How a designer prepped her Rosedale house for Airbnb—and how much she’s making

Linda Wade

Interior designer
Airbnbing since: 2015
Rate: $295 to $450 per night
Yearly home-share earnings: $90,000
Location: Rosedale

Linda had wanted to own a ­Victorian home since she was in her 20s. She opened her antique store, Putti Fine ­Furnishings, in Rosedale in 1994. A few years later, she finally bought her dream house. She and her husband, Martin Dwyer, spent years filling it with an eclectic assortment of art, ­furniture and decor.

About three years ago, after Martin’s death, the home started to seem too big—and too expensive—for one person. Eventually, Linda decided to Airbnb the space. “It was the perfect solution for me, since I wasn’t ready to give up my house,” she says. She lives there part-time, when she’s not travelling to England to visit family and stock up on items for the shop. Her ­second-ever guest, a 20-­something guy who stayed with seven friends for ­Caribana, trashed the place, but Airbnb paid for the ­damage. So far, the rest of her renters have been more considerate.

Linda’s favourite things on the main floor are the framed dried plants that surround the fireplace. She found them in the south of France. The daybeds in the living room are from Oly Studio. A drunk bridesmaid renter once flung herself onto one to get in on a photo op and broke it.

Here’s the kitchen:

And one of the bedrooms:

Linda has a key to a drawer in the bathroom and another to a locked closet where she keeps a few clothes:

The Hunt

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