Create a Study Space the Kids Will Love

As the kids settle back in at school, they return to doing homework. Turn the dreaded chore into a more fun and fulfilling experience by giving them the space and tools they need to succeed.

Inspire learning with an inspirational environment. This room was built by Bayless Custom Homes as a homeschool classroom. Vibrant cutouts in the ceiling, a red reading nook and multihued carpeting on the floor and bookcases give the space a whimsical feel that makes it fun to be in.

See more of this colorful house


Travel Mosquito Net, Round - $51.85 » Use unconventional materials for liveliness. Don't want to add an entire classroom to your home? Cordon off a corner of a bedroom with a mosquito net. Furnish the dedicated study nook with a colorful bookcase, a desk, bright carpet squares and pillows.

Drape the net with ribbons and holiday lights for a mood-lifting atmosphere that's easy on the wallet.


Have enough supplies to go around. Want to see a good round of sibling rivalry as the children sit down to do their homework? Didn't think so.

Prevent a family feud by making sure each child has his or her own study supplies. In the home shown here, each child is furnished with a globe, pencil bucket and basket.


Provide tools of the trade. A room fitted with a chalkboard can be a studious space as well as an artistic one. A wall-size board like this one allows older students to stand up and work out long-division math problems, then stand back to observe the results. Younger students can post and enjoy art projects.

Generous shelves on either side of the board are filled with baskets here. You can fill your own baskets with study supplies and fun rewards for when homework is done.


Bulletin boards keep students on task. An oversize board, such as this one, can be turned into a monthly calendar with twine or ribbon separating the days. Assignments, after-school practices and performances can't go unnoticed when posted on a board this size.


Organizers don't have to cost an arm and a leg. They can even be borrowed from other rooms in the house. Here the kitchen turned out a trove of desk supplies. A drying rack is used as a file folder rack and pencil holder. A pitcher holds larger tools, like scissors and rulers. Mugs and vases make great containers for pens and crayons.


Magnetic boards, like these three from Ikea, facilitate a constantly rotating art gallery. Meanwhile an art supply organizer, also from Ikea, hangs above the desk to keep paper and writing instruments tidy.


Make it individual. As kids get older, having more than just their own pencil and crayon bucket becomes important. They need their own desk.

This space has four individual workstations. Matching white cubbies form the bases of the desks, while prefab tabletops laid over the bases create two contiguous setups. Hanging black cubbies give each student additional storage space.

All desk pieces: Ikea


Shut out the noise. Nothing ruins concentration faster than hearing a good time happening in another room. Make sure your study area has a door that children can close to block out distractions.


Provide room for stretching out. Desks are great for performing certain tasks, but little readers will be more inclined to stay engaged in a book if they have a comfy spot to sprawl out on. This sofa by Paulo Lenti gives kids a spot in the sun.

For kids who'd rather not commit to a single location, beanbags let them sit in comfort anywhere they'd like.

More ideas: Browse photos of other home study areas

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