Check out how this couple gutted a run - down cabin and remade it into a bohemian desert oasis for rent on Airbnb — and get some tip on how to do it yourself .
Kim Cornelison
Brian and Kathrin Smirke claver Joshua Tree National Park on a weekend getaway from their home in Los Angeles . They go out with a souvenir : a $ 33,000 abandoned ship cabin . " A nester had lived there for a year , and the cabin had been forestall . There were pipes sticking out of the paries . Windows were broken . The drain lines had rot out . And it was n’t connected to the septic system , " Brian says .
Credit:Kim Cornelison
The span work together building , design , and developing existent estate at their fellowship , We Are In Our Element . They wanted to remake the house quickly and creatively for their own use and as a rental attribute . After 10 months of employment , the Smirkes could lastly vacation at their cease property with bohemian desert decor and rent it out via Airbnb for $ 145–$185 per night while they ’re away . Now they host 120 adventure - seek visitors each year .
Kathrin Smirke
It makes you well-chosen that all this work you put into save a house can make other mass felicitous . "
Set (and Stick to) a Budget
The pair limit a budget of $ 45,000 to cover materials , British Labour Party , and trappings and got to mold . With the helper of hour of YouTube and producer videos , Brian gutted the business firm and take on every remodeling task that came up . He even make unnecessary wood from the extensive demonstration to make shelves , lights , the weapons platform layer , plant stands , and anything else they dreamed up . The experience elbow room light fixture is made of scrap wood and a $ 5 light kit . Brian flex 4x4 - inch fence spot and a alloy base into a coffee table .
Curate a Decor Style
For the bohemian desert interior decoration , Kathrin mapped out a style that merged her orientation for eclectic and time of origin with Brian ’s fair and advanced taste . " We balance each other out , " she aver . Luckily , their price - saving reservoir of Craigslist , Etsy , eBay , thrift stores , budget retail merchant — even furniture put out on curb in their Los Angeles neighborhood — become their decor panache . Brian built most of the home ’s decorative elements , including this trilateral shelf unit . Kathrin repurposed legs from a midcentury table she found curbside for the base .
Brian Smirke
I like designing with limitation . It makes us get along up with singular ideas on a budget . It ’s more rewarding that direction . "
Get on Social Media
Kathrin found thiseye - catching bathtub , an outmoded claw - metrical unit tub , on Craigslist for $ 80 and paint it orangish . The cozy , secret spot is now a popular pic op for guests . Kathrin uses Instagram to curate a real - clip travelogue for future visitors . Renters at the Smirkes ' cabin tag photos with # cabincabincabin , and Kathrin reposts using the location ’s account,@cabincabincabin .
Hire a Maintenance Team
The bed ’s platform double as a progress - in judiciary at the end of the bed . Kathrin added yarn pommy - pom to a quilt to give it the look of a Maroc bedspread . Concrete base were under old linoleum . The pair sanded and seal them for a modern update .
You ’ll want people to do thing like wash bedding , cleansing , and mending unless you live nearby . Be prepared by finding a professional on Yelp or Angie ’s List who you could call with time - tender upkeep progeny .
COURTESY OF BRIAN AND KATHRIN SMIRKE
Credit:Kim Cornelison
List the Property (with Pretty Photos)
In the kitchen , they installed quick - to - piece cabinets around a refurbished antique kitchen stove they ground for $ 200 , including speech . The green time of origin fridge ( a $ 75 find ) fits with the room ’s other retro appurtenance . Budget rule made it potential tostick to a budget .
Take photos of cardinal rooms — the kitchen , sleeping room , bathroom , and gathering distance — during the mean solar day when natural light is good . List it on land site like Airbnb or HomeAway so renter can find you .
Be a Good Host
The Smirkes used salvage Sir Henry Joseph Wood around the doorway and as wall art to fill the dining room with rustic theatrical role . The tumbleweed light fixture adds a quirky note inspire by the landscape painting . ( For refuge , they employ 3 - James Watt LED electric light that stay cool . )
Learn to DIY
If you ’re concerned intaking on a big fixer - upperlike the desert cabin that Brian and Kathrin Smirke remade , it hold research , preparation , and gusto . If you desire to cross the finale occupation , be certain to position yourself up for success at the kickoff . localise a naturalistic budget that align with current material costs . Next , set a contingency budget ( that you may sink into if you demand help to get through a peculiarly difficult part ) . Spend plenty of time brushing up your DIY skills before you start . If a whole menage feels too big , sic your optic on a single projection to build confidence . This can be a more realistic way to start your DIY journeying .
Credit:Kim Cornelison
Credit:Kim Cornelison
Credit:Kim Cornelison
