With the back-to-school season quickly approaching, many parents, including yourself, are trying to figure out how to add an e-learning area. However, figuring out how to set up a functional and productive studying area at home that also looks great with your home design can be quite tricky.
Of course, none of this comes without its fair share of difficulties. After all, suddenly changing your kid’s bedroom layout, or finding space for a home office in your already tiny apartment. But, don’t despair. Our interior designers are masters at reimagining your home spaces, and they’ve come up with a few ideas on how to create the ideal e-learning space at home.
Parents Are Facing New Interior Design Challenges
When you’re trying to create a learning space that invites your children to stay focused, every element is critical. It can be difficult because we feel there’s not much space to set one up. Not to say that our homes aren’t functional, but we can’t compare the corner of our living room with a classroom. We simply cannot.
The key to mastering this new interior design challenge is to be creative. It’s easier to maintain a mobile classroom that we can tuck away after school is done. But, it can sometimes be tedious to remove things or pull them out every day. You might not have a dedicated space set up for your children’s classes, but with a few ideas and some functional options, you can create a space that sparks their creativity and productivity and helps them stay focused.
Thankfully, all you need is a couple of functional furniture pieces and decorative elements to transform your home into the perfect e-learning space. Even if your kids go back to at-school learning, setting up these spaces at home will work great as studying areas, a creative nook, or a reading nook where they can keep al their favorite books.
Consider Transforming the Dining Table
While the dining table isn’t the absolute perfect place for studying, sometimes it’s the only spot available. However, you still want to be able to have dinner with your family here when classes are done. The key to set up a homeschool space in your dining table lies in baskets, trays, and hidden storage space.
Pick up a few trays and baskets so you can easily store away supplies such as pencils, colors, craft supplies, and others. Consider having a few pencil holders and other trays to help you organize your things. Finally, get either an ottoman with hidden storage or find a cute storage box to keep away things like books and notebooks. Every day, when classes are in session, you can bring out the baskets and bins to set up the space. By the end of the day, they can be easily stored away in a corner or cabinets or sideboard if you have one.
We love these wire baskets from CB2 to help us keep everything organized by our dining table. Plus, they’ll still look great once kids are out of school for organizing kitchen supplies. You can also bring in trays that you can remove once school is out of session, so you can keep your living room looking a bit more tidy up instead of homeschool chaos.
Bedroom Setup Ideas to Consider
Even though you want to offer your children all the support in their e-learning phase, you also want to give them independence. Setting up homeschooling in their bedroom is the best of both worlds. Here, you can be more playful and intentional about creating a studying space that feels more permanent.
If you’re looking for a significant redesign, consider investing in functional pieces that will transition with your children as they grow older. Some bedroom sets incorporate a small desk by the side of the bed that can quickly become a studying space. Here’s a great example from Pottery Barn Teens for the perfect sleep and study bedroom setup.
For those with small spaces, think about creative solutions that serve multiple purposes. Include a foldable desk that comes down during the day and goes up while not in use. Fitting a small bookcase underneath will help you keep things organized. Not to mention, when the desk is stored away, you can use this frame to showcase your child’s works of art or hang a beautiful picture for decor. We love this adorable Wall Fold Away Floating Desk from Wayfair.
Finally, if you have a bit of space to work with, consider creating a studying nook. Bring in a small chair and a table and place them in the corner of the bedroom. Finish the niche with a small bookshelf, storage boxes, and a playful pouf for after school activities reading. A great example would be this fantastic kids table from Crate and Barrel with a metal shelf for storing books and other school supplies.
Blending an e-Learning Working Space in Your Living Room
Since the idea is to set up a space for your children to learn, maybe a designated area in the living room is the way to go. Whether you’re working with a small living room or a spacious one, this trick will help you set up the perfect space for online learning.
Find the right wall and place a ladder-style bookshelf. You might also find traditional bookshelves with what seems like a small desk area. Those will work as well. Here, you can keep everything school-related together. Use storage boxes to keep everything tidy up. Plus, you’ll also have space for decorative accents such as indoor plants, motivational posters, art pieces, and family photos. We love the way this Ladder Shelf Desk from West Elm looks, and it can double as an office space as well when kid’s school is out.
Making Kids Feel Like Grown-Ups in Your Small Office
For those with a small office at home, consider setting up a homeschooling space for the little ones. Not only will they feel like grown-ups, but you’ll also be able to monitor their classes and make sure they’re paying attention.
Think about setting up a small desk area opposite to your working area. Bring an office-style chair, a small desk, and a bookshelf for storage.
Remember to decorate the area with the right lighting, posters, school supplies, and other details to make the space feel like a small office. Children will love their new space. How adorable is the Morgan Simple Kids Desk from Pottery Barn as an option? The added hutch serves as the perfect setup for books, pens, crayons, and whatever else they need to make their space feel special.
If your kid needs a bit more storage room, then the Fillmore Hutch and Desk from Pottery Barn Kids is a fabulous choice. You can add motivational messages on the cardboard, have plenty of room for storing away notebooks and reading books. This desk also has enough tabletop space to let them do online learning, read, and even draw without feeling cramped. We love the addition of the drawers to keep some clutter away and make this studying area much more productive and clean.
Let’s Work Together to Create the Perfect e-Learning Space
Honestly, we know how challenging setting up a space for homeschooling can be. Whether you’re working with a small space or a spacious one, figuring out how to integrate a studying area into your decor can be a nightmare. Let us help you with your interior design challenge.
Start a project today, and collaborate with our interior design specialists to analyze your space. Together, we’ll find creative solutions that not only fit your children’s needs, but also consider your interior design style, your budget, and your long-term goals for the room. After all, the last thing you want is to invest in a studying space you’ll have to scrape over in a few months.
