It's the week before the holidays and the guest room is working overtime. Rolls of wrapping paper. A stack of shipping boxes. Half your decorations, waiting for a better home. Somewhere under all of it is a bed that someone you love is about to sleep in.
And that's when the room is just a guest room. If it's also the home office, the craft room, the workout corner, or the place the kids' toys ended up, the pile gets bigger. Most of us don't have a room that sits empty waiting for company. We have rooms with day jobs.
Then there's the opposite problem: the guest room you never go in. The door stays closed for months, so every time company is coming, it's a mystery. Did the pets get in here at some point? Have the kids been in here? You haven't opened the closet since the last visit, and you're not sure what you're walking into. That kind of not-knowing is its own stress, and it's a big reason a guest room can feel unready even after you've "prepped" it.
Then there's the other half of the picture. Your guests are coming a long way. Maybe they're winding up the mountains after hours on the road. Maybe they're landing at AVL after a late flight. Either way, they walk in tired, and what they want most is a place to put their bag, hang a coat, and fall into a real bed. Nothing fancy. Just a room that feels ready for them.
So we'll start with quick fixes that work in any guest room. Then we'll look at rooms that pull double duty, and how a Murphy bed can turn one wall into both a hardworking space and a genuinely comfortable place to sleep.
3 Easy Holiday Guest Room Storage Ideas
What to Do Before Guests Arrive (Any Room, Any Setup)
This is your before-guests-arrive list, and it works in any room that will double as a guest room: the spare bedroom, the home office, the craft room, the playroom, the den. It also works for dedicated guest rooms, regardless of the size! Whatever the space does the rest of the year, start about a week out. By the time your guests walk in, the room should feel ready instead of borrowed.
1. Give Your Guests Real Space
Clear about half the closet rod and one or two dresser drawers. That's it. It tells your guests they're staying, not just passing through. No closet in the room? A rolling garment rack or a few sturdy hooks can do the same job.
Then find the suitcase a spot. A luggage rack, a bench at the foot of the bed, or a clear stretch of wall will do. If someone just flew into AVL with one big bag, they'll want somewhere to open it up and live out of it for a few days, without it taking over the walkway.
2. Hide the Holiday Overflow
Gift wrap, shipping boxes, decorations, and any gifts you haven't wrapped yet belong somewhere else, and getting them out first makes every other step easier. Not the guest closet. That's where your visitors need hanging space, and it's also where curious little ones tend to find things.
Pick one closed spot elsewhere in the house, like a hall closet, a garage shelf, or a corner of your own room. Use labeled bins so the wrap has a real home and doesn't wander back in. Under-bed bins and a storage bench can also hold your own things out of sight, as long as they stay closed.
3. Leave (At Least) One Surface Clear
Keep at least one flat surface, like a dresser top, a nightstand, or a bench, completely empty. It’s where your guests will set down a watch, a book, or a bag while they unpack. If every surface is already full of your things, theirs end up on the floor or the bed. A clear surface makes a room feel ready without adding anything.
Multifunctional Guest Room Ideas for a Room With a Day Job
Here's a simple way to think about any room that does more than one thing: your things, their things, and closed storage.
Your things (the laptop, the craft supplies, the exercise gear) get a closed home you can reach in a minute. Their things get the closet rod, a drawer, and a clear surface. Everything else goes behind doors. If the room can flip between those modes quickly, you're set.
The Home Office That Becomes a Guest Room
The desk is the tricky part. Before guests arrive, clear the surface, put loose paper into a lidded bin or file box, and bundle the cords so nothing's dangling by the bed. If you want a more permanent answer, a custom home office can bring the desk, the storage, and the bed into one wall.
The Craft Room, Workout Room, or Hobby Room That Does Double Duty
Same idea, different gear. Sewing machines, yoga mats, and bike trainers don't need to leave the house. They just need a place to go. Lidded bins, a rolling cart that tucks into the closet, and a clear walkway turn the room into something that resets in an afternoon.
The Playroom That Moonlights as a Guest Room
Playrooms can make surprisingly good guest rooms. They usually have the floor space, and once the toys have a closed home (a cabinet, lidded bins, a low shelf with doors), the chaos disappears. Let the kids choose a few favorites to keep out. Everything else goes away, and your guests get a room without a Lego landmine in the middle of the night.
The Den (or Basement) With a Pullout Couch and Big Hosting Energy
A pullout bed works well for a night or two. Give it a basket of pillows and blankets, a spot for the suitcase, and somewhere to hang a coat. If guests stay longer or visit often, this is the room where upgrading the sleep setup starts to pay off.
The Guest Room You Never Go In
A closed door collects things. A laundry basket here, a bag of donations there, a few kid toys that wandered in, and the room quietly turns into storage for the whole house. Add pets that may have claimed the bed and stale air from sitting shut, and it's no wonder you'd rather not open the door.
Do a quick walk-through before you start cleaning:
Open a window or run a fan to air the room out.
Look for pet hair, stray toys, and anything that wandered in and never left.
Check the closet and under the bed, so there are no surprises later.
Wash the bedding, even if it looked clean when you put it away, and smell-test the mattress cover and pillows.
Make sure the lamps work and a few outlets are free.
After the above is done, put away what doesn't belong. The result? You only have to stage the room once. And we mean really once.
Small Guest Room Storage Ideas That Don’t Crowd the Floor
For some homes, the guest room is a separate, dedicated space… but it’s a small one. When the room is tight, go up and onto the walls:
Wall hooks near the door. Perfect for coats, bags, and a robe, especially when everyone's coming in out of the cold.
Slim wall shelves. A spot for a book, a phone, and a glass of water, without adding furniture.
A nightstand with a drawer. One piece, two jobs.
A bench or ottoman with storage. Extra blankets and pillows, tucked away.
Why a Murphy Bed Is the Holiday Guest Room Move
When a room has to be a lot of things, the Murphy bed pulls it all together. Fold it up and you get custom cabinetry and shelves that keep everything tucked away. Fold it down and you have a real bed, not a compromise. With tons of finishes, from modern to rustic, it looks like part of your home, not an add-on.
It's also a smart fix for the guest room that never feels ready. When the bed and the storage are built into one wall, everything lives behind closed doors, so there's less sitting out in the open to wonder about and less to restage after the first clean-up. Open the cabinet, fold the bed down, and the room is ready for company.
One Wall, Two Jobs
Our five Murphy bed models each solve a different problem:
The Madison: a bookcase by day and a bed by night, with doors that swing or bi-fold open. Great for a room that doubles as a reading nook.
The Jefferson: bookcases glide apart to reveal the bed, with space for books and display built right in.
The Metropolitan: a clean panel bed with no extra doors. It works on its own or paired with custom cabinetry on the side for more storage.
The Cosmopolitan: a horizontal design built for low ceilings and narrow spaces.
The Manhattan: inset doors, hidden storage, and built-in nightstands that pull out, so guests have what they need within reach.
You can explore all five on our Murphy beds page. Pair a Murphy bed with custom built-ins and one wall can hold a desk, shelves, cabinets, and the guest bed.
Comfort Your Guests Will Notice
A guest who's been traveling all day deserves a good night's sleep. Our Murphy beds use mattresses made for vertical storage, in Twin, XL Twin, Full, Queen, and King on select models. You choose the comfort level, from firm support to a plush euro-top.
Raising and lowering it is easy, too. The counterbalanced, spring-loaded mechanism does the heavy lifting, so switching the room from office to guest room isn't a project.
Built Locally, Made for Your Room
You'll work one-on-one with an interior designer who learns how you live, then guides you through layouts, finishes, and features. Your Murphy bed is built at our local manufacturing facility and installed by our team so it fits and works from day one. If you ever need parts, repairs, or a move, there are request forms on our website for that too.
When Storage Ideas Aren’t Enough
Sometimes you do all of it and the multifunctional room still can't flip without moving half the household. That's not a you problem. It's a sign the room needs a system, not another bin. The same goes for the guest room you avoid until company is on the way. If opening the door makes you nervous, the room needs a system, not a bigger cleaning day.
A custom closet gives guests a place to hang things and gives you a place to put the rest. Built-ins turn a wall into storage that works every day of the year. And a Murphy bed lets one room be an office, a craft space, or a playroom until the moment someone needs to sleep there.
Let More Space Place Help You Get Your Guest Room Ready
A guest room that's lived in well is ready for company and comfortable the rest of the year. At More Space Place Asheville, we design every room around how you actually use it, so when the car pulls in (or the flight lands), yours is ready. Stop by our showroom at 1025 Brevard Road, Suite 7, or get in touch to start planning.
Asheville Guest Room Storage FAQs
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Possibly! Our design and installation schedules are constantly evolving, and availability can vary depending on your project and timing. If you're hoping to have a Murphy bed installed before holiday guests arrive, we encourage you to reach out! Our team would be happy to discuss your needs, review our current availability, and help determine what's possible. And if the timing doesn't line up for this season, we can definitely get you set up with a Murphy bed for the next.
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All of our beds use a counterbalanced, spring-loaded mechanism designed to raise and lower with ease. Your designer will walk you through how yours works, so you can show guests in a minute.
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We have a Murphy bed move request form on our website for exactly this. We can help move it with you to your next home. If you're moving cities or states away, we may be able to help you find another More Space Place franchise to assist with the move.
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Our Murphy beds can actually be stored upright in the cabinet completely made (as long as the comforter isn't too bulky) with just the pillows removed. Our recommendation would be to clean the sheets and comforter, remake, and store the bed until next time. When your next guest arrives, you know the bedding is already clean and ready.
The only thing left is pillows and extra, cozy blankets. If you opted for a Murphy bed with cabinetry and built-ins alongside it, you can tuck your pillows and extra blankets right into those cabinets. If not, no worries! A simple storage bin nearby is an easy place to stash everything when it's time to fold the bed away.
If you don’t have a Murphy bed, wash and fully dry everything first. Then keep it in a closed bin or a breathable bag on a closet shelf or in a hall closet, so it's ready when you are. Vacuum-seal bags can shrink bulky blankets if space is tight.
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Start with clean, completely dry items, and keep them in closed containers. Skip storing clothes you don't wear in the guest closet, since they tend to hold onto odors. If you can, open a window or run a fan for a bit on dry days to let the room breathe.