You can’t be the host with the most unless your guests can stay over in style
Turn your home into houseguest heaven this festive season
It’s usually around this time of year that I vow to tackle our guest bedroom, aka general dumping ground, in time to hopefully be in a position to welcome a Christmas guest or two.
As much as I hate throwing out spare computer parts and onceused gym gear, I’m pretty sure my nearest and dearest won’t want to sleep beside them.
The festive period is that extra special time when you really want to pamper your visitors and it’s the little finishing touches that really ensure they feel at home.
With that in mind it’s time to clear the clutter and follow a few essential guest room tips.
Hosting at Christmas can be stressful enough without the additional worry of where you’re going to accommodate additional guests overnight.
Sofa beds are a great, practical option and well worth the investment, particularly if you don’t have additional space.
The Sofa Bed Company specialise in high quality sofa beds. It offers five designs in six sizes in a choice of quality fabrics and leathers, including the Retro model which takes inspiration from the 1960s classic Chesterfield.
The gorgeous range of colours extends into the hundreds.
The Skill two-seater sofabed is currently part of the DFS halfprice winter collection and is reduced to €799 (from €1,998). If ordered by this week, DFS guarantees that your guests can snuggle up in style in time for Christmas.
Nothing beats the feel of crisp, fresh bed linen, especially after a toasty night beside the fire.
If you want to lavish your guest with the luxury treatment, dress their bed in pure cotton or, better still, Egyptian cotton sheets. Thread count is the key here the higher the better.
Designer SophieConran’s bed linen collection features duvet covers, pillowcases, quilts and cushions in gorgeous festive colours – all made from high-quality400-thread count cotton percale and 100% pure linen.
Her king-size, reversible quilt has crisp white linen on one side and rich, deep red velvet on the other. Perfect for cosy winter snoozes.
There is also a great online selection at Zara Home and Arnotts with bed linen at various price points including Sheridan sheets, Foxford and Christys.
A good idea is to drape or stylishly layer up blankets over bed linen as you may not be able to anticipate what temperature your guest prefers.
And make sure you provide enough towels for the duration of their stay. With that in mind perhaps now is the time to upgrade your collection so they are in great condition when you need them.
Of course, if you really want to impress them, do as the best hotels do and treat them to a super-soft dressing gown, robe or a relaxing eye-mask.
You can also add charm and personality by providing a selection of books or magazines that you know your loved ones will appreciate. Finally, a sumptuous fragrant candle will ensure your five-star guest enjoys the sweetest of dreams.