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Vacation Home Design Tips: How to Turn a Cabin Getaway Into a Functional Family Retreat (with Designer Wendy Glaister)
What's in this episode
Owning a vacation home sounds like all s'mores and starry nights — until the maintenance bills and rental regulations show up. In this episode of Around the House, host Eric G sits down with designer Wendy Glaister to unpack what it really takes to design, furnish, and maintain a vacation home that works as both a family retreat and a smart investment. From turning a run-down cabin into a cozy getaway to weighing the pros and cons of Airbnb-ing your property, this conversation covers the practical side of vacation home ownership: maintenance planning, short-term rental rules, smart home technology, and the design choices that make a house feel like a retreat instead of just another property to manage. Whether your vacation home is in the mountains, at the beach, or somewhere in between, this episode is packed with vacation home design ideas, rental income strategies, and real-world advice from a designer who's helped clients navigate it all. What You'll Learn in This Episode The hidden costs of vacation home ownership — why a dream cabin can quietly turn into a never-ending maintenance project How branded design boosts short-term rental income — the case for treating your vacation