There is no better way to welcome a special guest into your home than with a comfortable guest room.

Whether that is an actual room designated for that purpose or a multipurpose area that doubles as guest central, one of the most important pieces is the bed!

A sleeper sofa is one way to create guest space without losing an entire room and believe me these work horses have come a long way over the past 5 years. One of the most innovative designs on the market today is the American Leather sleeper. No more uncomfortable bars waking you up in the middle of the night or springs poking through the covers. Their state-of-the-art sleepers don’t use a bar and rail system and have a high-density foam (think temper pedic) mattress. Other companies are including air mattress technology in addition to the standard sleeper mattress and gel toppers to create an inviting nights sleep.

Be sure that you get the right size sleeper (sleepers can go from a twin up to queen plus and king). Be aware of what you put in front of the sofa; you don’t want to have to move a large coffee table or overstuffed chair every time you need the sleeper. Try using a console table behind the sofa and end tables on either side to keep the area in front clear.

You will want to sit on any sleeper sofa while it is in the folded position since most of the time you will be using it as a sofa. Make sure the cushions are comfortable and can support the weight of whoever will be using it.

Now that the bed is covered here are some other “nice to have options” for your guests:

• Black out curtains to keep that Sunrise from waking them
• A night stand and a small LED light for late night reading
• A luggage rack or empty dresser so guests can stow away their gear
• An alarm clock (unless you want to be responsible!) and a cell phone charger
• A hair dryer and sample size toiletries are a nice touch in the bathroom

Now that you have the room all together it’s time to roll out the Welcome mat!