Finally – Christmas get-togethers are back for 2021, and we can welcome family and friends into our homes once again this festive season.
If you have a guest room, spending a little bit of time and effort on it now will ensure your visitors can settle into a warm, inviting space for Christmas – and if you don’t, then investing in a good sofa bed will not only give you that extra bed, but more seating to boot!
Here are our top five tips for making your spare room guest-ready this Christmas.
1 Declutter and refresh
We’re all a bit out of practice when it comes to having people to stay, and many guest bedrooms have been converted into home gyms or storage spaces. Use this month to turn your spare space back into a proper bedroom and give it a quick lick of fresh paint if it’s got a little tired and grubby. Keep colours neutral and soothing – think soft pinks, greens and greys for warmth and comfort.
2 Create the right atmosphere
A few thoughtful touches can transform a plain, unused room into a cosy, inviting space where friends and family will feel at home. Fill a vase with fresh flowers, or winter foliage and berries from the garden or hedgerows. Make sure bed linen is fresh and aired and add plenty of pillows and a comforting throw. Place a beautifully scented candle and a box of matches in the room, and make sure there’s a lamp by the bed. To add a Christmassy touch without going overboard, wind a string of fairy lights along the headboard, and pop a couple of festive cushions on the bed.
3 Storage space
If your guests are staying a while, make sure they won’t have to live out of their suitcase. If you already have a chest of drawers in the room, empty the top two drawers to give them a place for their clothes or, if you have space, bring in a hanging rail with spare hangers.
4 Finishing touches
Lay out fluffy hand and bath towels, put a couple of books or magazines by the bed, plug in a phone charger, and add a basket of toothpaste, deodorant, and soap.
5 Change of use
If you don’t have a guest room, make sure your sofa bed is somewhere out of the way that can be screened or closed off for privacy, and make it extra inviting by piling on plenty of cushions and throws.
