9 ways to get your home guest ready ahead of hosting season

As the holiday season approaches, many of us are starting to think about our festive plans. For some, that can mean heading over to friends and family, while others will have the job of playing host for their loved ones. 

And between pre-Christmas stress, cleaning, and ‘decking the halls’, getting your home guest ready can feel like another big task to add to your list.

The good news is that you don’t need a full renovation or a huge budget to make your home feel warm and inviting. In fact, you can make your cosy home guest-ready in just one weekend with a few smart, affordable updates.

From layered rugs to soft lighting and calming scents, our interiors experts at Online Carpets share their best hosting tips to help you welcome overnight guests this winter.

How to choose furniture for a multi-purpose guest room

 

Often, our guest bedrooms will have to serve multiple purposes, usually doubling up as a home office, storage space, or even a gym. This means that when it comes to hosting, you can sometimes feel the room is disjointed and not as welcoming as you might like it to be. 

However, you don’t need to have a full makeover every time you have someone over to stay. If you’re setting up a guest room, focus on functionality and comfort first. 

When thinking about how to choose furniture for a guest room, look for pieces that can serve multiple purposes, for instance, a daybed that doubles as a sofa, or a compact desk that can be used as a dressing table when friends are around. Choosing modular designs will allow you flexibility when it comes to turning your office into a cosy guest room. 

Guest room decor doesn’t need to be complicated, opt for light and slimline designs that don’t overwhelm the space. 

Our spare rooms are usually smaller inside, so if you’re wondering how to decorate a small bedroom for the festive season, you don’t need to worry. 

Smaller rooms lend themselves to the cosy feeling we love in the winter, so you just need to enhance this atmosphere. When it comes to cosy, festive decorating, it’s all about layering and texture. Choose soft, neutral walls and add colour through cushions, throws, and textiles. 

Introduce comfort through tactile materials such as wool, linen, and velvet. In compact bedrooms, warmth is as much about function as it is about style. Adding layered rugs over carpet not only enhances comfort underfoot but also helps retain warmth, an especially welcome touch for guests staying over winter.

To create more of a focal point in the room, you can even layer multiple rugs on the floor. Try laying a flat base rug (look for cut-pile or low-pile) with a smaller textured or shaggy rug on top. This layering not only adds visual interest but also enhances the cosy feel of a guest room. Small touches like fairy lights, cosy rugs, and fresh bedding instantly make a compact space feel considered and relaxing.

If you’re short on floor space, mount bedside shelves instead of tables and keep décor minimal but purposeful. Guests will appreciate a simple, clutter-free space that still feels personal and inviting.

How to Make Your Living Room Cosy

The living room is often the heart of our homes when we have people over. It’s a space for conversation, games, and relaxing after a Christmas dinner. 

If you want to add some extra festive cosiness to your living room, start with your flooring, as this sets the foundation for comfort. Adding a plush rug instantly adds warmth and quietens the space, ideal for hosting during the colder months. Natural fibres like wool trap heat and feel soft underfoot, while a deep-pile rug on hard flooring brings both insulation and luxury.

Lighting also makes a big difference. Replace harsh overhead lights with warm-toned lamps or wall sconces to create a soft, inviting glow. Then, you can build on any comfort with texture, using throws, cushions, and curtains in complementary tones and tactile fabrics like velvet or boucle.

Finish with small, homely details: a scented candle on the coffee table, a basket of blankets, or a textured runner underfoot. These simple touches tie everything together, turning your living room into a cosy retreat guests will love spending time in.

And once your living room feels ready, it’s time to focus on the rest of your home. From quick cleaning tips to simple lighting swaps, our flooring expert James Higgins shares his top 9 quick, cost-effective ways to get guest-ready before hosting season starts.

Expert shares 9 quick ways to get your home guest ready before hosting season

If you’re preparing to host this season, getting your home guest-ready doesn’t have to mean redecorating from scratch. A few smart and affordable updates can completely transform your space over the course of a weekend.

1. Start with a deep clean in high traffic areas

Before styling and decorating, focus on deep cleaning your home in areas that guests would first notice – hallways, living rooms, kitchen, and bathrooms.

Dirt and dust can make the most stylish home feel untidy. You should vacuum thoroughly and pay extra attention to your skirting boards and spot-clean any muddy carpet using mild detergent. Wiping down your frames and handles adds that ‘freshly cleaned’ feel that makes your home cosy. 

If you’ve uncovered any stains in your carpet while cleaning, you can read our stain guide for in-depth ways to tackle different spills. 

It’s best to concentrate on one ‘zone’ at a time when cleaning, ensuring each space is done before moving on to the next. 

2. Use the laundry basket method to declutter quickly

If you’re very short on time before guests arrive, the laundry basket method is a quick and impactful way to make your home look more organised. Instead of tidying each room individually, take a large laundry basket and do a sweep of your main spaces and collect any visual clutter as you go.

This method works as it allows you to collect your mess quickly, even if you don’t have time to sort it straight away. Once your guests have left, you can go through the basket at your own pace and return each item to its proper place

Not to forget that gathering all the items together in one place will allow you to easily find and properly put away everything you didn’t want out when your guests arrive.

3. Layer rugs to create character

Layered rugs are one of the easiest ways to make your home feel warm and inviting. On hard floors, rugs act as an extra layer of insulation that helps block draughts and retain heat. On carpet, layering adds softness and texture to create a lived-in and comfortable feeling. 

If you’re wondering how to layer rugs on carpet, start with a neutral, low-pile base and place a smaller, patterned, or high-pile rug on top. This adds depth to your living space and defines cosy ‘zones’ like reading corners or living areas. A bonus is that layering rugs is also a great way to protect your carpet.

For inspiration, try natural-fibre options like wool or jute for warmth or patterned accent rugs for a pop of personality.

4. Protect floors from muddy boots

Hosting over the winter often means dealing with wet shoes and inevitably muddy carpets. You can prevent damage by placing durable mats or washable rugs near your doorways and any high-traffic areas.

You can add a boot tray or hallway runner to stop dirt from spreading and keep your floors looking tidy. For longer-term protection, consider stain-resistant carpets or easy-to-clean, hard flooring such as laminate in any entryways. 

5. Use scent to create a warm atmosphere

Studies show that scent is deeply tied to memory and positive emotional triggers, so use scent to leave a lasting impression on your visitors so a scented candle or mist is the perfect way to create a cosy atmosphere at home.

Heavier scents such as sandalwood, cedarwood, or amber can transform your space quickly and create a feeling of relaxation.

Your best bet is to pair heavier scents with lighter notes, such as pine or citrus, in your hallways and kitchen to avoid overpowering your guests. Layer fragrances throughout your home using candles, diffusers, and linen spray. Even a pillow mist in the guest bedroom adds a thoughtful touch for someone’s night's sleep.

6. Combine textures and textiles

Creating a cosy home is all about layering materials that feel inviting. You should combine textures like wool, velvet, cotton, and boucle across your throws and cushions. Each texture absorbs light differently, which helps to create visual warmth.

A quick tip is to drape a knit throw over your sofa, stack cushions of varied sizes, and roll a cosy rug beneath coffee tables or the foot of the bed. These layers help to add insulation, perfect for hosting guests over winter. 

7. Use warm-toned lighting

Lighting sets the mood for comfort. Try replacing any harsh overhead bulbs with warm-toned lighting that creates a soft, inviting glow.

Layering lighting is also ideal for a calm space. Use multiple light sources at different levels, think table lamps, wall sconces, and floor lamps, to build depth and cosiness. Adding fairy lights or dimmable bulbs helps you shift easily from daytime to a relaxed ambience in the evening.

8. Create thoughtful guest spaces

Small personal touches go a long way. In addition to clean sheets, go the extra mile and add some thoughtful items like a jug of water, a phone charger, or a reading light. 

In the guest bathroom, you can place essentials like mouthwash, hairspray, mints, or lotion in a small tray on the counter. These gestures go a long way and highlight your attention to detail, and can be picked up in a simple supermarket shop

9. Add festive touches to celebrate the season

Once your home feels warm, clean, and calm, bring in a few festive touches to your guest room. Instead of overwhelming the space, choose subtle, timeless decorations, think evergreen garlands, warm fairy lights, and accents of metallic or deep red tones.

Stick to one colour palette that complements your existing décor so everything feels cohesive. Natural textures like pinecones, eucalyptus, or dried oranges add understated charm without clutter.

The goal is to create a sense of effortless warmth, a home that feels both ready for Christmas and ready for guests.

If you’re interested in buying a new stain-resistant carpet and want to know the best fit for your home, read this blog: Hard-Wearing Stain-Resistant Carpets: The Best Options for Busy Families.