How to Make Overnight Guests Feel At Home

This year was one of the first we haven’t hosted overnight guests for Christmas, but it got me thinking about how we’d do it in this house if we needed to. We don’t have a dedicated guest room, and I know we’re not the only ones, especially in London where houses are small and mortgages are big. So, with a focus on small space solutions, here’s a little guide to how to make overnight guests feel at home, even if that home is compact.

1. Cozy Bedding

I’m always a fan of textured white bedding, especially if it doesn’t need ironing. Shop your home for cushions to add a bit of colour.
Pintuck Bedding – West Elm // Rose Cushion – Amara // Gold Cushion – West Elm

2. A Comfy Bed

A good night’s sleep is pretty key to making your guests feel at home. Like I said, we don’t have a dedicated guest bed, but we do have a very good air mattress. It’s the same height as a regular bed, self-inflates in a couple of minutes, and is much comfier than you’d expect. It can get a bit chilly, so a feathery mattress topper adds warmth and an added layer of softness.
Mattress Topper & Air Mattress – Amazon

3. A Carafe & Glass for Water

Carafe & Glass – H&M

4. A Bit of Greenery

You can’t go wrong with hard-to-kill succulents.
Brass Planter – Leif

5. Wifi

Leave a notice out with the wifi password, and better still, make it pretty.
Wifi Password Print – Etsy

6. Lighting

If you’re setting up a guest space in a room that isn’t normally a bedroom, make sure it’s still cozy with a bedside lamp or two. It’s seemingly little details like this that you might not think of that are going to make a big difference in making your guests feel at home. This one’s petite and pretty and can be angled for reading. Lamp – West Elm

7. A Catch-All Bowl

For guests to leave their keys, jewelry and shiz without losing track of it. Bowl – H&M

8. Bedside Tables

If space is limited, folding tray tables can be tucked away when you’re not using them, and can play double duty as extra surfaces when you’re entertaining.
Rattan Trays & Stands – West Elm

9. Towels

Turkish towels are thinner so they take up less space when they’re not in use.
Turkish Towels – Amazon

10. A Blanket

The cozier the better.
Blanket – West Elm

11. Somewhere to Sit

An added luxury if you’re living out of a suitcase.
Chair – Ecco Trading

12. Reading Material

We stayed with one of my besties when we went back to visit Chicago in summer, and she had put out baskets of magazines for me and kids’ books for my short-statured offspring. It was a lovely idea, and one I fully appreciated when we were up at 4 am with jet lag and trying to keep quiet!
Basket – H&M // Styled by Emily Henderson // Humans of New York by Brian Stanton

Read more tips from Emmerson & Fifteenth, and other design studios, on Redfin’s 11 Guest Room Design Ideas for Your Rental Home.