Utah Mountain Chalet, a chic mountain chalet in Waynesville

Utah Mountain Chalet is a luxury, kid-friendly Airbnb in Waynesville, NC, redesigned by Sukkha Interior Design, an Asheville-based interior design studio specializing in Airbnb/short-term rental and tiny home design. We pointed the house at its Blue Ridge views, turned the basement into a bunk room with a climbing wall, and added a game room, sauna and hot tub.

Location: Waynesville, NC

Property: luxury Airbnb, permitted 5-bedroom

Scope: full redesign, basement finish, garage conversion, backyard

The brief

"Chic mountain chalet." And it had to work for families, which means the kids need a reason to love it and the parents need a reason to book it again.

What wasn't working

It was an old house with great bones and a view nobody was looking at. The TV was the focal point of the living room. The basement was a shop. The backyard had sad planters and trees blocking the mountains.

What we did

Let the view be the star

We painted the walls, cabinets and doors, updated the fixtures and streamlined the furniture. Then we moved the TV to the fireplace, so the first thing you see when you walk in is the Blue Ridge, not a black rectangle.

The basement became the best part of the house

The old shop became a bunk room and owner storage. The half bath became a full bath, and we walled off space for another bedroom. Then the fun stuff: a puzzle nook, and a dark, moody movie den with a bar that leads to the garage.

A bunk room with a climbing wall

Built-in queen-over-twin bunks on either side of the door, plus a mini climbing wall. Dark, moody and a little whimsical. It's the room kids will beg to sleep in.

Garage to game room

Pool table and shuffleboard. Rainy day: solved.

A backyard built for the view

We pulled the sad planters, cut trees to open up the mountains, and added a sauna, a hot tub and a fire pit under twinkle lights.

Five bedrooms, done the right way

We expanded the septic so the house is now permitted as a 5-bedroom. Not glamorous, but it's the difference between saying the house sleeps more people and being allowed to.

The result

A luxury chalet families can actually relax in. I'd estimate the home's value roughly doubled within a few months.

My take

Kid-friendly and luxury aren't opposites. Kids want a climbing wall. Parents want a sauna and a door that closes. Give both and everybody wins, including the owner.

FAQ

Can you add a bedroom to an Airbnb in Western NC?

Often, but in much of Western North Carolina the number of bedrooms you can legally advertise is tied to your septic permit, so adding one can mean expanding the system first. Check with your county before you plan the room.

How do you make a luxury Airbnb kid-friendly?

Give kids a space that's theirs, like a bunk room or game room, and keep the rest of the house durable without making it look like a daycare. Separate zones mean everyone gets a vacation.

Do you design Airbnbs in Waynesville and Haywood County?

Yes. Sukkha is based in Asheville and works in person across Western North Carolina, from Waynesville to Ash&Alder in Asheville and a mountain cabin compound just outside town, and virtually with clients everywhere else.