This Cozy A-Frame Is a Stunning Vacation Paradise

A crafty New Yorker decorated this gorgeous A-frame on a budget and the results are nothing short of fabulous. Get tips on how to make your own Airbnb property appealing to guests.

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By: Kassondra Cloos

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Photo By: Thomas Agoglia

A Catskills A-Frame Cabin Makes a Perfect Upstate Escape

When creative agency owner Caroline McKay bought this gorgeous A-frame cabin in the Catskills, she wanted to create a getaway from her main home in New York City. She decorated the cabin herself with a mix of estate sale hauls and great finds from affordable retailers that look a lot more expensive than they actually are. We asked Caroline to give us a tour of her home — which you can also book on Airbnb — and share the secrets for her great décor.

A Dark Exterior Makes the Cabin Feel More Tucked Away

Caroline bought this house primarily as an escape for herself, so she tried to design a calming experience ideal for weekend getaways. She loves that the home is painted black on the outside, which she thinks blends with the surrounding nature in a unique way.

A Black Exterior Also Keeps the Cabin Cozier in Cold Months

While the outside of the house is solid black, the inside is all bright, white spaces, which Caroline says feels "serene." "I love that it's black," she adds. "I think it's such a cool contrast between the outside and going inside. People always comment on it."

Bonus? The home's dark exterior absorbs sunlight and keeps the house stay warmer during the winter months.

A "Peace and Quiet" Doormat Sets the Tone for a Calm Interior

Caroline sourced this “Peace & Quiet” doormat from the Museum of Peace and Quiet, which makes home décor and cozy apparel for moments of calm.

Slanted Walls Make for a Fun Decorating Challenge

While some A-frame houses may have straight internal walls, Caroline's house is as slanted on the inside as it looks on the outside, which presented a fun design challenge, she says. She had to do a lot of measuring to make sure furniture would fit against the walls without creating awkward empty spaces.

"One of the challenges was definitely the art," she says. "You can't put anything on the slanted walls. So it was cool, because I was actually able to find spaces where art probably usually isn't found, and it kind of draws the eye in a cool way."

A Sectional Sofa Works Best in a House with Slanted Walls

Because of the shape of the house, Caroline knew a sectional sofa would be the best style for the living room. She found this modular boucle couch from Valyou, a Hawaiian furniture company, and the rug from Soho Home. She based the rest of the living room design around these two pieces.

Soho House Aesthetic Played a Major Role in A-Frame's Decor

Caroline previously ran comms for Soho House, an exclusive, international members club. She often spoke with the design team to understand their influences and process, and that experience inspired her approach to her own home. "They would always do this amazing mix of vintage finds incorporated with more modern (pieces)," she says. "They weren't scared to incorporate texture and shape, and they always made it work in a really cool way. I was always inspired by that."

Marble Coffee Tables Add Serene Touch to Living Room

Caroline had to wait months to get these pink- and green-toned marble nesting tables from CB2 — but it was worth it. "I think they're just so serene to look at," she says. "They also work really well with the textures of the room, even though the colors don't necessarily seem aligned."

Pedestal Side Table Strikes Perfect Balance Between Slim + Functional

Because the house is so angular, Caroline had to be strategic about what kind of furniture she chose and where she put it. She found this cocktail table at HomeGoods. It was a bargain buy at about $50, she says, and it seemed perfect for the space. "It fits right in," she says.

Italian Appliances Make a Small Kitchen Into a Classy Space

The appliances in Caroline's kitchen are all from Bertazzoni, which is a high-end Italian brand. "They’re great," Caroline says. "It's a smaller space, and I feel like they build really good appliances for smaller spaces."

Original Cabinets Give the Kitchen Retro Character

The kitchen cabinets and their hardware are original to the house, which adds something to the home's aesthetic. "It's really cool hardware and definitely has that 'cabin' feel," Caroline says.

New, Modern Backsplash Pairs Well With Original Features

The previous homeowner renovated the cabin to flip it, Caroline says. The tile backsplash is one newer addition to the kitchen, which adds a great feel to the space. "They're pretty unique tiles," Caroline says, adding that they offer depth and texture to the kitchen.

Small Details Make This Airbnb Feel Homey

Caroline bought the A-frame as an escape for herself, but to bring in extra income, she also rents the house on Airbnb when she's not there. Throughout the house, small details like these great cookbooks from Ottolenghi and Matcha: A Lifestyle Guide make the space feel like the real home it is rather than a sparse short-term rental.

Kitchen Decor Nods to Home's Black-and-White Color Scheme

Throughout the house, dark fixtures nod to the contrast between the black exterior and white interior of the home. In the kitchen, a modern black sink and swan neck faucet match the original, 1960s hardware on the cabinets.

Stylish Accessories Stand Out Against Stainless Appliances

Enamel is remarkably versatile — and durable. It's an unexpected choice for a tea kettle and stands out against the stainless steel range. Caroline picked up this Chantal kettle from Amazon. It's available in a variety of colors including apple red, marigold, gray and bright yellow.

Thoughtful Design Extends to Kitchen Accessories

Caroline keeps gold-colored utensils in organizers on the countertop. Instead of tucking them away in a drawer, this provides an opportunity to turn basic function into a decor opportunity — the smooth and shiny texture of the utensils contrasts with the rough texture of the backsplash tile.

Colorful Yet Calming Prints Brighten Up Interior Walls

The slanted nature of an A-frame means you have limited vertical wallspace to use as a blank canvas for artwork. So, Caroline found decor opportunities on the home's internal walls, like this staircase, to display prints like these from The Poster Club.

A Loft Makes a Perfect Second Bedroom

The A-frame has one private bedroom on the first floor, and an open loft that Caroline uses as a second bedroom. From up there, light pours in from all directions, she says, and you have great views of the forest surrounding the house — especially in fall.

Generous Windows Drench Home in Sunlight Throughout the Day

This is the view from the loft bedroom, which looks out on the living room and through several windows. “There’s a lot of light that pours in from different angles, and at different times of the day, it looks so cool,” Caroline says.

Round Light Fixture Contrasts Beautifully With A-Frame Shape

This light fixture came with the house, and Caroline liked it so she decided to keep it. It works really well with a vaulted ceiling as light bounces off the white walls to illuminate the home with a warm glow.

Start with Vintage Pieces You Love, Then Choose Modern Pieces to Match

Caroline found these chairs at a vintage store in Westport, Connecticut, that she often visits with her mom, Furniture on Consignment II. Then she chose this table from Article to match. "It was the chairs that made me buy the table," she says. "The colors went really well."

A Pellet Stove Is a Cozy Cabin Must-Have

This pellet stove is original to the A-frame, and Caroline loves the aesthetic. Instead of burning logs, it burns biomass or wood compressed into pellets. "It's a pretty cool concept and less messy than having a [traditional] wood-burning stove," she says.

Large Table Creates Great Work-from-Cabin Space

Having a large table here works well, even though the space is relatively small, Caroline says. There's plenty of space to entertain guests so everyone is comfortable and they don't have to squeeze around a narrow table. And it's a great place to sprawl out while working, too.

When a Vintage Sale Goes Awry, Try to Find a Modern Equivalent

Caroline often shops consignment shops and estate sales in upstate New York, where she says you'll find much better deals than in shops in Connecticut closer to New York City. She found this silver lamp after a dream vintage find got away: A set of silver mushroom lamps she fell in love with at a consignment shop was mistakenly sold to someone else.

"I was so upset, which sounds so dramatic," she says. "But they were really undervalued in price, and I was so excited about them. So I tried to find something similar." She bought a pair of these from Wayfair, and really likes how they work in the room.

Natural Bedding Adds Comfortable, Sustainable Touch to Bedrooms

Caroline sourced all the bedding in the house from Pom Pom at Home — which happens to be one of her clients. Her creative agency, Caro, does public relations and content for hotels and other brands in the design and hospitality industries.

Pom Pom at Home makes linen, bamboo and cotton bedding, and the owners have "so much knowledge around linen and the quality of it," Caroline says. "They have such cool patterns and really natural stuff with a great design aesthetic."

If You’re On a Tight Budget, Don’t Write Off Amazon

This wooden-framed mirror fools many design sleuths, Caroline says. “Everyone thinks it’s a very expensive piece.” But in reality? It's about $40 on Amazon. “It was one of those steal finds that I felt pretty lucky to stumble upon," she says.

H&M Home and Zara Home Have Great Style on a Budget

Not everything in your home has to be as expensive as it may look. Caroline scored much of her furniture and décor from places like H&M Home, Zara Home and Amazon —where you can find trendy styles at a fraction of the price you might pay elsewhere. These velvet pillows, for example, are from H&M Home. Caroline says she found it a fun challenge to work on a budget like this. “I didn’t have an unlimited budget, and I definitely wanted to be conscious of creative ways to get amazing stuff,” she says. “Things like velvet pillows — those don’t need to be $200 a pillow.”

Multi-Hued Nightstands Are the Perfect Match for Marble Lamps

Caroline stumbled on this nightstand while browsing Zara Home for textiles. "They have some really good furniture, actually, and I think they're underplayed," she says. "The quality is amazing and they're so cool-looking."

Unique Bedding and Throw Blankets Make This Airbnb Stand Out

A white rug could be a risky move, but no one wears their shoes upstairs in the bedroom loft, so this piece has stayed surprisingly plush and clean. On top of the rug is a throw from Pom Pom at Home, where Caroline sourced all of the bedding. Most Airbnbs have simple white duvets, which makes sense — they're easy to bleach — but having bedding with a bit more texture to it has stood out among Caroline's guests, she says. "I can't tell you how many people [comment on it]," she says.

Sometimes, a Whole Room Comes Together Based on One Small Piece — Like a Lamp

Caroline found these vintage marble lamps in an online auction. When she saw them, she knew, "those are it."

"Once I had those, it was this weird thing where the room just kind of came together with the other stuff I was picking for it. It was really cool to see how it influences the interior so much, when you find that one staple thing you work off of. They truly influence that entire upstairs loft space."

Looking for Something Specific? Google it.

When Caroline was looking for a round mirror with a wooden frame, she simply Googled that phrase on a whim, to see what would come up. She found exactly what she was looking for on Amazon, at a far lower price than she was expecting to pay. If you have an idea in your mind, like a magazine rack in a specific style, try describing the dream product for a Google search and see what turns up. You might just get lucky.

A Well-Placed Chair Can Make Anywhere a Reading Nook

Caroline placed this shaggy chair from Zara Home in a corner of the upstairs bedroom loft. What otherwise could be a tricky space to use because of the slanted walls is now a perfect little reading nook. She sourced the magazine rack from a vintage seller in New York City.

Caroline Chose a Soap Brand That Seamlessly Matches the Bathroom

It’s no accident that these Public Goods toiletries match the aesthetic of this bathroom. “I purposefully went with Public Goods because I liked how it looked,” Caroline says. She was also trying to mimic the way Soho House handles toiletries. When you stay at a Soho House property, she says, “you could forget your entire dopp kit and be totally fine. Emulating some of that was my intention.”

Bold Tiling in the Bathroom is a Fun Aesthetic to Design Around

The previous owner of the A-frame installed this Cemento tile in the bathroom. "It's different, and it gives it a little edge," Caroline says. Because the tile itself is so pretty, Caroline took a minialistic approach to decorating the bathroom and has just one small piece of artwork in there.

Contrasting Hardware Makes for Bold Yet Minimalistic Decor

Just like the black exterior of the house contrasts with the bright interior, contrast is king in this bathroom. Black hardware on the sink, a bold frame for the mirror and a black curtain rod and shower complete the look. Caroline sourced the artwork on the wall from The Poster Club, where she found quite a few great prints to hang around the home.

A Triangular Set of Drawers Is an Ode to the House

Caroline's family lived in London until she was 9. When they lived there, her mom gave this triangular, Balinese dresser to her dad as a gift. It eventually moved across the ocean with them, and her parents gave it to her when she bought the A-frame. "When I got this house, they were like, 'This is an A-frame dresser,'" she says. "It's just such a fun piece to have in there. So many people comment on it because it's such a cute ode to the house itself."

An Upstate Escape Makes Nature Far Easier to Reach

Caroline lives in Manhattan, and she started looking for homes upstate to have a more direct escape straight into nature. "I used to live in LA, and it was so easy there to drive 20 minutes and go on a hike and then come back — it's not a big deal," she says. "Whereas here, it's a full day plan, and there are always hiccups with it."

Outdoor Spaces Make the Home an All-Season Getaway

In autumn, the trees around Caroline's home provide opportunities to leaf-peep without leaving the property — and even without getting out of bed.

Patio Dining Area Makes it Easy to Enjoy Outdoor Space Year-Round

Caroline put a portable Solo Stove on the porch to give guests a cozy place to hang outdoors close to the house during colder months. She sourced this dining table and benches from furniture brand The Novogratz.

A Solo Stove Makes an Excellent All-Weather Hangout Spot

Solo Stoves are cleverly designed to minimize smoke, thanks to perforations in the drum that control airflow around the fire. That makes them ideal for patios and small outdoor spaces, so you can gather around to roast marshmallows and swap stories without worrying so much about shifting winds sending smoke right into your eyes, as you would with a classic camp fire.

Having Two Fire Pits Creates an All-Season Outdoor Space

Caroline also has a fire pit in the yard with Adirondack chairs surrounding it, but she figured people would want to stay closer to the house during cold and snowy winter days. “I knew that in the fall and winter, people would likely only want to go out on the porch and not want to venture down to the yard, especially at night," she says. Stacking firewood on the patio only adds to the cabin aesthetic.

Instead of TV, This Cabin Has Lots of Outdoor Entertainment

The house does have Wi-Fi, so it's feasible to work from cabin. But Caroline purposely didn't get a TV for it. Instead, she invested in making social spaces outside the house to encourage guests to spend time outdoors.

Durable, Stylish Outdoor Chairs Make a Second Fire Pit Seating Area

Down in the yard around the house, Caroline installed a second fire pit seating area for people to enjoy in spring and summer. These chairs, sourced from Wayfair, are made of resin — so they're heavy and likely to stand up against even the harshest weather. "The weather there can get so crazy," Caroline says. She chose this style for its modern aesthetic and the color so that it would match the exterior of the house. "I very much wanted something to go along with that," she says.

Clever Design Makes Cabin Feel Tucked-Away, Even Though It Isn't

The cabin isn't all that far from the shops and restaurants of Livingston Manor, but it certainly feels tucked away thanks to all the trees surrounding it. "I have neighbors on both sides, but what's really nice is that the tree line makes it feel very private," Caroline says.

Feeling Tucked Away While Close to Town Can Be Ideal for Solo Travelers

Being close to neighbors while feeling completely hidden is the best of both worlds, Caroline says, especially for solo Airbnb guests who might be a bit nervous about the prospect of being truly far away from a town. You can feel far away from everything when you want to, but you're actually pretty close to anything you need in Livingston Manor, should you need it.

A Well-Curated Guest Experience Makes Guests Keep Coming Back

As an Airbnb host, Caroline has considered all the small details that make for a turn-key experience for her guests — inside and out. The home's patio has a dining space ideal for enjoying a summer meal outdoors or simply stepping outside with a cup of hot coffee to enjoy the views at any time of year.

Professional Photography Is a Smart Way to Get Attention for Your Vacation Rental

When Caroline listed her house on Airbnb, she got help from talented friend Thomas John Agoglia to take professional photos for her. If your property looks good in photos and you have it shot well, it will be far more enticing to prospective guests. And you might even be able to make more money. To generate interest in the cabin, Caroline also started an Instagram account for it, @nightfox_aframe.

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