The Best Airbnbs In Houston, Texas

It's true that when we think of architectural history, Houston, Texas, isn't the first place that comes to mind. But the beloved city, known variously as "H-Town," the "Space City," the "Bayou City," and the "Big Heart," is home to a few design and architectural wonders such as the Space Center, the floral explosion that is Market Square Park, and Sam's Park, which all lend themselves to the timeless interior design trends the city is now known for.

Design-wise, the city is experiencing a shift, like many other cities, all thanks to post-lockdown clarity. According to The Staging Company, 2023 will see many Texans adopt a more open-plan living dynamic, opting for cozy sections within the home. Combined with a more significant flood of natural light, unique colorways will open spaces up. At the same time, a more rustic leaning aesthetic will ground it in traditional Texan architecture for a dynamic and uniquely Southern interior that is at once trendy and timeless.

From Midtown to Montrose, Museum District to Greater Uptown, H-Town boasts several great neighborhoods filled with rich cultural history and culture for locals and guests to bask in (via Up Homes). And these Airbnbs showcase the best of all the Bayou City offers.

The clue is in the title. The Groovy Bungalow is an East Downtown property that pays homage to the luminance of Soul music. For this bungalow, one statement isn't enough. The teal-colored accent wall grabs your attention, but soon, your eyes are drawn toward the adjacent gallery wall, which is entirely plastered with posters of the great Soul artists of years past — a combination of trends we'd love to see more of.

The yellow-orange of the record sleeves complements the teal wall to brighten the space, creating uniformity even in the boldness, thanks to other yellow accents in the area. The Groovy bungalow tells you upfront that big is better. The clashing print rugs — one under the TV stand and another under the beige couch — exemplify maximalism. Combining a patterned rug with a textured one creates a conversation between sections of the room that doesn't drown out the rest of the room.

Self-described as bohemian chic with a touch of cathedral grandness (thanks to its high ceilings), the Bohemian Cathederal does a balancing act, successfully combining the rustic with the minimalist with the bohemian. It sounds like it's a contradictory space, but the combination works.

The Bohemian Cathederal values texture and is a wonderful exhibitor of how one can create texture without overpowering a space. For example, the gray couch is laden with braided and fringe pillows and accented with a ribbed throw. The basket-woven coffee table and suspended rattan chair add even more texture to the room, ensuring it doesn't feel flat or one-dimensional.

The artistic wallpaper in the workstation and the kitchen add to the bohemian charm, with the black graphic wallpaper playing off the all-black kitchen. While that might look overly modern to some, the wooden beams in the soaring ceilings add a rustic element, making the space feel homey. 

This unique property claims the 1920s as its design inspiration, and throughout the loft space, one can see which trends were lifted from the roaring era. Drawing its inspiration mainly from the speakeasies that were a mainstay of the prohibition era, this sizeable airy space roots itself in earth tones and high ceilings. The living room is decked out with comfortable leather couches that call to mind the era and its propensity for decadence. The four — that's right, four! — chandeliers that illuminate the window-less space, further emphasizing the epicureanism for which the 1920s were known (via The Collector).

The Glasgow Kiss Suite, with its high bar and accompanying crushed velvet high chairs in green — offering respite from the deep browns that cover most of the loft — celebrates the sense of secret community that drove the 1920s thanks to the prohibition that caused many to procure alcohol and other vices in stealthier ways. Within the space, there are also subtler odes to the '20s in the form of art decor pieces, such as the rug underneath the pool table and the small to medium-sized mirrors that line the walls alongside portraits of 19th and 20th-century personalities.

If there's one thing you can't accuse the Pink Vuitton property of being, it's quiet. This pink paroxysm aims to grab your attention and infiltrate your senses with its over-indulgence. Thanks to its pink furniture, pink walls, and even pink lights, this is every influencer's dream stay, as it offers plenty to photograph and be photographed on.

According to Adobe, pink signifies playfulness and nostalgia, two things this pink palace encourages its inhabitants to tap into. This isn't a property that takes itself seriously, as is evident in the tongue-in-cheek artwork, neon signs, and even the LV-logoed cushions. As such, it expects its guests not to take themselves seriously either. At night, the living room turns into a scene from a nightclub thanks to the pink bulbs that give it an air of a night out, even when you're just curling up by the TV.

Under the Oak is a quaint space that invites you to get cozy. Ash to black furniture is having a moment. When used the right way, it creates an air of luxury and intimacy, as evidenced in this property. The matching vaulted ceilings create the illusion of higher ceilings and more space. The mustard armchairs are a welcome pop of color in an area dominated by black. Look no further than splashes of gold in the barstools and work chair for even more added luxury.

Though it's a studio, Under the Oak Montrose plays with the available space in exciting ways. It limited the accents in the apartment to the wall unit, where various vases, trinkets, and even house plants adorn the shelves. This is great for two reasons: It creates a captivating accent wall, but since that's the only place with decor, the small space doesn't feel cluttered. Opening up the room even more is the flood of natural light through the two floor-to-ceiling windows and floor-length mirrors, helping it appear bigger than it is.

Another sonically-driven home, the Hendrix Hideout, as its name suggests, is a home inspired by one of Rock n Roll's most prolific musicians and guitarists — Jimi Hendrix. With a masculine-leaning interior style, this property also takes on darker furnishings, this time for a more industrial effect. A Hendrix mural adorns one of the white walls, and it has yellow-gold trimmings that complement the cushions and vase in the living room. The shaggy rug underneath the coffee table and the checkered ottomans add some much-needed texture to this space, saving it from the often clinical effect that an entirely industrial interior design can sometimes have on a living area.

The space remains minimalist in its decor, opting for vinyl records on the opposite wall instead of more artwork. There is also a built-in bar, which mimics the same masculine vibe as the rest of the room. The mirror is cloudy and looks antique-inspired, but it's offset with dark cabinets and rich mahogany countertops.

How much can be done with the most limited spaces is a wonder. As tiny homes become an increasingly attractive option for individuals and couples (and even smaller families), the innovation in design becomes even more exciting to witness. This 400-square-foot space combines functionality with style to create the ultimate tiny home for your visit. In dealing with a long rather than wide space, this tiny home creates a gallery wall opposite, creating an artistic border for the TV.

The metal weaving of the coffee table and the light fixture leave the flow of the living room uninterrupted, making the space feel airier rather than heavy or cluttered. As always, patterned rugs are a great way to add length to any size room, and in this case, the horizontal stripes create the illusion of more width, which any tiny home can benefit from. And even though the structure is narrow, there is still space for a workstation near the two light sources.

With golds, greens, and beiges throughout the living area, this townhouse is a great exercise in modern minimalism. An L-shaped couch is an excellent addition to a small or open-plan living space. It offers more seating space without taking up as many valuable square feet as two separate sofas might (via Castlery). The gold light fixtures elevate the room from simple to opulent without ever being too loud or obnoxious about it.

The block coffee table in brass is a statement piece in a space that is tastefully adorned with them. At the same time, the identical green crushed velvet armchairs add a pop of color to the subdued area. There is a lot of light coming in, thanks to the many windows, and the gold trimmings and furnishings are a great way to bounce the light around the room, further brightening the area and creating more space and flow.

When people refer to "midcentury," they refer to the period following the end of the second world war. The United States experienced an influx of German designers during this time, who helped create the minimalist and crisp lines of the modern aesthetic. Germany in the 20th century was known for its Bauhaus design, which favored deconstructed furniture, futuristic designs, and furniture and architecture without embellishments (via Masterclass).

This home in Houston combines midcentury aesthetics well by mixing materials to create a homely space. From the quilted rug to the leather sofa to the rustic furniture, this space plays around with different textures and materials in an exciting way. We see how the designers expertly combine glass, wood, and fabrics throughout the space. The floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the property feed the area a generous amount of light. Though the rooms are separate, a lack of doors allows for an uninterrupted flow through the property's ground floor, making it appear more spacious.