Ideal Home Show finds British homes bursting this Christmas.

Over one million Brits will snuggle up under the Christmas tree this year as homes are packed full of Yuletide guests, according to research released today from the Ideal Home Show. The influx of Christmas visitors is putting bed space at a premium this festive season and 5.4 million people (9%) will find themselves bedding down in alternative spaces around the house this Christmas eve, with 1.1 million (21%) finding themselves on the floor in the living room with the tree.

Many Brits will also find themselves in the conservatory (12%), dining room (8%) and even the hall way (3%). An unfortunate 1% of people will even find themselves hanging up their stockings in the bathroom or the garage!

The Ideal Home Show, which unveils a multi-million pound ‘Dream Home & Guest House’ at its centenary celebration in March, also found that the Christmas dinner table is over-flowing with Christmas cheer too. Nearly a quarter of Brits (23%) will eat their turkey from make-shift seats ranging from piano stools, garden chairs, Swiss balls, toy boxes and even laundry baskets. A further 12% will eat Christmas dinner off their laps due to lack of space at the table.

Maxine Soghmanian, Ideal Home Show said, “It’s great to see people mucking in at Christmas. Sleeping in the lounge and sitting on a bathroom stool at the Christmas table is all part of the fun.

“In March, The Ideal Home Show is showcasing a celebrity-style dream home complete with guest house to show how the other half live, but there are also hundreds of affordable ideas too!”

The top culprits for stealing the more desirable beds are grand parents (23%), but other offenders include aunties, uncles, cousins and family friends. And it is the younger members of the family who are most likely to get booted out of their beds, with most people finding themselves on the floor this Christmas being under 30 years old.

The six top alternatives to beds are sofa beds (12%), inflatable mattresses (8%), sofa cushions on the floor (5%), camping mats (4%), sun loungers (1%) and even lilos (1%).

The Dream Home and Guest House at the Ideal Home Show will be a stunning example of how the other half live. Measuring 5.5 thousand feet and costing over £6 million if it were built for real, the contemporary mansion will display the kind of luxury most of us can only dream of. It will include a separate guest wing called “The Lodge House” and offer ideas and inspiration on how to become the ‘hostess with the mostest’ and make your guests feel like royalty.

The house will also include a cinema room with the world’s largest plasma television, a Panasonic measuring 103 inches and retailing at £56,000. A games and music room will home a state of the art American pool table and range of musical instruments, a library will display thousands of books, a vast kitchen boasts an open plan family room, and all bedrooms have their own ensuites and dressing rooms.

Although the house is on one storey, the ceilings vary in height up to 18 feet and are designed to create a feeling of movement throughout the property. The house will be styled by experienced designer and stylist, Ann Broad, who has worked as a style consultant on TV and radio.

The centenary Ideal Home Show opens to the public on 14 March 2008 and runs until 6 April at London’s Earls Court.