Getting Ready for Overnight Guests By Elizabeth Schatz Passarella

Create a Guest Room Alternative

Don't have a spare bedroom? Invest in an inflatable air mattress. Look for models with thicker padded tops (like the AeroBed Premier Pillowtop, $140 for full, thinkaero.com), or cover the bed with a mattress pad to provide a layer of cushioning and protect from punctures.

For an even simpler solution, get a feather bed (like the Pacific Coast Baffle Box Feather Bed, $140 for full, pacificcoast.com). "It can be rolled up tight for easy storage, and the extra layer of cushioning makes the couch―or the floor―that much more comfortable," says Meryl Starr, author of The Home Organizing Workbook: Clearing Your Clutter, Step by Step ($25, amazon.com).

You can also store a spare mattress under your bed (if space allows) and slide it out when guests arrive.