Smart Homework Station Design Ideas For the School Year

Share Share this post
The school year is in full swing, and if you don’t already have a homework station set up for your child, now might be a great time. The school year is sure to provide plenty of opportunity for homework and school projects.
Traditional Home Office by Fort Collins Building Designers and Drafters Rentfrow Design, LLC
Traditional Home Office by Fort Collins Building Designers and Drafters Rentfrow Design, LLC

Homework stations, no matter how big or small, provide many benefits including helping to establish a homework routine, setting up an organized area with all the supplies your child might need, enforcing quiet time in designated homework area, and creating good study habits that will come in handy long term. Just like you have spaces for dining and watching television, your child can benefit from having a dedicated space for completing their homework.

Even if you can’t create a dedicated room for homework, you can probably find some existing space to set up a homework station, with a few minor changes and a little creativity. For example, you can create a workstation underneath a child’s bunk bed.

If you have an extra closet in your child’s room you can easily update it, and design it to be out of site, when not in use, like this Minneapolis home. You could also add a space at the top of the stairs, a large hallway, or underneath the stairs (where space is so often underutilized).

Office Nook Examples With Wide Plank Flooring
Right: Traditional Bedroom by New Lisbon Media & Bloggers iheartorganizing. Left: Contemporary Staircase by Eagle Home Builders CHC Mountain Structures
Contemporary Home Office by Dc Metro Interior Designers & Decorators Residents Understood
Contemporary Home Office by Dc Metro Interior Designers & Decorators Residents Understood

When you are decorating the space, opt for function over flare, while still keeping the space warm, comfortable, and inspiring. If you have wood floors, it might be a good idea to lay down a protective floor mat under the chairs, or a decorative accent rug to cut down on noise and echoes.  Choose designs simple, and soft neutral colors that are calming and relaxing.  Wild designs and patterns can be distracting.

No matter how much space you have available for a homework nook, incorporate storage and organization elements. A custom cabinet maker can build something to suit your needs, if you are building a new space, but if you are working with existing space it is easy to add bookshelves, cubbies and easy access storage containers. It is so easy to pick up these items from box stores like Ikea or Target to easily create a homework space. Keep a file box on hand to store completed homework, as your child moves into Junior and High School, they can keep this organized my subject, which will help with quiz and test preparation.

Bigger doesn’t always mean better if the space is set up property. This homework station is small, but it has plenty of storage and easy access to all the essentials. You want to keep supplies like pens, pencils, paper, scissors, coloring supplies and other essentials close at hand.

Two examples of Farmhouse Kids by Brooklyn Photographers Corynne Pless

The size of the desk or table you use for homework space does matter; a work surface 28” high is a great place to start, even for younger students because it is something they can grow into, even up to their college years. And make sure the space is large enough for your child to actually work. If necessary, you can even incorporate an adjustable or rolling desk that would give your child extra space. Even grade school students are using computers for homework assignments today. Make sure your space can accommodate a computer or charger for laptops or Ipads or other tablets. But also make sure you can minimize access to this if it’s a distraction or if your child doesn’t need it for a particular assignment.

Contemporary Home Office by Birmingham Interior Designers & Decorators Jeffrey King Interiors
Contemporary Home Office by Birmingham Interior Designers & Decorators Jeffrey King Interiors

As you are setting up a homework space, think about how the design impacts the function. For example, in a recent interview for House Beautiful Roberto Gil, of Casa Kids, recommends a mechanism to keep cords from computers, lights and chargers organized and get the space functional and less cluttered.

You also want to make sure the space has ample lighting, and access to natural lighting, whenever possible. Overhead and task lighting is ideal, so no matter what time of day it is, your child can comfortably work in the space.

As you go through the process of setting up a homework station, keep these tips in mind too:

  1. Remove distractions
  2. Keep it separate from television areas
  3. Set up a recycling bin for all the excess paper
  4. Create an art gallery for smaller children, so they can display their work
  5. Keep plenty of toner on hand
  6. Make sure chairs are comfortable
  7. Establish a daily clean up routine
  8. Position desks and chairs so a child doesn’t have their back to everything

 – – – – – –

Share Share this post

Back to Blog

Ash Wide Plank Floor
Get Inspired

From luxury homes to commercial interiors, browse an extensive collection of the wide plank flooring that we have designed and crafted for clients all over the world. Find inspiration then save it to your own personal library of images to share for further design exploration and planning.

View Inspiration Gallery