Home Ideas
Getting the guest bedroom ready for Christmas
The spare room usually gets the old duvet and one flat pillow. If family are staying over Christmas, a short list fixes it: somewhere to put a bag, a lamp they can reach from the bed, soft light at the window and bedding that feels chosen. Start with these, then fill the gaps below.
A styled scene — for the feeling. The picks are below.Home Ideas · The Found Edit
The picks
EDISHINE wooden tripod table lamp
Soft, linen-warm light for a bedside, a sideboard or a bare corner.
A guest should be able to turn the light off without getting out of bed. This small wood-and-linen lamp sits on any bedside table or stool. At 36cm it is compact, which is what a spare room wants.
The one catchWooden tripod, not a true rattan or ceramic base
DOKOT seagrass belly basket
A woven seagrass basket that gives throws, bags and spare blankets a home.
Somewhere to put a weekend bag, spare blankets or the towels you have left out. A seagrass basket does that and looks intended. It is open-topped, so keep what goes in it tidy.
The one catchOpen-top, so contents stay visible
Linen & Cotton stonewashed linen duvet set
That lived-in, crumpled-linen calm that makes a bed look effortlessly made.
If the spare bed still wears the oldest set in the house, this is the single change guests notice. Real stonewashed linen, which creases by nature — make the bed and leave it.
The one catchLinen creases by nature, so it won't look pin-sharp
Deconovo white voile curtains
Soft, filtered daylight that makes a bedroom feel like a slow morning.
Sheer panels soften a spare room that is used as a box room the rest of the year. They filter daylight but do not block it, so keep a blind or lined curtain behind them for early risers.
The one catchSemi-sheer only, so little night-time privacy or light blocking
decorUhome linen-look cushion covers
Tonal oatmeal layers that let the light do the styling.
Two plain covers make a made bed look finished for very little effort. They are covers only, so you will need 55cm inserts.
The one catchCovers only — inserts not included
Still to come
- 06
All-season spare duvet
Looking for: Machine-washable, anti-allergy. e.g. Silentnight, Slumberdown.
- 07
Pair of hotel-quality pillows
Looking for: Medium-firm, washable.
- 08
Towel bale
Looking for: 500gsm or heavier; bath sheets included.
- 09
Mattress topper
Looking for: 5cm or thicker, elasticated straps, washable cover.
- 10
Brushed cotton bedding set
Looking for: 100% cotton, plain or subtle check.
- 11
Bedside carafe and glass
Looking for: Glass with a tumbler lid.
- 12
Folding luggage rack
Looking for: Wood or metal, folds flat.
Prices and stock on Amazon move daily, so we don’t print them — the link shows today’s price. Last checked October 2026. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Quick answers
- What should you put in a guest bedroom?
- A lamp the guest can reach from the bed, somewhere to put a bag, bedding that is clean and feels chosen, and a spare blanket within reach. Guests rarely ask, so the test is to sleep in the room yourself for a night.
- How do you get a spare room ready for Christmas guests?
- Start with the bed: wash the duvet and pillows or replace the ones that have gone flat, and make it up with proper bedding. Then clear a surface and some floor for their things, add a bedside lamp and leave towels on the bed.
- What do guests need that hosts forget?
- A free socket near the bed for a phone charger, a second pillow, a glass for water and space to hang a coat. None of it costs much, and all of it is awkward to ask for.
- What tog duvet is right for a guest bedroom?
- A 10.5 tog duvet suits most centrally heated UK homes for most of the year, which is why it is the usual choice for a spare bed. Leave a blanket at the foot of the bed in winter so guests can adjust for themselves.
