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A spare room that sits empty for fifty weeks a year still has to work well for the two weeks it matters. Whether you are hosting family over summer or a relative staying for a month, a guest bedroom does not need to be elaborate, but it does need to be comfortable, quiet underfoot and easy to keep tidy. Here is how we suggest Sydney households approach it.

Start with the room size, not the bed

Many spare rooms in Sydney townhouses and apartments are small, often around 3 x 3 metres. In a room that size, a queen bed leaves roughly 60 cm of walkway either side, which is workable. If the room is closer to 2.7 x 2.7 metres, you will want to be more careful about the bedside furniture you add. Measure the room, mark the bed footprint on the floor with masking tape, and check that doors and wardrobe doors can still open fully.

Choosing the bed size

A queen is the most popular choice for guests because it suits couples and single travellers alike. According to the Australian bed size table, a queen mattress is 153 x 203 cm, while a double is 138 x 188 cm, so the queen gives a couple noticeably more room for only 15 cm of extra width. If space is tight, a double is still a reasonable guest option.

• Queen: best all-round choice; browse our queen bed collection for suites that include bedsides.
• King: only worth it if the room is at least 3.5 m wide; see our king bed range.
• Gas lift beds: useful where there is no wardrobe space, as the base doubles as hidden storage for spare linen.

Mattress: aim for medium

Guests have unknown preferences, so a medium-firm mattress is the safest choice. A pocket spring mattress isolates movement, which matters when two people share the bed, and it tends to sleep cooler through Sydney summers than dense foam. Our mattress collection includes pocket spring and bonnell options. Bonnell is a more budget-friendly choice for a room used occasionally, while pocket spring is worth the step up if guests stay for weeks at a time. The Wikipedia overview of mattress types is a handy primer on how innerspring, foam and hybrid constructions differ.

Add a rug for warmth underfoot

Guests step out of bed barefoot, and cold tiles or floorboards are the most common complaint in winter. A rug placed so that it extends 50 to 60 cm beyond each side of the bed and the foot gives a soft landing on both sides. For a queen bed, a 160 x 230 cm or 200 x 290 cm rug works well depending on whether you want it to sit mostly under the bed or frame it. Low-pile modern designs are easiest to vacuum and handle luggage wheels better than deep shaggy pile. Browse our modern rugs for neutral designs that suit most colour schemes, or choose a wool rug if you want something that stays warm in winter and resists crushing from furniture legs.

Keep storage small but useful

A guest does not need a full wardrobe. What they do need is somewhere to put a suitcase, a few hanging items and their phone charger. Consider these essentials:

1. Two bedside tables, or at minimum one on the side nearest the power point.
2. A compact tallboy with four to five drawers, which holds more than a wide chest in a smaller footprint.
3. A few empty hooks on the back of the door and an empty shelf or drawer, so visitors can unpack if they choose.
4. A luggage rack or bench at the foot of the bed.

Small touches that make the difference

Provide two pillow firmness options, a spare blanket for cooler nights, and a lamp with a warm bulb on each side. Block out light with lined curtains or blinds; Sydney summer mornings start early, and guests will appreciate being able to sleep in. A small mirror, a glass of water and a note with the Wi-Fi password go further than expensive decor.

Buy as a suite or piece by piece?

For a spare room, a complete bedroom suite is often the easiest solution because the bed, bedsides and tallboy are designed to match and arrive together. Our bedroom furniture collection includes suites in black oak, grey and gold finishes that work well in guest rooms because they are neutral and hard-wearing. If you prefer to build up gradually, begin with the bed and mattress and add storage later.

See it in person

Mattress firmness and timber finishes are always easier to judge in person. Visit our Lidcombe or Marsden Park showrooms to lie on a few mattresses, compare finishes and talk through the right layout for your spare room. Our team can help you match a bed, mattress and rug to your budget and floor plan.