This post is sponsored by Pier 1. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that support Something Pretty!

One of the biggest reasons we bought our house last year was so that we could have a guest room. Since both of our families live in different states, having a place where we can host them comfortably has been a huge blessing. When no one is visiting, though, the room doubles as Dave’s office and tends to become a catch-all for random things we don’t want out in our living room–something we’re trying to be better about. Have you ever heard the advice about always keeping your home within fifteen minutes of being guest-ready? To help motivate us to do just that, I was so thrilled to partner with Pier 1 Imports to make some festive updates to this room that I hope will make guests feel welcome. When I was trying to decide what to pick up, here are the five things I came up with that would be helpful to have on hand for guests during the holiday season!

1. Cozy bedding: The most important part of a guest room is naturally the bed, so make sure yours is extra comfortable! Instead of investing in a top-of-the-line mattress for our guest bed, we opted for a basic model and added a down topper to it–a little more budget-friendly and versatile. I can’t get enough of velvet right now, especially for the holidays, so I scooped up two Pier 1 Imports Plush Pillows to adorn the bed that feel just like velvet…plus a Beaded White Poinsettia pillow for some sparkle! Finally, I think any guest would love cuddling up in this faux fur throw that adds some great texture to the room. I’ll admit: I’ve been stealing it almost every night for watching Christmas movies in the living room!

2. A seasonal candle: Especially in the fall and winter, lighting candles makes everything instantly cozy. This vanilla bourbon one smells heavenly. Don’t forget to put out a matchbox too! Another thing I like to include on the nightstand is a few coffee table books or magazines I think our guests would enjoy flipping through before bed. For example, I’ll often put a few recent copies of Southern Living or Garden and Gun out when my in-laws visit from New York so they can catch up on Southern culture and recipes…it may or may not also be a sneaky way to try to convince them to move closer to us ;)

3. A water carafe and glasses: I find that whenever I travel, I totally fall out of my good water drinking habits and end up with terrible headaches at the end of the day. Don’t let that happen to your guests! Setting out a carafe and a few glasses is a lovely way to anticipate needs and make them feel taken care of. I love this chalk note carafe that’s perfect for writing down a sweet message…or your wifi password! (P.S. My drinking glasses are the Pier 1 Imports Impressions Juice Glasses.)

4. A festive touch: The guest room didn’t originally cross my mind when I set out to decorate for Christmas, but if we were hosting overnight visitors, adding just a few touches of holiday decor to the place they’d be staying would be so special. I thought this faux red peony and poinsettia floral arrangement was darling–I was impressed by the quality and know we’ll always be able to find a good place for it in our home in December, visitors or not!

5. A handy tray: I have white lacquer trays all over my house, but since the bedding in our guest room is white, I wanted to find something that would pop. I don’t usually gravitate toward farmhouse style pieces, but thanks to the clean lines of this silver metal tray, I think it works in our more classic home. The handles make it so easy to tote from room to room.

Working on getting this room Christmas-ready inspired me to add more festive details to every bedroom (Charlie’s included!), and I must say, our house has never felt happier!

Are you hosting guests this holiday season? How do you make them feel at home and welcome? All of the products I mentioned and so much more are available on Pier1.com and at your local Pier 1 Imports store!