vaulted industrial kitchen, which opens up to a cozy dining and living room space where a freestanding fireplace and Hella Jongerius Polder sofa reside. Moving onto the upstairs, the master bedroom comes outfitted with its own fireplace, complete with a 270-degree forest view via its curved, floor-to-ceiling windows. The post-modern interior design follows a muted, yet multi-toned color palette that plays a characterful contrast from its somber exteriors. To read more about the history of The Rubber House, head over to their official website.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $854 USD
Location: Accord, New York.

A Historic Artist Estate With Its Own Pond and Waterfall

The Pond House was once a family estate of renowned realist painter, Reginald Marsh between the ‘20s and ‘30s. After its renovations by MDIM in recent years, the property has been featured in a handful of design magazines and is currently owned by an architect and artist couple. As a result, the house has preserved some of its authentic elements, such as the fireplace, and various sections of the walls that nod to its unique history.

If you look up what home decor style is trending right now, mid-century modern and crisp-clean contemporary luxe aesthetics will dominate your search results – which The Pond House precisely encapsulates, complete with a lived-in artist studio feel to it. Guests will wake up to an idyllic scenery of green through the master bedroom’s timber-framed picture windows. The fully equipped open kitchen, along with a spacious dining and living room area easily caters to a group of up to 5 people. And just like its name suggests, the estate comes with its own pond, as well as a one-of-a-kind, private waterfall.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $334 USD
Location: Woodstock, New York.

A Fully-Furnished Bedrock Cave With a Taste of Sustainable Living

This Airbnb offers a taste of unique sustainable living inside a bedrock cave. Its raw structure and interior offers a natural warm-hue, while self-regulating throughout the seasons.The entrance is decked with wooden floorboards with a glass-fitted cave opening that serves as a front door. Illuminating the bedrooms, living area, and kitchen space are floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offer undisrupted landscape views around the Grand Staircase Monument. As for furniture, the cave is neatly decorated with an eclectic mix of vintage decor and raw wooden elements that exudes a cottage-lodging-meets-super-villain-hideout appeal.

With the Bedrock Homestead cave owner being a father, land activist, artist, farmer, and music enthusiast, the property permeates with elements that correspond to all of his interests and identities — from a farm, earthen patio, outdoor BBQ, to an abundance of lands to explore and hike in.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $275 USD for a private room, or $950 USD for the entire cave.
Location: Boulder, Utah.

A Cozy Glamping Experience in the Great Outdoors

Reconnect with nature in this cozy 2-acre cabin surrounded by a panoramic view of the South Zion Mountains. The design of the A-Frame cabin implements an open-air concept with expansive living space – guests will sleep inside the cabin’s triangular structure comprising three wooden walls, while the remaining glass wall opens up for undisrupted views and fresh air of the great outdoors. The Zion A-Frame is a collection of five EcoCabins, each fully furnished with private decks, a bathroom, and a propane fire pit to offer a memorable glamping experience.

Booking: Airbnb
Price per night: $515 USD
Location: Hilldale, Utah.

Looking to travel beyond the states? Check out other interesting home designs around the world here.

Brooklyn sees a bevy of rentals list for record prices

Brooklyn sees a bevy of rentals list for record prices

It really is the borough of Kings.

Manhattan is no stranger to rental homes in the five-, even six- figure range — but across the East River, a neighbor is catching up. These days, Brooklyn is seeing a number of record-high rental listings hit the market.

Take, for example, a $40,000-a-month rental in Brooklyn Heights that listed with Sandra Cohen of Sotheby’s International Realty shortly before Thanksgiving. It’s a 4,000-square-foot condominium in One Brooklyn Bridge Park whose features include five bedrooms, a corner living room and a chef’s kitchen with Gaggenau appliances. Last month, broker Sarah Williams, the founder of SOCIETE Real Estate, listed a $36,000 spread at 130 Furman St. in Brooklyn Heights with four bedrooms — plus a private roof terrace with space for al-fresco dining and views of the Manhattan skyline. Available this June via Compass, a Greenpoint penthouse at 524 Manhattan Ave. with a triple-story living room, multiple outdoor spaces — including a landscaped roof deck — asks a cool $30,000.

Market data shows these aren’t just one-off examples. According to Brown Harris Stevens research, monthly rentals of $18,000 or more in Brooklyn have indeed seen an increase since 2021. So far this year — hardly two months into 2023 — the market has had 13 such listings with the average rent being $25,205 a month and the median at $22,000.


A peek inside the big-dollar rental at 360 Furman St., which has massive windows looking out to wide city views.
A peek inside the big-dollar rental at One Brooklyn Bridge Park, 360 Furman St., which has massive windows looking out to wide city views.
EmpireOptix

A view of that rental's open layout.
A view of that rental’s open layout.
EmpireOptix

Even the unit's sleeping quarters have picture-perfect vistas.
Even the unit’s sleeping quarters have picture-perfect vistas.
EmpireOptix

“Brooklyn is having its moment in the luxury sun,” said Compass agent David Chang, who lives in the borough and specializes in high-end rentals there. “It’s become a destination with renters moving in from the Lower East Side, the Village and Chelsea, and scooping up luxury properties.” At the same time, added Chang, limited inventory is driving rents up, and properties are being rented at or above market prices.

The rentals at Magnolia Dumbo, a luxury building on Front Street that launched in early 2022, are reflective of this mighty market presence. Jarrod Whitaker, the senior vice president of operations for RXR — the building’s developer — said that in less than 11 months, all 320 residences are fully leased for between one to two years. “We were estimating rents to be $81 a square foot but ended up getting $91,” he said. “This speaks to the vitality of the market.”

Sydney Blumstein, a Corcoran broker who has lived in Williamsburg for the last several years, said she’s personally cashing in on the Brooklyn rental market — which she describes as “on fire.” And she has experienced today’s sky-high prices for herself.

“My husband and I rented out our loft as of February 1st for the first time and are getting $24,000 a month,” she said — and StreetEasy shows that price is among the highest for a home ever rented in Brooklyn. Stretching an entire block, the 139 Powers St. property is a converted warehouse, and offers 4,200 square feet of interior space and an additional 2,500 square feet outdoors. It listed in November for a cool $35,000 per month, as The Post reported, which at that time made it Brooklyn’s priciest rental home on the market.

Blumstein said that she has seen many more pricey rentals of late in Brooklyn than she ever has before — and even at different price levels than the tippy-top of the market, these homes are still fetching higher sums of money.


Blumstein and her husband just rented out this boho-chic Williamsburg home for one of the priciest sums Brooklyn has ever seen.
Blumstein and her husband just rented out this boho-chic Williamsburg home for one of the priciest sums Brooklyn has ever seen.
Rachel Kuzma/REPN for Corcoran

The Powers Street pad was once a warehouse.
The Powers Street pad was once a warehouse.
Rachel Kuzma/REPN for Corcoran

A dining area in the Williamsburg rental.
A dining area in the Williamsburg rental.
Rachel Kuzma/REPN for Corcoran

A bedroom with beamed ceilings.
A bedroom with beamed ceilings.
Rachel Kuzma/REPN for Corcoran

A yellow-painted seating area with beamed ceilings.
A yellow-painted seating area with beamed ceilings.
Rachel Kuzma/REPN for Corcoran

“Properties that are being relisted are going for double in some instances compared with the last time they were on the market,” she said. “I’m about to list a 2,000-square-foot loft in Clinton Hill that rented for $4,000 a month, but this time, the asking price is $8,000. I have no doubt that it’s going to rent.”

The top end of the market aside, prices for Brooklyn rentals overall appear to have reached peak levels.

According to data from Corcoran, the median rent in Brooklyn was $3,695 in January 2023, up 5{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} from December and 23{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} year-over-year. The average rent was $4,220, a 25{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} increase compared with a year ago. What’s more, January was the 16th consecutive month of year-over-year rent growth in the borough.

In another data point, research from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel’s most recent rental report shows that the average rental price in Brooklyn in January was $4,165, a record high since 2008. That’s up 31.7{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} from a year ago, the highest increase in history for Brooklyn, said Miller Samuel president and CEO Jonathan Miller, and 23.7{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} above pre-pandemic rents.

“Rents are high because mortgage rates are high,” Miller said of today’s interest rate climate amid a battle against languishing inflation. “People that are priced out of the purchase market are going to the rental market, and that’s why it’s historically high.”

In addition, Miller said that new development in Brooklyn has been focused on luxury rental buildings, which drive prices up. “These buildings are highly amenitized and upscale, and that means higher rents,” he said.


A look inside the big-dollar 130 Furman St. rental.
A look inside the big-dollar 130 Furman St. rental.
Evan Joseph

The unit asks $36,000 per month.
The unit asks $36,000 per month.
Evan Joseph

An outdoor view of the home.
An outdoor view of the home.
Evan Joseph

StreetEasy economist Kenny Lee agrees. The company’s research indicates that the median rent in Brooklyn is $5,148 — 20{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} higher than a year ago. “This increase is largely driven by a rise in new luxury developments entering the market last year, which contributed to one in five new top-tier rental listings in 2022,” he said.

Examples of these swanky developments include Eagle + West in Greenpoint, featuring a co-working center and even a stage for karaoke. Meanwhile, Torre House in Brooklyn Heights has three swimming pools, including one on the rooftop with city views.

Lee said that the neighborhoods with the most top-tier rentals are Downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint and Williamsburg — and that, at 9,446 units, current rental inventory is 30{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} below the average inventory level in 2019. That number is down just 0.1{61deb032f2f3cf43cd91e0a97f017aab274ddbb67b74a5b085bd003b9ac3cd96} from last year.

The ability to afford super-luxury rentals aside, Lee and other industry experts said that Brooklyn has a number of appealing qualities that make it a desirable place to live. Lee points to the greater square footage that the borough’s properties offer per dollar, compared with those in Manhattan. “They allow for more space for home offices for hybrid and remote workers,” he said.

Blumstein said the outdoor space that residents get is a big attraction. “There aren’t as many tall buildings, and you see more sky. You’re still in the city but have a slightly suburban flavor,” she added.

Speaking from personal experience, Blumstein is also a fan of the sense of community. “Your neighbors in Brooklyn are usually friendly and happy to socialize or help out if you’re in a bind,” she said. “You’re never alone trying to find your own way, and there’s a reassurance in that.”