When you have 5 people sleeping over this Christmas + only one bed... oops! The race is on!

Sometimes I walk into the only bedroom in the house we've decorated so far and love how calm it feels. Other days I feel anxiety at how unstyled and unfinished it is. There's nothing on the walls yet, no accent colours in the room, it's a bit of a blank canvas.

Then I look into the room beside it and count my blessings it's not quite as soulless and junk filled!

Other renovators might be in the same boat as me – finished or not finished, the fact of the matter is that in a few weeks time when Christmas is upon us, the house will be full with family all needing a bed to rest their heads. As the title bares all, yes, I have 5 people to put up this year and only one double bed in the house... woopsy.

But Fifi always has a plan ...when she needs one that is ;)

Stating the obvious here but there is absolutely not a hope in hell I'll be able to decorate this empty, wallpaper filled, scabby second bedroom that's currently a home for junk before Christmas Eve. Even if I was a decorating superwoman who had all the money and time in the world, I would rather decorate the room slowly than speed through it and regret it later. 

So here's what I need to do

I need all 5 people (including me) on Christmas Day to have a bed, somewhere they can be happy and comfortable, which means at least a mattress to sleep on, some nice fluffy pillows and blankets, a lamp for cosiness and some curtains for privacy. 

And I need to make this happen super fast.

*insert grimacing face emoji here*

The bedroom we've finished painting can take 2 people so that's no problemo.  

1 person can also take our Chesterfield sofa bed (thank God we have it!) so that leaves 2 more people to sleep in our currently junk-filled master bedroom with no bed... hmmm. 

 A little bit of forward thinking has been required to make plans for this room.

Me and Neil know we need to buy a new bed frame, mattress and furniture for this bedroom later down the line anyway, we just hadn't decided what size bed we can fit in the room yet. But we did just decide that to make Christmas a whole lot more comfortable, we need to measure up and agree on a bed size for the room and get only a mattress (not the frame) right now instead of later. 

Apart from the extra expense it would entail, I really don't want to buy the bed frame before deciding colours of the room, so a new mattress is the only way to go. I can lie it on the floor with a rug, it'll be fine. I hope. 

We've already started looking at reviews online (deadline fast approaching an' all!) and think we're going to opt for a memory foam mattress again, the same as the mattress we sleep on currently, just because we get such a good night's sleep on it and I like how you can't feel the other person tossing and turning during the night as you would with a sprung mattress.

Memory foam it is. 

Size wise was a little trickier to agree on. The room it will live in is a standard size semi-detached master bedroom which will eventually have built in wardrobes in each of the alcoves, and I like the idea of reinstating the fireplace in here. If my vague plans go ahead that doesn't leave a lot of "walk around" room surrounding the bed, which we really need to take into account before we buy anything. 

I was all for having a double bed in here, it's a safer bet size-wise, all of our mounds of bed sheets would fit it perfectly and we'd get more space for bedside tables either side.... 

But typically, as anyone decorating with their other half will understand, Neil wants a Kingsize bed for more room when we sleep. 

I let him win just this once...

...only because I measured up after our chat and I reckon it's just about do-able to have a kingsize mattress and bed frame/headboard in here.

But we'll see!! ;)

So it's a king size memory foam mattress we're on the market for, delivered preferably before Christmas. I started looking around at reviews last week and began worrying in case sites couldn't deliver in time, but luckily came across places like Mattressman who offer free next working day delivery in the next few weeks.

So plan is sorted. Once we've decided on which brand of mattress we want, I'll get it delivered and then the race will be on to get this junk room looking habitable. As soon as I get a the mattress on the ground, I can try style it up to be one of those low down Scandi looking beds and pray it won't send my family running a mile!

A side table, a lamp, some curtains hung, and hey presto... family of 5 all happy as larry waiting for Santa to fill the stockings at Christmas.

Wish me luck!

Fifi xx

PS Are you renovating at the mo? Do you have lots of family staying this Christmas and find yourself worrying about how you'll put everyone up? I'd love to hear your workarounds. 

Collaborative post. All words and story is my own (I wish it wasn't).