Before the hoards descend on you for the festive season put a few strategies in place to cope with all those extra guests. Click through our gallery to find out how a little careful planning now will help you and your home shine this Christmas.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

Now is the time to brighten up a dull front door with a lick of glossy paint; or accessorise with a decorative wreath. Make sure you have decent lighting to guide evening carol singers up the path. Solar powered garden lights are easy to intall, you just push them into the ground - there's a good selection at Homebase. Finally, sweep up leaves which can be slippery when wet.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

The hallway and stairs can easily become a dumping ground for damp coats and outdoor shoes. Keep this area clutter free by providing coat hooks and a shoe rack. The Cotswold Company, has a selection of attractive hall furniture including a neat shoe console which doubles as a hall bench. Now is the time to replace a worn doormat. Not only will it look welcoming, but it will help to protect your carpets throughout the house from dirty footprints.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

Welcome your guests into a beautifully presented living room. Soft throws and pretty cushions will give your sofa an instant update, while bean bags are great portable seating for younger visitors. Investing in coffee tables will provide you with plenty of surfaces for cups of tea or glasses of champagne and if you scatter a few coasters around you won't have to worry about spills and ring marks. Dwell has a great selection of contemporary occasional tables.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

When it comes to keeping the house tidy live by the maxim 'Out of sight out of mind'. Pile newspapers, DVDs, games and toys into attractive woven baskets to keep the living room clutter free. Oka has a collection of woven rattan baskets that provide flexible storage plus sturdy wooden trunks that double as side tables. 

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

Folding chairs are a space saving option that can be tucked away until you need them on Christmas Day. Boxed sets of plain cutlery, glass and china save you having to wash up halfway through the meal. And festive paper napkins and table cloth are fun and are simply thrown away after use. Try Ikea for a wide range of inexpensive solutions.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

No matter what the weather is like outside, candlelight will bring a warm glow to your home. Place tall tapered candles on the dining table, put tealights in coloured holders on the mantlepiece and shelves or arrange church candles in the hearth. The interior design rule is that odd numbers look better than even, so for best results arrange candles in groups of three or five and make sure you have a replacement stock for when they burn out. Choose non-drip candles so that you don't have to clean up spilt wax and introduce a spice scented option to add to the festive atmosphere.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

Prepare in advance for overnight guests. A large box that slides under the bed is a great place to store the clutter that can accumulate in the spare room. Provide a couple of hangers where guests can hang their clothes and place a soft towel, and petty guest soap on the duvet. To make guests feel really welcome perhaps leave a Christmas chocolate on the duvet, then close the door to protect your arrangements from children and pets! Leaving a magazine and carafe of water on the bedside table is a thoughtful touch.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

If you need an extra bed, inflatable mattresses are an option. The latest self-inflating design from AeroBed features a built in headboard (left), to give guests the ultimate in comfort and style. Simply plug in the pump to inflate the bed in seconds and then after use it rolls up into a compact canvas bag. Platinum Raised double bed with headboard, £295, www.areobed.co.uk. If you are expecting a stream of visitors between Christmas and New Year it might be worth investing in easy care bed linen. The White Company has an easy-care range that will reduce your workload.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

Thoroughly clean the bathroom before overnight guests arrive. Discard almost empty bottles of toiletries (you are bound to get new for Christmas) and tidy all remaining lotions and potions away. If you've run out of storage space a mobile bathroom cabinet on wheels is useful - this one from Argos is handy slimline one. When the room is gleaming and clutter-free put out a fresh bar of soap, towels, shower gel and shampoo. For the perfect finish choose colour co-ordinated products. And don't forget to buy in a good supply of loo roll.

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Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide

Check your supplies of essential cleaning products and make sure you have sufficient washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, soap powder and carpet shampoo to see you through. Allocate specific responsibilities - such as loading the dishwasher, vacuuming the carpet, sorting the laundry - to different members of the family so that you don't end up doing everything yourself. And most importantly, have a wonderful Christmas!

Look here too...

Christmas home ideas: pile on the style

Gifts for the homelover

Online Christmas gift guide