Vintage Urban Cowboy Airbnb Transformation in Austin, TX
When I met my friend, Connie, on Instagram mid-pandemic in 2020, I had no clue that we would ever interact beyond the Artifact Uprising referral code I shared with her over DM.
We are coming up on our one-year friendiversary and all I can say is, if you haven’t made a sacred new best friend as a fully grown 30-year-old-woman, then just hang on and keep an open mind because it has been one of my best adventures yet.
We warmed our relationship up with a constant stream of shared Facebook Marketplace vintage furniture links, followed by masked meetings around Austin, went vintage hunting in Dallas together and now we’ve completed our first shared design project: a 70s-inspired Urban Cowboy upgrade to a local Airbnb and a funky makeover to it’s property-sharing studio rental, both lacking memorable design when we found them.
Read on for the full before and after tour, including where you can shop the look.
Vintage design partner in crime, Connie Cheng &
Megan Housekeeper, Mid-century Millennial
Flower Girl Boudoir at the Pink Penthouse in San Marcos, TX.
The South Congress House
The South Congress Studio
6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 3 king beds · 2 baths
Steps to South Congress
Urban Cowboy Theme - think Austin, in the 1970s
Modern amenities
Lots of shared space for gathering - unique and fun enough for a bachelor/bachelorette party,
nice enough for a family vacationPrivate patio space
2 guests · King bed · Full bath · kitchenette
Steps to South Congress
Retro, bright theme - think disco-chic
Spacious, light-filled studio that doesn’t feel cramped for duo travelers, but affordable enough for solo adventures
Studio with all the luxuries of a hotel and more including in-unit laundry and kitchenette
Private deck
shine your boots & head to
the south congress house
Check out the main house full before & after tour gallery!
Gathering Space: Living Room, Dining Room & Kitchen
Key design updates:
Accent Mural & Light-up Horseshoe
Swapped main living and dining furniture for unique, vintage pieces
Styled with vintage and southern details
Added pops of color including new rugs, throw textiles and velvet curtains
Optimized the space and details for group experiences
before
before
before
One of the key details that was missing from the original space was entertainment for groups beyond TV. Especially for a throwback atmosphere, we wanted to include vintage games that could double as display features. Don’t worry…we checked that they have all the pieces!
before
Recreate your own record player wall like the South Congress House.
6-pack Acrylic Floating Shelves - Amazon
Vintage Records - in ATX:
Breakaway Records, End of an Ear, Antones, Waterloo
Bedrooms
Key design updates:
Make each room distinct by giving it a signature color
Add fun details that could be leveraged for styled photos including a cowboy hat wall and a gallery wall closet booth
Add a remote workspace to the main blue bedroom
bedroom 1
before
Bedroom 2
before
Bedroom 3
before
Shop the look
We focused on sourcing most of our details from local Austin and Dallas area vintage shops.
Our top shopped vintage in ATX:
and Dallas:
But we did rely on some of our favorite affordable staples with a luxury feel to add the pops of color in each space.
Common Areas:
Thermal Insulated Velvet Curtains, Pair, 52x96 - Amazon
warm yellow, moss green and royal blueVelvet Striped Pom-pom Pillow, Pair, 20x20, Yellow - Amazon
Mid-century geometric navy pillow cover, 20x20 - Amazon
Bedrooms:
Green Room:
Closet - Orange Geometric Lumbar Pillow Cover, 12x20 - Amazon
Velvet Toss Pillow Cover, Pair, 20x20, Green - Amazon
Blue Room:Velvet Toss Pillow Cover, Pair, 20x20, Navy Blue - Amazon
Blue Geometric Modern Area Rug, 8x10 - Amazon
Yellow Room:Velvet Tassel Pillow Cover, Pair, 20x20, Gold - Amazon
Yellow Sunburst Rug, 8x10 - Amazon
Accessories:
Slim K-cup White Keurig - Amazon
Byron Statics Portable Vinyl Suitcase Record Player - Amazon
Felt letterboard sign, 10x10 - Amazon
6-pack Acrylic Floating Shelves - Amazon
How’d we do? Let me know what you think in the comments. If we missed something you think is critical in an Airbnb, there’s still time even if the house is available to book now!