How Great STR Design Can Raise Your Daily Rate and Improve the Guest Experience

Christina Melander (00:00)
I wanted to, ⁓

kind of go on a mission ⁓ to, yeah, to like go ⁓ against the grain of kind of boring, ⁓ generic Airbnb’s that I think we’ve probably all experienced at one time or another.

Michelle Kesil (01:49)
Hey everybody, welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m your host, Michelle Kesil, and today I’m joined by someone I’m looking forward to chatting with, Christina Melander of Knotty Pine Design, who does design for short-term rentals in the Portland, Oregon area. So excited to have you here today, Christina.

Christina Melander (02:10)
Thanks so much, Michelle. Happy to join the podcast.

Michelle Kesil (02:15)
Perfect, let’s dive in. First off, for those not familiar with you and your work, can you share what your main focus is?

Christina Melander (02:23)
Sure, yeah, ⁓ I do interior design

for STR owners and I was inspired by setting up one of my own in the Tucson area, which I did primarily by really leaning into vintage and thrift furnishings, ⁓ which I find brings a lot of character and originality to spaces and is also a very ⁓ cost-conscious way to do it and it is quite ⁓

sustainable as well by not, you know, continually ⁓ purchasing, ordering new items, bringing those into the mix.

Michelle Kesil (03:04)
Yeah, absolutely. And how did you get started in this?

Christina Melander (03:09)
Yeah, I’ve always had a love for ⁓ beautiful spaces and ⁓ kind of getting to the heart of what makes them interesting and engaging ⁓ for people. I think it’s really important when you’re… ⁓

you know, for guests to feel like they are having a special experience when they’re in, you know, rental homes, ⁓ it’s often a chance for them, whether they’re traveling for, you know, for fun or for business, it’s a chance for them to step out of their own day-to-day reality and experience something different and hopefully inspiring. So I…

When I set up the place in Tucson, I kind of, ⁓ you know, had a moment where I felt like, okay, this was really, this was really fun and satisfying. And I think I created something special here that maybe I could do this for others ⁓ and provide that, you know, provide some moment of like escape and joy that’s unexpected. And I just,

I wanted to, ⁓

kind of go on a mission ⁓ to, yeah, to like go ⁓ against the grain of kind of boring, ⁓ generic Airbnb’s that I think we’ve probably all experienced at one time or another.

Michelle Kesil (04:39)
Right. And do you work with investors in creating like their rentals as well?

Christina Melander (04:48)
Yes, ⁓ definitely have worked ⁓ with owners, investors, and also property managers for different spaces. It’s really fun and freeing to design ⁓ STRs because it’s kind of a blank canvas in a way that’s different from someone’s personal home where they have a lot of

you know, ⁓ things that they want to incorporate of their own with a short-term rental, that’s not always the case. And they’re just looking for, you know, for it to ⁓ have some personality and maybe have a bit of ⁓ a theme or echo the geography or location a bit. so, yeah, I find that to be really ⁓ exciting and…

Yeah, kind of gives you like the ability to go in a lot of different directions.

Michelle Kesil (06:36)
Yeah. And what do you feel have been some of the main keys that have allowed your business to grow and run successfully?

Christina Melander (06:46)
I think really trying to understand where the client is coming from, what their goals are for a space, whether it’s a rental or their own home, because it’s quite personal.

So I think some of the keys are just really being observant and a good listener to really tap into what’s important to them and understanding if they have kind of a design, know, the point of view and aesthetic, ⁓ being able to show them that I see that and can incorporate it. And then, yeah, just a willingness to ⁓

Yeah, to sort of, I don’t know, like kind of keep my eyes open and see things differently. I’m always, ⁓ of my favorite parts about doing this work is sourcing the furnishings and decor. And so I’m always kind of out looking and trying to find things that are unique and maybe reflective like of a certain place or environment and.

Yeah, I think it’s really, ⁓ really important to kind of keep pushing, ⁓ pushing myself, but also clients in terms of what they’re comfortable with, because I kind of think that, you know, they could do some of these things on their own, but they’re coming to someone like me because they want ⁓ something a bit.

beyond their capability. And so it’s that balance of hearing them, seeing what’s important to them, but also introducing them to maybe new ideas and directions.

Michelle Kesil (08:45)
Yeah, and is there anywhere you get like that inspiration from for the design?

Christina Melander (08:51)
I mean, so many places, Michelle, like often traveling, which I think is common for a lot of people. ⁓ For me, I really like love tapping into different sources for color and color palettes. And that could be, you know, just in like out outdoor environments, whether it’s at sort of like a riverside or seeing, you know, a sunset ⁓ over a sports field. ⁓

you know how different colors come through in the spring here in Portland, Oregon, which is like, you know, just kind of a riot of different ⁓ pinks and oranges and vibrant greens. So yeah, I think really again, just like kind of being open to those possibilities. I still am a person who loves print media and magazines and ⁓

and newspapers and just to kind of see what is out there in the world ⁓ in terms of homes. I love old homes, historic places, and

to see how you can kind of refurbish and transform structures that have been around for hundreds of years. But… ⁓

but also add some modern touches and also more functionality to spaces.

Michelle Kesil (10:57)
Yeah, and how do you see that the design supports with the client experience and maybe the booking rates?

Christina Melander (11:08)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I mean there was a project that comes to mind that I worked on a year ago in the Pearl District here in Portland where they wanted to ⁓ you know be able to increase their rates and felt that the space they had was a little bit too ⁓

I think, kind of masculine, sort of an industrial space with, you know, ⁓ high ceilings and exposed ductwork, ⁓ concrete floors, that kind of thing. And so we ⁓ decided that it was really important to warm it up with like the color, like rich colors and textiles and interesting art. And… ⁓

I they’ve definitely seen, even though last year was kind of a challenging year, I think for a lot of hosts ⁓ in various markets, they ⁓ definitely saw an increase in their average daily rate, ⁓ being able to elevate that and still consistently get high occupancy. ⁓

Michelle Kesil (12:22)
Yeah. And are you also with like your investing business noticing that ⁓ customers have a different experience with the way that you design things?

Christina Melander (12:37)
Yeah, I really do. I mean, I think, of course, for hosts, there’s so many factors that you’re considering ⁓ with your space and how it meets the needs for travelers in that area. ⁓ But I definitely find that I’m continually investing in both properties to make them

stay really up to date and have things that are again really functional for guests but also ⁓ delightful and unexpected. And one of the ways that I do that is to spend time in those spaces ⁓ myself or with friends, family, to think about like well what do I want, right? Like what do I want to have on hand? Whether it’s you know really ⁓

fun margarita glasses and a great blender or it’s um pickleball equipment because there’s a bunch of pickleball courts nearby. Um yeah I mean I think things like that and then again I believe it’s really important to reflect the

location that you’re in and the environment around you. So in Tucson, we certainly like pick up on the desert and cactus motifs and colors, but without being overly obvious, I guess. And then in New Hampshire, that space, which is an old 1860 kind of colonial house that I co-own with my sister.

We really wanted to accentuate that history with the furnishings ⁓ and we’re still keeping it comfortable. And so yeah, we’re always looking to kind of like make small updates so things feel fresh, whether it’s a new rug, additional pieces of art.

things in the kitchen that just feel useful. mean, one of the things like, you you hate going into a space where the knives are dull and the pans are all, you know, banged up. So it can be, it can be really simple and utilitarian things, or it can be the, um, the touches that feel a little more luxurious, whether it’s the, you know, the really nice duvets and pillows and high quality towels.

Michelle Kesil (15:54)
Yeah. And what are you most focused on solving or scaling to next?

Christina Melander (16:01)
That’s a good question. I think for my own design business, I would love to do some commercial projects. I’d love to do like ⁓ be able to collaborate with other designers on spaces like boutique hotels, ⁓ salons, offices. I think there’s a lot of opportunity in commercial spaces that often get overlooked and are just a little bit generic.

So that would be, ⁓ that’s kind of a goal for me. ⁓ And then, you know, I would love to, ⁓ I would love to do some more short term rentals this year. ⁓ I’ve kind of had a focus lately, or just by happenstance of doing more personal homes, but I would love to do something here in the Portland area at the beach and at the

⁓ like at Bi Mount Hood where you have, you you can kind of create like a real ⁓ more vacation feel in a space.

Michelle Kesil (17:12)
Yeah, so you mean invest in a new short-term rental or work with clients who have one?

Christina Melander (17:17)
I work with clients.

think for me right now, ⁓ I’m kind of at a good place with, I know it’s not like a huge portfolio I used to have. ⁓

a couple of condos as well but actually wanted to simplify and it is it feels like a good balance to have the two properties because I you know I’m I manage those from afar and then ⁓ having the design business so I would say my focus is more on growing the design business right now and maintaining ⁓ with the properties and then

But certainly in the future, not ruling anything out in terms of growing ⁓ those investments in additional properties.

Michelle Kesil (18:13)
what have been some of the most exciting projects you’ve worked on.

Christina Melander (18:20)
Yeah, it’s interesting, Michelle. I’ve found that a lot of people come ⁓ to me for design services when they’re in a transitional moment, whether it’s they’ve had sort of a life change ⁓ and find themselves in a different space ⁓ or, you know, maybe their kids have.

⁓ gotten older and they want to like reclaim some space so I think something that is really rewarding to me is helping people reimagine how they use their homes and can actually like be at a point in their life where they make it more intentional and more for ⁓ for what they truly want. I think a lot of times when we’re ⁓

know, different stages of life, you might be more focused on ⁓ career and ⁓ you might have like inherited different pieces of furniture from family or, you know, you accumulate things over time as you move from space to space. And so it’s really nice to help people ⁓ kind of recontextualize the their their home ⁓ in a new, yeah, just kind of a new light and

and help them work through whether it’s been like a divorce or separation or ⁓ kids leaving the home that I think people just feel it’s a time where you maybe can benefit from having a little bit more support and guidance in making decisions.

Michelle Kesil (20:01)
Yeah, absolutely. And what have been some of the biggest challenges that you’ve had to face in your role?

Christina Melander (20:10)
I think, you know, for like most business owners, right, it’s figuring out how to really ⁓

be more efficient in running your operations and whether it’s, you know, kind of keeping track of your time and expenses because you’re doing all of that. Plus, you’re, you know, communicating with clients. You’re ⁓ out there trying to source the furnishings and come up with concepts. ⁓ You know. ⁓

doing your advertising, social media, newsletter. So just kind of keeping up with all that is, know, I mean, frankly, it’s just, it can be tough, right? And when you’ve got other things, as we all do in our lives that compete for your time. So yeah, mean, trying to, like I have a woman I hire who,

⁓ helps run my social media and that’s been a really wonderful collaboration. So looking at maybe additional ways to kind of optimize and ⁓ make different parts of the business more efficient going forward so that I can channel more of my creative energy into producing great results and spaces for clients.

Michelle Kesil (21:35)
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Well, before we begin to wrap up here, if someone wants to reach out, connect, learn more, where can people find you and connect with you?

Christina Melander (21:38)
Sure.

Yeah, my website is knottypine.design. That’s K-N-O-T-T-Y pine. And then I’m on Instagram ⁓ also @knottypine.design. And ⁓ on my website, you can see my properties as well. You can sign up for my newsletter and reach out.

via email ⁓ through that as well if anyone was interested. And yeah, certainly would be so excited to hear from any of your listeners with their questions or suggestions.

Michelle Kesil (22:29)
Perfect, we’ll appreciate your time and your story. Thank you for being here.

Christina Melander (22:33)
Yeah, thanks so much. Really happy to join you and ⁓ talk about design and properties.

Michelle Kesil (22:42)
And for those tuning into the show, if you got value, make sure you’ve subscribed. We’ve got more conversations with operators like Christina who are building real businesses and we’ll see you on our next episode.