Clever ways to host overnight guests at home

When family or friends come to stay, a small flat or townhouse does not need a spare room to feel properly ready. A few thoughtful pieces of furniture and bedding make it easy to switch from everyday living to comfortable hosting whenever needed.

Add sleeping space without losing storage

A spare room is a luxury many homes simply do not have, which is why a day bed earns its keep so well. IKEA's HEMNES day-bed frame with 3 drawers works as a single bed day to day, then pulls out into a double when guests arrive, with the drawers underneath holding spare bedding, pillows or towels out of sight the rest of the year.

Pair it with an OMAR shelving unit with clothes rail nearby so visitors have somewhere proper to hang clothes rather than living out of a suitcase. A LAMPAN LED portable lamp on a bedside surface and a RIDSTIG rug underfoot soften the room, while a KNOPPÄNG frame with poster adds a bit of personality to what might otherwise be a purely functional corner.

LAMPAN LED portable lamp, battery-operated adjustable colour/outdoor white, 24 cmRIDSTIG rug, flatwoven, off-white/red, 170x240 cmOMAR shelving unit with clothes rail, galvanised, 92x50x201 cmOMAR shelving unit, galvanised, 60x25x40 cmHEMNES day-bed frame with 3 drawers, white, 80x200 cmBRUDKRUSBÄR duvet cover and pillowcase, white multicolour/floral pattern, 150x200/50x80 cm

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Brighten the space guests will actually use

Once the sleeping arrangements are sorted, it is the small details that make a guest feel genuinely welcome rather than squeezed in. A NYMÅNE wall or reading lamp fitted beside the bed gives visitors proper light for reading without needing to find a switch across the room, which matters in a compact bedroom where every bit of floor space counts.

A ROTSUND mirror is equally practical, giving guests somewhere to check themselves before heading out, and it helps a smaller room feel a touch more open too. These are the kind of additions that take up very little space but make an overnight stay feel considered, whether the guest is staying one night or a full week.

NYMÅNE wall/reading lamp, wired-in inst, white, 7 cmROTSUND mirror, white, 80 cmLINDBYN mirror, black, 80 cmNISSEDAL mirror, white, 40x150 cmHOVET mirror, black, 78x196 cmLINDBYN mirror, black, 110 cm

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Fresh bedding ready whenever visitors stay

Good bedding stored and ready to go makes last-minute hosting far less stressful. A VÅRVIAL fitted sheet for day-bed is designed to sit neatly on a pulled-out day bed, while a SOLFIBBLA duvet cover and pillowcase or a STRANDLUMMER duvet cover and pillowcase offer a fresh, clean look without needing to hunt through the airing cupboard for something presentable.

For cooler evenings, particularly in the milder winter months, a BRUDKRUSBÄR duvet cover and pillowcase or SCHERSMIN duvet cover and pillowcase add a bit of warmth and pattern, and a GULLSTRÅLE bedspread or HUMLEMOTT throw layered on top finishes the bed nicely. Keeping a set folded away specifically for guests means there is never a scramble when someone mentions they are staying over.

VÅRVIAL fitted sheet for day-bed, white, 80x200 cmSOLFIBBLA duvet cover and pillowcase, grey white/stripe, 150x200/50x80 cmSTRANDLUMMER duvet cover and pillowcase, multicolour/floral pattern, 150x200/50x80 cmBRUDKRUSBÄR duvet cover and pillowcase, black multicolour/floral pattern, 150x200/50x80 cmSCHERSMIN duvet cover and pillowcase, white, 150x200/50x80 cmGULLSTRÅLE bedspread, light beige, 230x250 cm

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Maltashopper brings these pieces together for homes across Malta, making it simple to set up a guest-ready corner without needing a spare room at all.

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