How to Host Overnight Guests Without a Guest Room

My partner and I live in a one-bedroom apartment that’s just under 700 square feet. Most of the time it’s really all the space we need for two people. But every so often, a friend or family member comes to visit and suddenly I’m scrambling to make my living room feel like an adequate sleep space for a guest.

I’m certainly not the first person, or the last, who doesn’t have a room that sits empty, just waiting for guests to arrive. I also don’t have an office, or a finished basement, or any other “extra” place that can temporarily serve as a guest room. So with the holiday season upon us, I spoke to three experts on hosting and interior design in small spaces to find out how to be the best host possible in a home the size of a shoebox.

Not only did they give me some great tips about how to set up my home for visitors (spoiler: I’m about to buy a luggage rack, and I’m now convinced my next couch should be a sleeper sofa), they also shared plenty of cheap or free things that hosts can do to make their guests comfortable. Gestures as small as making sure your guests can easily charge their phones, and giving them a light source near their bed, can make a big impact. I realized that the best way to be a good host is to step into my guests’ shoes to preemptively avoid any situations that might feel frustrating or awkward for them. Just showing you considered their needs will go a long way; read on for a play-by-play of what to think about before they arrive.

If new furniture isn’t in your budget — or you simply don’t have the time or desire to redecorate your living room — a trusty air mattress will get the job done. Interior designer Shamika Lynch from Maximizing Tiny advises picking a taller model, around 18 inches high, so your guests will feel more like they are sleeping on a “real” bed. She also recommends setting it up on a cushioned surface if possible. “A good rug with a nice tuft or with a rug pad underneath is good to have in your living room anyway,” Lynch says. And as long as you have the floor space, spring for a full or queen size — that way you can accommodate single people, couples, kids, or any other guests who come your way. This is our favorite extra-tall air mattress, at 20 inches high. When I tested it, I was impressed by how high it sits off the floor; the height makes it feel much more dignified to sleep on, plus it’s much easier to get onto and off of. It has an internal pump, so all you have to do is plug it in, twist open the valve, and flip a switch to inflate it.

“If you are in one of those spaces where you’re not going to materialize any space overnight, your choices in your furniture selections are key,” says Kaelyn Guerin of interior-design company Haus Guerin. For her, the key is a good sleeper sofa; compared to an air mattress, it will be a big jump up in comfort for your guests, plus it can be a more integral part of your living space as an everyday couch. (She prefers a sleeper sofa over a Murphy bed for this reason, since Murphy beds take up a lot of wall space but typically aren’t as functional when they aren’t in use.) “You want the flexibility in how the space operates day to day, because out of 365 days, you’re maybe hosting a guest three nights,” Guerin says.

This “big comfy couch” from Article is our best-in-class sleeper sofa. It’s a pull-out style with a memory-foam mattress, which writers Erin Schwartz and Jeremy Rellosa (who both tested it in the Strategist office) say is supportive, has a pleasant firmness, and is thick enough that they couldn’t feel the metal bars through it. Schwartz also says it’s quite comfortable to sit on when it’s in couch mode. Most important of all, Schwartz appreciates that it does not look like a sleeper sofa.

If you have a bigger budget, Schwartz says American Leather is the brand that most furniture sellers will point you toward. (Not all its sofas are leather, though it does have an excellent leather selection.) What really makes its sleeper sofas stand out is the company’s patented conversion mechanism, which makes it especially easy to pull out the mattress (Schwartz says they did it with one hand!) and removes the potential of feeling metal bars under your back when sleeping.

Alternatively, “If you can fit a little daybed in your room or the kids’ room or something, then that’s an extra bed,” says blogger and small-space consultant Alison Mazurek. Set it up against the wall with a bunch of cushions to use it like a couch on a day-to-day basis, then lay it out flat as a bed when guests come over. She recommends Softline for daybeds, which are made with memory foam for comfort while sitting or sleeping.

Photo: Retailer

Bautier makes a daybed that’s similar, albeit more expensive, than the Softline model above. Strategist contributor Fanny Singer ended up buying it after an extensive, months-long hunt for a non-ugly sleeper sofa.

Dressing a temporary guest bed with excellent bedding is an easy enhancement. If you have the space to store them, Lynch recommends having a dedicated set of guest sheets, because a matching set that complements your home décor will feel more intentional than pulling out random pieces of extra bedding and will show your guests that you thought of them ahead of time, Lynch says. For the top layer, Guerin suggests a few light blankets or quilts instead of a big fluffy comforter or duvet. Not only are thinner pieces easier for you to store and clean, but guests can add or remove layers as needed to maintain a comfortable sleep temperature. To top it all off, don’t forget to give your guests a quality pillow, which can make or break the comfort of a bed.

At just $50 for a queen-size set, these 100 percent cotton sateen sheets from Target’s Threshold line come highly recommended by Strategist bedding writer Lauren Ro, who says they don’t feel cheap at all despite their low price — when she first tested them, she was surprised by how substantial they felt.

This two-pack of Beckham Hotel pillows is a longtime Strategist best seller, and deservedly so. The pillows have a fluffy, hotel-pillow feel but, crucially, provide actual neck support. They can work for multiple sleeping positions — back-, side-, and stomach-sleeping Strategist staffers have all tested and liked them — and are often on sale. Plus, they are fully machine washable, so you can pop them in the laundry between guests’ visits without any worry.

This quilt from Parachute is one of our favorites because it’s nice-looking and the perfect weight — warm but not overly bulky. One side is linen, the other cotton percale.

This cotton knit throw, our best overall throw blanket, will provide extra warmth if they get chilly. It’s conveniently machine washable, too.

To keep dedicated guest pillows and bedding in storage, Lynch suggests vacuum-seal bags. Put all the bedding together in one bag, seal it, and stick it in your closet. Everything will be ready and in one spot the next time you host.

If you don’t have space for extra bedding, it’s all about repurposing what you already have. Mazurek uses a complementary mix of white and neutral sheets in her house, so when she make a bed for a guest, their bedding looks cohesive. She also recommends finding creative ways to keep “extra” items around; for example, Mazurek has two pillows on each of her kids’ beds so that she can occasionally pull one off for a guest to use without having to “store” them. If you don’t have an inch of space to spare, Mazurek advises phoning a friend — someone you know probably has an extra that you could borrow for a few nights.

It’s easy to forget that even people who travel light still show up with stuff — and they’ll need a place to keep that stuff during their stay. Even a single, emptied-out dresser drawer or a bit of closet space can help. Lynch also advises taking a nod from hotels and investing in a luggage rack: They fold up for easy storage when not in use and give guests a place other than the floor where they can open their bag or suitcase.

Guerin advises leaving a stack of fresh towels where your guests can easily find them, either on their bed or with any extra bedding you’ve got laid out for them. Whatever you do, don’t wait until they are ready to shower to start rummaging around for clean washcloths and bath sheets.

As with bedding, it’s nice to have a dedicated set of guest bath towels if you can swing it. Frontgate’s towels are our favorite affordable towels; Ro owns them in white and reports that still look nice after three years of “near constant” use.

I also recommend adding some basic hand towels and washcloths.

If you have the luxury of time and forethought, you should invest in versatile furniture like a multifunctional set of nesting tables or stools that can double as nightstands when needed. If you don’t, you’ll need to get creative with what you already have, say, by clearing off a coffee table or an end table and placing it next to the bed you’ve set up.

Lynch is a big advocate of using nesting tables to instantly add extra surface space where guests can set things down without feeling like they are disrupting your home. The largest table in a set may even work as a luggage rack, while the smallest becomes a bedside table.

Lynch also recommends storage ottomans as a way to give guests a spot for some of their stuff (or as a place to keep the guest bedding) and serve as an extra seat too.

Speaking of extra seats, Mazurek typically uses a couple Field Stools from Sundays as side tables but clears them off to use as stools when company comes. They could just as easily become nightstands when it’s time for bed.

Even if you are especially short on floor space, a big, sturdy tray on a couch or chair near to your guests’ bed can be a workable “nightstand” — and will be much more preferable than putting their stuff on the floor or trying to find a stable spot for their phone or a glass or water.

Guests don’t want to feel like an inconvenience to their host, so think ahead about what they might need and do your best to make it readily available. Make sure your outlets are visible and accessible, because no one wants to be moving furniture just to charge their phone. If your outlets aren’t obvious or easy to get to, plug in an extra-long charger or extension cord before your guests arrive.

In addition to outlets, make sure guests have easy access to a lamp. “Even if they’ve been there a number of times, most people don’t know how to navigate your house in the dark,” Guerin says. Bonus points for one that’s portable so they can move it around as needed.

Mazurek uses this portable light for her overnight guests. “You can carry it around like a lantern, so if they need to get around in your house, it’s really nice,” she says. It has three settings, so they can toggle the brightness.

The Casper Glow Light is a similarly portable option. Guests can simply flip it over to turn it on or off or twist it to dim.

Even if it’s not portable, place an easy-to-turn-on lamp like this LED desk lamp near your guests’ bed so they can turn in without getting up and searching for a wall switch.

Don’t underestimate the usefulness of a clip-on book light, like the Strategist-favorite Hooga, if space is especially tight.

Mazurek and Guerin both recommend setting out a carafe of water and glasses so your guests can get a drink at night without having to search your kitchen cabinets in the dark.

If possible, Guerin recommends emulating a high-end hotel by providing luxuries like a bathrobe or slippers for your guests to use, along with a basket of goodies they might have forgotten, like extra toiletries or a sleep mask. She often saves sample-size beauty products to give to her friends when they visit as a little travel pick-me-up.

A waffle robe, like this one from Quince, will be smaller to store than a big, fluffy one if you decide to buy a dedicated guest robe.

Parachute’s Turkish cotton slippers wouldn’t be out of place at a high-end hotel, but they cost only $40 and are fully machine washable.

A silk eye mask will add a touch of fanciness, even if they are sleeping on an air mattress, while helping block light from windows that may not already have sleep-friendly curtains or shades.

Providing a sound machine is almost guaranteed to help them sleep better in an unfamiliar space, especially if you live on a noisy street.

As a counter to throw blankets for extra warmth, have a small fan ready for guests who run warm. Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst recommends this inexpensive Honeywell fan, which she’s been using since 2016. Plus, it’s small enough to keep on a desk or nightstand.

Smaller homes tend to lack privacy — and often have only one bathroom —so Guerin advises adding a folding screen or room divider: “If you don’t want to come out of your bedroom and immediately look at your friend in a stage of undress, the screen is nice,” she says. Options range from pricey antique finds on eBay or Chairish to inexpensive versions from big-box retailers, so there’s lots of flexibility with price and style. If you don’t have a full-time need for the screen when you aren’t hosting, Guerin suggests folding it up and sliding it behind or under couch or bed or sticking it in the back of a closet.

When you’re hosting in a small space, it’s easy to focus on what you can’t provide to your guests. But the experts I spoke to all emphasized focusing on what you can give them.

“You want to make sure that you’re thinking about them beyond the night into the morning and making sure everybody feels like they can operate in the space without making a mess,” Guerin says. That could include picking up some fruit or pastries or bagels to set out for an easy breakfast if your guests wake up earlier than you. Or ensuring that coffee and tea are accessible (and showing your guests how to use your coffee-maker).

Mazurek, who lives in Vancouver, advises taking full advantage of where you live to show your guests a good time. If your home is on the smaller side, odds are you’re in a large, high-cost of living area — which comes with its own advantages. “We can run out in the morning and get the best pastry or the best coffee they’ve had in a long time,” Mazurek says. “It’s just reminding people that maybe we don’t have a perfect room for you, but we have these other great things to offer and that we are showing them what we love about the city.”

Above all, Lynch adds, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and remember that most guests won’t be expecting a high-end hotel experience in your living room. “People aren’t coming to your home to see what you have. They’re coming to your home to see you,” she says.

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