Get your guest room Christmas ready

With the Christmas countdown well underway, it’s time to ready your home for all the wonderful festive things to come. If you are planning to have friends and family staying over during the holidays, start with your guest room (or rooms). A good air and clean up, using a long duster to get to all those hard-to reach places creates a good foundation. Clear out any unnecessary bits and bobs and check the windows, radiators and lamps to ensure all are accessible and in good working order.

Think about how guests will use the space. Is there room to move around comfortably even with the addition of overnight bags? Provide clear surfaces where your guests can place their things and a few hangers for those special Christmas celebrations outfits.

Not all homes have a spare room but the sofa bed option can still be cosy. Think flexibly and supply a couple of baskets – a large one for bedding and another for guests to add their own things to. It makes the transition from day to night that bit easier and helps keep things tidy by day. A side table with lamp easily switches to being a nightstand and check the room has proper privacy with curtains and blinds. Power sockets can be at a premium in shared sleep/living spaces so include an extension cable for easy charging of phones and devices.

Your guests will want to enjoy a good night’s sleep so check over your mattress. Feeling a bit lumpy? A memory foam mattress topper can work wonders in providing an extra layer of comfort and support. It’s worth vacuuming and airing the mattress, especially on a sofa bed – it’s also a good idea to wash pillow and mattress protectors. 

Check your duvet – the filling should be fluffy and evenly distributed. When buying new, a 10.5 tog duvet is a great year-round choice but, if you’re looking to replace your guest duvet, go ‘all-seasons’, suggests Penny Wilson, Partner & Assistant Buyer, Filled Bedding & Children’s Rooms. ‘It will provide three tog sizes in one, perfect for visitors all year round,’ she says. 

Penny recommends dressing the bed with four pillows. ‘Two medium and two soft pillows will cater for all body shapes and all ways of sleeping,’ she explains. And while feather and down feel luxurious, modern hypo-allergenic bedding is a safe bet. Take a look at our Duvet & Pillow Buying Guide.

A choice of linens including an extra blanket or two will allow guests to decide on their own level of warmth and comfort, while flat sheets are a huge help if you have a succession of guest staying for just one night. Go for the good-old fashioned bedding approach, using flat sheets and your duvet in place of an eiderdown. Ironing bed linens gives a luxurious freshly-laundered feel to a guest bed – if your linens are looking tired, a new set is the quickest and easiest way to transform the feel of the whole room.

It’s the little things that will make guests feel at home – slippers or bed socks to keep toes toasty and a few luxury treats such as an eye mask. Make it a hotel-style stay by adding tea and coffee facilities. A mini stocking of treats including some posh mini toiletries, sweets, fruit and snacks will get the festive season off to a fine start.

An en-suite bathroom is always a pleasure but even with a shared bathroom you can still treat guests to luxury towels plus a few other well-considered extras. Most people will bring the toiletries they are never without so think beyond the basics such as a small tube of really good hand cream, a one-off sachet of shower scrub or a deep conditioning hair mask. Think back to your favourite stays away and remember the little touches that made you feel spoilt.

Continuing your decorations into the guest room will make it feel special. You don’t need much – perhaps just a wreath, a mini table tree or a festive floral arrangement. Look for areas where you can easily sprinkle a little Christmas magic – we love these festive glasses for the bedside table that will serve guests well for many Christmases to come.