The spare bedroom is often the last room to be finished in a UK home. It becomes a place for the ironing pile, the exercise bike nobody uses and a mattress that has been demoted from the main room. Yet this is also the room your guests judge you on, and the one you retreat to when you need a quiet night. A well chosen double bed can turn a neglected box room into a space that feels considered and calm.<\/p>\n
A double frame suits most UK spare rooms because it offers a genuine sleeping surface without dominating the floor. It works for a visiting couple, a grown up child home for the weekend or a single guest who simply likes room to stretch out. Upholstered frames bring softness to a room that can otherwise feel bare, and they help the space read as a bedroom rather than a store cupboard.<\/p>\n
A standard UK double measures roughly 135cm wide and 190cm long, and the frame itself adds a little more around the edges. In a spare room of around three metres by three metres, a double sits comfortably with space to walk on at least one side. Before you commit, mark the footprint on the floor with tape and live with it for a day. You will quickly see whether the door still opens freely and whether there is room for a bedside table.<\/p>\n
If the room is tighter, look at how the bed can share its space. A slim bedside surface, a wall light instead of a lamp and storage that sits under the frame all help. Consider low profile designs that keep the eye moving across the room rather than stopping at a tall headboard.<\/p>\n
Upholstery does quiet work in a spare room. The padded surface absorbs a little sound, softens hard corners and gives the space a finished feel that a bare metal frame cannot. A woven fabric in a mid tone hides the odd mark better than a pale gloss, which matters in a room that is not cleaned as often as the rest of the house.<\/p>\n
Neutral shades such as soft grey, warm oatmeal and stone are the easiest to live with. They sit happily against white walls and let you change the mood with a throw or a cushion rather than repainting. If you want to browse the wider range of fabric beds UK<\/a> shoppers reach for, you will notice how many of the calmest schemes start with a simple upholstered base.<\/p>\n Spare rooms tend to double as storage, so a bed that hides clutter is worth its weight. Ottoman frames lift on gas struts to reveal a large space beneath the mattress, ideal for spare duvets, seasonal bedding and suitcases. Divan style bases with drawers offer a gentler option if you would rather not lift the whole platform.<\/p>\n Pairing the bed with a slim bedside cabinets UK<\/a> option keeps essentials close without crowding the floor. A single drawer holds a phone charger, a book and the small things guests always forget to pack. When you are choosing our specific double fabric beds UK<\/a> households favour, look for ones that leave clearance for a bedside unit on at least one side.<\/p>\n A guest bed should feel generous even if the room is modest. Layer a fitted sheet, a duvet with a decent tog for the season and two or four pillows so visitors can arrange things to suit them. A folded throw across the foot of the bed adds warmth and signals that the room has been prepared with care.<\/p>\n Keep the palette simple. White or ivory bedding against a grey or oatmeal frame always looks fresh, and it photographs well if you ever let the room on a short stay basis. A textured cushion or two adds interest without turning the bed into a puzzle guests have to dismantle before sleep.<\/p>\n Because the spare room is used in bursts, it benefits from a setup that copes with both quiet weeks and busy weekends. Keep spare bedding stored inside the bed so it stays fresh and close to hand. A clear surface, a working lamp and a mirror are usually enough to make a guest feel looked after.<\/p>\n If the room also serves as a study or hobby space, choose a frame with a plain headboard so it does not fight with a desk or shelving. The bed can then recede into the scheme when it is not in use. We keep a broad selection of modern beds UK<\/a> homeowners can match to rooms that need to do more than one job.<\/p>\n When you are ready to update the whole room rather than the bed alone, it helps to shop the wider modern bedroom furniture UK<\/a> range so the pieces share a family feel. A matching chest or bedside unit ties the space together and makes even a small spare room feel intentional. For the full picture of what we offer, visit Furniture in Fashion<\/a> and see how the collection fits together.<\/p>\n A spare room mattress lives a strange life. It might go untouched for weeks, then carry guests for several nights in a row. This pattern means you do not need the most expensive mattress in the house, but you should avoid the cheapest and thinnest, since a guest who wakes with a stiff back rarely says so out loud. A medium firmness pocket sprung or good quality foam mattress suits the widest range of visitors, from a slight teenager to a larger adult.<\/p>\n Depth matters too. A mattress that is too shallow can leave an ottoman or divan base looking bare, while one that is very deep may sit awkwardly against a low headboard. Aim for a depth that keeps the top of the mattress a comfortable distance below the top of the headboard, so pillows have something to rest against. Turn or rotate the mattress every few months even in a spare room, as occasional use still creates uneven settling over time.<\/p>\n Rooms that are used infrequently can develop a slightly stale feel, and a closed up spare room is a common culprit. An upholstered bed helps here in a small way, since a slatted base allows air to move beneath the mattress rather than trapping moisture against a solid platform. Even so, it pays to open the window for a while before guests arrive and to air the bedding rather than pulling it straight from the cupboard.<\/p>\n If the room tends towards damp, avoid pushing the bed hard against an external wall, as a small gap lets air circulate behind the headboard. A quick vacuum of the frame and a light spritz of a fabric freshener keep the upholstery smelling clean between visits. These are minor habits, but they make the difference between a room that feels cared for and one that feels shut away.<\/p>\n Once the bed is chosen and dressed, a few thoughtful details turn a functional spare room into genuine hospitality. A spare blanket folded within easy reach, a carafe of water on the bedside surface and a couple of clear hooks on the back of the door all signal that the room was prepared with the guest in mind. None of these require much space or expense.<\/p>\n Lighting is easy to overlook. A guest fumbling for a switch in an unfamiliar room appreciates a bedside lamp they can reach without getting up. Keep a spare phone charger in the drawer, since it is the item visitors most often forget. These finishing touches sit comfortably alongside a well chosen upholstered bed and complete the sense that the spare room is a proper part of the home rather than an afterthought.<\/p>\n Few of us have the luxury of a room that does nothing but wait for guests, so most spare bedrooms lead a double life. They serve as a home office, a hobby room or simply a place to keep the ironing board out of sight. Choosing the right upholstered bed can help the room juggle these roles rather than being ruled by any one of them.<\/p>\n An ottoman double is especially useful here, since the storage beneath swallows the clutter that would otherwise fill the space and leaves the surfaces clear for other uses. A neat headboard that sits close to the wall keeps the footprint tidy, freeing room for a desk or a comfortable chair. With a little thought, the spare room becomes a genuinely flexible space that earns its keep every day, not just on the occasional weekend when visitors arrive.<\/p>\n Because a spare room bed is used less often, it is tempting to give little thought to the fabric, but a sensible choice still pays off. A hard wearing weave in a forgiving mid tone hides the occasional mark and copes with the varied guests a spare room sees, from visiting relatives to a friend staying over after a late evening. A stain resistant finish adds useful peace of mind.<\/p>\n Colour matters for practicality as well as looks. A soft grey or taupe stays looking fresh between visits and does not show dust as readily as a very pale or very dark fabric. Since the room may sit unused for stretches, a fabric that looks presentable with minimal upkeep is worth choosing. That way the bed is always ready to welcome a guest at short notice, without a scramble to make it look its best.<\/p>\n Is a double bed too big for a small spare room?<\/strong> Not usually. A double fits most rooms of around nine square metres with walking space on one side. Measure the floor and mark the footprint before deciding.<\/p>\n Are upholstered frames hard to keep clean in a guest room?<\/strong> A woven mid tone fabric hides light marks well. A quick vacuum with the upholstery tool and a spot clean when needed keeps the frame looking fresh between visits.<\/p>\n Which storage style suits a spare room best?<\/strong> An ottoman frame gives the largest hidden space for spare duvets and cases, while drawer bases are easier for frequent access.<\/p>\n What colour frame is easiest to live with?<\/strong> Soft grey, oatmeal and stone are the most forgiving. They sit well against white walls and let you change the look with bedding rather than paint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The spare bedroom is often the most neglected room in a UK home, yet it is the one guests remember. A well chosen upholstered double bed can turn a cluttered box room into a calm and welcoming space without taking over the floor. In this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":53587,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[2791,883,3991,1788],"class_list":["post-53586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bedroom-furniture","tag-double-beds","tag-guest-room","tag-spare-bedroom","tag-upholstered-beds"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53586\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Storage that earns its place<\/h3>\n
Dressing the bed for comfort<\/h3>\n
Making the room work all year<\/h3>\n
Choosing the right mattress for occasional use<\/h3>\n
Ventilation and keeping the room fresh<\/h3>\n
Small touches that make guests feel welcome<\/h3>\n
Making a spare room work harder<\/h3>\n
Choosing a fabric that copes with occasional guests<\/h3>\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>\n