Vacation Rental 101: How to Create Comfortable, Guest-Ready Living and Dining Rooms

In most vacation rentals, the living and dining rooms are where guests spend the majority of their waking hours. These spaces are where travelers watch movies, share meals, play games, and relax together, putting them among the most influential factors in guest satisfaction and reviews.

While small imperfections may not bother you as an owner, paying guests expect a clean, cohesive, and comfortable experience. A wobbly chair, stained sofa, or mismatched decor can quietly undermine an otherwise great stay.

The good news? You don’t need luxury furniture or a massive budget to create living and dining spaces that feel polished, durable, and guest-friendly.

Below is a practical guide to preparing your vacation rental’s living and dining rooms for 5-star stays.

Seating: How Much Is Enough?

The most important rule of furnishing communal spaces is simple: You should be able to seat every guest your property can sleep.

• Sleeps six? Seat six comfortably in the living room

• Sleeps eight? Seat eight at the dining table

• Larger groups? Seating can be split across multiple areas

Nothing creates awkward moments faster than forcing guests to take turns sitting or eating because there aren’t enough chairs.

Solutions for Limited Space

If your communal areas are small but your sleeping capacity is high, add flexible seating options:

• Bar stools at kitchen counters

• Attractive folding chairs stored in a closet

• Ottomons that double as seating

For larger homes, multiple gathering zones (such as indoor and outdoor dining tables or upstairs/downstairs living areas) work well as long as total seating meets capacity.

Need to buy extra seating? Evolve Marketplace gives owners on our < a href="https://evolve.com/owner/vacation-rental-management" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plus management plan access to an exclusive shop where they can save 15-75% instantly on everything from decor and furniture to cleaning supplies and outdoor amenities.

Durable, Guest-Friendly Decor That Looks Polished

Your decor should strike a balance between style and durability. Weekly guest turnover means furniture and accessories need to withstand regular use.

High-Impact, Low-Cost Decor Upgrades

You don’t need to replace everything to refresh a space. Our free Vacation Rental Success Guide includes complete checklists, but here are some basics to try:

• Fresh paint

• Window treatments

• Throw pillows

• Area rugs

• Wall art and small decorative accents

These items are inexpensive, easy to swap out, and can instantly modernize a room.

How to Use Color to Tie a Room Together

A cohesive color palette makes a space feel intentional:

• Pull an accent color from an existing pattern
  • Use it in pillows, curtains, or artwork

• Anchor neutral rooms with one bold color
  • Blue, green, or burgundy work well

• Make mismatched furniture feel coordinated
  • Swap pillow colors between pieces

If certain items just don’t work together, slipcovers are a smart solution. They’re easy to clean, easy to replace, and ideal for vacation rentals.

Entertainment Guests Expect (and Appreciate)

Your living room is usually the main entertainment hub, and guests expect it to be easy and intuitive to use.

Entertainment Essentials

• TV (quality matters less than usability)

• Reliable Wi-Fi with password clearly displayed

• Simple, written instructions for remotes and systems

Nice-to-Have Entertainment Features

• Streaming access (Netflix, cable, or satellite)

• DVD or Blu-ray player with family-friendly movies

• Game room or secondary entertainment area (if space allows)

Parents often appreciate non-screen options, too:

• Board games

• Playing cards

• Books and magazines

These small additions are frequently mentioned in positive reviews.

Dining Room Setup: Comfort and Accessibility Matter

The dining area should feel welcoming and easy to use for everyone. Here are some best practices:

• Make table linens, placemats, and napkins easy to find

• If storage is limited, leave these items on the table

• Ensure chairs slide easily across floors

• Avoid seating styles that are difficult for older guests to use

Ease of movement matters more than style when it comes to dining furniture.

Lighting: One of the Fastest Ways to Upgrade a Space

Lighting has a huge impact on how polished your rental feels, and it’s often overlooked.

Smart Lighting Upgrades

• Replace outdated ceiling fixtures or fans

• Add table and floor lamps for layered lighting

• Switch out lamp bases or shades to easily and affordably change the feel and look of the space

Guests should be able to read, relax, and navigate the room comfortably at any time of day, so make sure every seating area has adequate lighting.

Using Living Rooms as Additional Sleeping Space

If your living room doubles as a sleeping area, flexibility is key.

Best Options for Living Room Sleeping

• Sleeper sofas with easy-to-use mechanisms

• Convertible sofas or daybeds

• Inflatable mattresses with built-in pumps

Choose options that:

• Are easy to set up and store

• Don’t require moving heavy furniture

• Hold up to frequent use

Smart Storage Solutions

• Closets for linens

• Storage trunks or benches that double as furniture

• Clearly labeled storage areas for air mattresses and bedding

We also recommend providing side tables or drawers so guests can easily store personal items during the day.

Why Living and Dining Rooms Drive Reviews

These spaces shape how guests relax, connect, and spend time together, and they aren’t available in a standard hotel room. When they feel comfortable, intuitive, and thoughtfully designed, guests notice (and they mention it in reviews).

In addition to full checklists for all the rooms in your property, our Ultimate Vacation Rental Success Guide includes:

• How to prepare your home for guests

• Important legal and tax considerations

• Proven tactics for optimizing your vacation rental listing

• Essential check-in and check-out procedures

• Helpful email templates

Get Expert Help Choosing the Best Upgrades

You don’t have to figure it all out yourself. Evolve’s design and staging experts specialize in short-term rentals, removing the guesswork and helping you earn five-star reviews.

Owners on our Plus membership plan get access to an exclusive marketplace where they can:

• Save up to 75% on appliances, décor, furnishings, and essentials

• Access top brands like GE, Helix, Crate & Barrel, Nest, and Kwikset

• Shop pre-built bedroom and bathroom packages tailored to guest capacity

With our proven vacation rental management strategies, we help owners simplify daily operations and grow their business, whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned owner.