Few things bring as much joy and memorable experiences as close friends and family visiting for the holidays. So why not make their stay extra special by carving out a special space to talk or for them just to enjoy some alone time.

Alone. For a nice quiet space, start with a comfortable armchair—the kind you can either spend an hour reading in or taking a much-needed nap in. Accompany it with a bright lamp, a solid end table big enough for a book and a cup of coffee and maybe an ottoman. Make it a space anyone can go to for some nice, quiet time where they won’t be disturbed, whether it’s in the corner of a living room, a home office or in the guest bedroom.

If you really want to lend peace and quiet to the space, add a bookshelf with a variety of fiction and nonfiction, magazines and maybe even an old atlas or two—books that beg to be pored over at length. 

Together. Then again, if you want a guest space that welcomes multiple people in, pull together a sofa and loveseat or a loveseat and two or three armchairs, with enough end space for everyone to set a cup of something and just relax. Conversation makes the hours go by so well, and having a spot that encourages it makes guest spaces all the better. 

So go on, make the effort to create spaces for guests to reflect and recollect all that makes your friendships special. None of it will be wasted effort.