Straight-A Design Ideas

9 smart and stylish
ways to make over your child’s study space.

By Lara Fishman

Learning is a kid’s most important job, and the right environment can help children make the most of their study time. Everyone is different, but given consistent encouragement and a great place to grow their skills, even a wild child can cultivate good study habits.

1. Allocate a special place:
To provide the best study area possible, separate play space from study space by positioning the desk in an area of the room that is dedicated to quiet reading or study times only. This can be achieved by keeping toys and other distractions stored away and by surrounding the study area with bookshelves and office supplies. Children now have a visual allocation of space that matches their focus on the given task at hand.

Looking for a desk? Here’s one to grow on: IKEA’s Vika Byske tabletops, with adjustable legs ($69.99, IKEA West Sacramento), let you adjust the tabletop’s height, so it grows with kids. The wall-mount and single leg design also maintain a sense of spaciousness, even in tight quarters.

2. Choose wisely:
You want your child to feel like their study space is a sanctuary, not a prison. Place their desk within view of a window, but not directly in front of it, so they can feel connected to the outside world, but not distracted by it. This allows sunlight in, brightening the space and saving energy while also offering their eyes a much-needed break.

3. Remove all distractions:
In order to achieve the most efficient study time, clean the room and remove all clutter, toys and electronic games. This can be done by providing fun, colorful boxes or shelves and organizing them in the play portion of the room.

Pottery Barn Kids’ Storage Cube Seats feature an inside compartment for storing toys and games, with a padded top lid that's strong enough for an adult to sit on. A quick, cute way to clear clutter, these seats easily tuck under play tables or desks to create extra floor space, and the sturdy, colorful cotton is a great fabric for kids’ furniture. ($49, Pottery Barn Kids at the Roseville Galleria or Arden Fair)

4. Make it theirs:
Provide furniture that is fun and just the right size for your child. That way, your child will know that this space is made just for him. Older kids can play a bigger role in the creative process (choosing colors, arranging furniture, etc.).

5. Help them get organized:
Clear the desk of all clutter. During homework and study time, children may need paper, post-its, highlighters, scissors, pens and pencils, staplers and other office supplies. Provide pencil holders, desk drawers and other organizational units, and allow kids to arrange their study areas as they please. They will know exactly where they placed each item and will have immediate access to them during study times.

6. Think out loud:
To organize little messages, assignments, notes and even thoughts, cork boards and chalkboards are a fun way for children to be creative and let their minds flow. Paint a corner with blackboard paint and give them a space where drawing on the wall is encouraged! They will learn to express themselves through brainstorming and form basic organizational habits.

7. Light the way:
Have you ever stared at a book, or in the case of this generation, a computer screen, for too long and gotten a headache? It is crucial to protect children’s eyesight. Provide good task lamps that offer plenty of desk lighting, yet are soft enough to prevent glare.

Some great lighting options for kids’ rooms are pivotal architectural task lamps (some can clip to side of desk) and floor lamps that can cantilever over desk space, like the arc lamp. Wall sconces offer even light distribution and prevent shadowing effects. If you have recessed overhead lights, place them on dimmers. Having lamps on three-way switches is also helpful, so the amount of light output can be modified, depending on the time of day. Wall-mounted library lamps also work great to accent and highlight cork or chalk boards from above.

8. Offer a change of space:
Not all study time involves sitting at a desk and hunching over math problems. At times, children need a change of space to refresh their minds. A big, comfortable lounge chair is a perfect place for children to sink their minds (and bodies) into the exciting world of literature. Whether you’re shopping, swapping or going the DIY route by upholstering a desk chair or lounge chair, there are tons of fun options for kids’ seating. Fabrics should be almost wearable: think textured, soft and washable.

Create an instant reading nook with a kid-sized bookshelf like KidKraft’s Sling Bookshelf available at Goore’s in Sacramento ($59.99). Let it double as a divider, and this neat solution puts books in easy reach while placing toys and other distractions out of sight (and out of mind).

9. Try a new hue:
A fresh coat of paint is always a dramatic, inexpensive way to transform a room, but since typical paints can off-gas—and stink!—for quite some time, it’s important to pick a paint that is non-toxic. According to Josh Daniels, owner of Green Sacramento in Midtown, “A lot of paints are low-VOC, but that doesn’t mean they’re non-toxic.” (VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, can trigger asthma attacks, irritate eyes and respiratory tracts and cause nausea and headaches – not the ideal atmosphere for studying.) Green Sacramento offers two brands of zero-VOC, non-toxic paints (YOLO Colorhouse and AFM Safecoat) in a wide range of colors, making your only concern which hue to select.

It’s scientifically proven that certain colors evoke particular emotions in people. Selecting the best color for your child’s study space is purely subjective, but consider these factors: Is your child more on the calm or active side? Is your student prone to daydreaming or distraction?

To create a mellow ambience, butters and paler tones of blue-greens are best. Vibrant color tends to excite, and children should feel relaxed in order to best imbibe new information. For a more neutral background, warm tones like greige (grey-ish beige) and mushroom are reasonable choices. If you’re selecting wallpaper, consider something organic in nature, like a grasscloth to create a cocoon-like atmosphere. You might consider highlighting the study wall where the desk is placed with this subtle wallpaper.

Kids are experts at inventing ways to distract themselves or put off doing homework, but creating a clear, quiet, well-lit study space, and establishing a regular, scheduled time for studying, helps create a foundation for good study habits that could mean success for years to come.

Lara Fishman is the driving force behind Designers Call, a decorating service dedicated to bringing high-end, high-value, totally convenient interior design to those who thought they couldn’t spare the time or cost for a home makeover.