How to create a temporary guest bedroom that still feels welcoming over Christmas

When all the family descends, every room has the potential to become a guest bedroom. However, when repurposing a home office, living room or snug into guest accommodation, guests can sometimes feel like they're in the way and unable to relax.

Of course, no one wants their guests to feel unwelcome, but with a few simple changes, you can make sure that even the most ad hoc guest bedroom becomes a true home-from-home.

1. Upgrade an air mattress

Temporary sleeping solutions vary in type and cost. The best option is one of the best sofa beds or best chair beds that can be folded out when guests are incoming. Investing in the best air mattress is another option. If you’re going down the air mattress route, look for self-inflating designs, ideally over 10cm thick, like this Silentnight airbed from Amazon that impressed in our air bed tests.

‘A comfier alternative to an air bed is a high-quality mattress topper, which provides support and comfort without the worry of it deflating,’ says Mark Tremlett, founder of Naturalmat. ‘It’s best placed on a soft, carpeted floor for extra cushioning. And once your guests’ stay is over, you can use it on your own mattress to elevate your bedroom ideas.’

Even if you already have a sofa bed or air bed for your temporary guest room, our Sleep Editor, Amy Lockwood, always recommends investing in something like the Panda mattress topper to up the comfort levels.

Also, don't rule out asking guests to bring their own beds – they may already have a set-up that suits them, especially if you know they are keen campers.

2. Ensure everyone has a bedside table and lamp

Whether you're creating a bedroom in a living room or small home office, having a spot to place essentials – such as glasses, a book and a bottle of water – is essential. A nest of coffee tables offers the ideal solution for several rooms – this Arnie duo from Dunelm would be perfect. Upended crates can offer a cute, rustic alternative to traditional bedside table ideas.

Rather than relying on light from a phone torch, a rechargeable lamp feels instantly more welcoming – this LED touch bedside table lamp from Amazon would provide versatile illumination. Not only does this provide a light by which to read your book, but it will also help guests to find their way from the main light switch to the bed.

If sockets are out of reach, add an extension lead – like this pretty wood-style design from Amazon – so guests can charge their phones overnight.

3. Provide plenty of blankets and spare pillows

Whether guests are sleeping on a sofa bed or an air mattress, channel cosy bedroom vibes by providing duvets and pillows rather than sleepbags. Fitting a spare duvet underneath the fitted sheet can provide an extra level of comfort and warmth – especially if your bed is directly on the floor.

Even in a permanent setup, one of the things you should always put in a guest room is extra blankets and pillows. This lets our guests create their perfect sleep set-up without the embarrassment of having to ask you. In fact, to make a guest bed comfier, our Sleep Editor Amy often lends visitors her Simba hybrid pillow, which is customisable.

4. Dress windows with blackout blinds

In a bedroom, blackout opaque blinds provide the perfect environment for sleep but prove impractical during the day. For this reason, most non-bedrooms will have a lighter window treatment, which is not ideal for sleep.

If there are no window treatments or just thin curtains, Dunelm stocks a temporary pleated blackout blind that can be cut to size and clipped into the window frame. Alternatively, a portable blackout blind like the Tommee Tippee blackout blind, available at Amazon, will do the trick. It's made for kids, but it also works a treat for adults.

For a long-term investment, you could add a blackout lining – like these from Dunelm – to existing curtains or double up existing blinds with thicker curtains.

5. Provide all the essentials

Just because the bedroom isn't hotel-standard, this doesn't mean that you can't deliver hotel-quality treatment.

'Lay out clean towels, toiletries, and a bottle or carafe of water so guests have what they need from the moment they arrive. A small tray of essentials on the bedside table makes everything easy to find, especially after a long journey,' says Josh Branigan, a furniture and home interiors expert at Cuckooland.

'Including a few snacks or individually wrapped chocolates adds a little touch of hospitality. These simple additions save guests the awkwardness of having to ask for anything. You might also include a spare toothbrush or travel-size shower gel for convenience.'

For an easy win, this kit from Amazon has everything a guest might need – including toothbrush, toothpaste and toiletries.