Table of Contents:
- The Container Store
- Keys to a Smart Homework Station
- Designing Your Space at The Container Store
- Customizable Homework Station
- Elfa Desk (Stand-Alone) & Perch Wall System
- A Place for Everything in Your Homework Station
- Add a Wall Grid to Your Homework Station
- Adjustable Over Time
- Comfortable and Inviting
- Make Your Homework Station Personal
- Organized Homework Station Leads to an Organized Student
- A Place to Succeed
- Shop the Post
Sharing our dIY homework Station Transformation and how to Set Your Kids Up for success
Ready to give your kids the best start for the school year? You can create your own Elfa homework station that will provide a lasting environment for learning and success. Let’s get organized.
It’s that time of year again. Back to school. Already, you say? Yes, already. Hey there, we’re Jodie and Julie, The Design Twins, and we’ve got the perfect post to help you usher in a new school year full of milestones and success. Anyone with kids knows this all too well: How you set the stage right now can have a powerful effect on the outcome of the entire year. Kids create habits, good and bad. So, it’s essential you get them started on the right foot. How can you do this? While there are no guarantees there are some things in our control. One of them is creating a homework station that is personalized to their needs, organized and a place where they want to be.
The Container Store
Plus, it’s a great time to shop because The Container Store is offering up to 25% off office essentials through September 8.
Keys to a Smart Homework Station
- Customizable
- Adjustable over time
- A place for everything
- Comfortable & inviting
Designing Your Space at The Container Store
As luck would have it, Julie was visiting when I went to The Container Store to create my boys’ homework station. Honestly, we had so much fun we didn’t want to leave. No joke. But we learned a lot of things when we were there and want to share all our recommendations.
Step 1: Shop with your student. This is a great opportunity to involve them. Their homework station should be a reflection of their needs and their personality. The more involved they are chances are the more they’ll love their new space.
Step 2: Use the Container Store’s Design Professionals. This service is free. And these professionals are amazing. They know the products and will walk you effortlessly through all the choices. Within minutes our design consultant had a visual rendering of our homework station.
Step 3: Choose your Desk & Organizing system. You can choose the built-in Elfa system like the one we created for Roan. Or choose the stand-alone Elfa desk and Perch magnetic wall system like we chose for Reese. Either way, we know you will be amazed with the style, versatility and function of these desk-storage systems.
Step 4: Finishing Details. After we selected the system for each space it was time to add accessories. These finishing details are so important. The Container Store has a lot of choices. We browsed the aisles and found inspiration from all the store displays.
Easy-to-use Customizable On-line Ordering. If you prefer, or you don’t have a store local to you, we recommend the website. Go to The Container Store and click on “Design Center.” Click on the pictures to choose the desk set-up of your choice. The site leads you through your decisions like layout, materials, and accessories.
Customizable Homework Station
Each student is unique. It’s important to address the specific needs and desires of your child. With each Elfa system all components are interchangeable.
We chose this system for Roan because he has a desktop computer and really loved the idea of having a built-in space of his very own. The desk area measures 48″ wide by 21″ deep which was perfect to fit his computer monitor, keyboard and mouse pad. He also loved the sleek modern look of the grid. Roan is an engineer in the making so this was definitely the right fit for him.
- How much storage
- Types of storage
- Grid system
- Accessories on grid system
- Heights of desk, drawers, chair, shelves
- Style and colors
Basically, within the options of the Elfa system and The Container Store you can create a one-of-a-kind space designed specifically with your child and his or her needs in mind. This guarantees a perfect fit and the ideal space for your child to succeed.
Elfa Desk (Stand-Alone) & Perch Wall System
We chose the stand-alone desk and Perch wall system for Reese because he is an artist and total free-form thinker. He doesn’t like to color inside the lines, if you know what I mean. The Elfa desk offers more space. It measures 54″ wide and 24″ deep. Reese uses a laptop computer which he can easily remove from the desk. This frees up the desk for the drawing and gives him space to be creative. The Perch wall system provides tons of storage for all his art supplies and the flexibility to change things up on a whim.
The Perch magnetic wall system allows you to configure your magnetic grid in any size, shape or pattern you want. Once you have the grid in place on your wall choose from options like:
- Small containers
- Short wide containers
- Tall wide containers
- Tall skinny containers
- Shelves
- White boards
- Cork boards (not pictured)
A Place for Everything in Your Homework Station
Both systems have so many options to create a place for everything. Before you begin, sit down with your child and come up with a list of what the perfect homework station will contain.
Questions to ask:
- What will you use the space for?
- Will you need space for a computer? If so, what components will need housing and space?
- What supplies do you regularly use? Make a list.
- What is your school notebook system? Where will your school items be stored when at home?
- Where will completed assignments be stored?
- Do you need a charging station?
We aren’t going to sit here and tell you that organization is the key to life, but we do think it’s a very good place to start. Learn more about how we organize our homes and keep them that way. We took the best principles from Marie Kondo and made them adaptable for real life.
When you meet with your design expert at The Container Store, have your list ready. They will not only walk you through the virtual creation of your homework station, but they’ll show you all the design accessories to hold everything you need.
Add a Wall Grid to Your Homework Station
The grid system option is one of our favorite elements. We know kids lose things. Save valuable homework time by having a place for everything. We love how the grid system allows awesome organization in plain sight. Like the perfect tool bench, your homework station can keep all tools visible for quick, easy access. No more hunting around the house when it’s time to get to work. Personalize your wall grid with colorful accessories or keep it minimalistic with hooks and clear boxes etc.
Adjustable Over Time
Another thing that sold us on the Elfa system is that is has the ability to grow with your child. Heights can be easily adjusted to accommodate your growing child. This makes the Elfa system the last homework station you’ll ever have to buy. This adds a lot of value to your purchase. Raise the desk height, raise the chair height, and reconfigure the shelving and organization as their needs shift.
Comfortable and Inviting
It’s important that your child love his or her space. This will motivate them to want to spend time there. Of course, this has a great effect on their homework motivation and can be a big factor in school success.
What is Roan’s favorite part? The chair. We don’t blame him one bit. Julie and I sat in his chair and immediately began coveting it for our own desks. Comfort is key no matter who you are or what your age. Make sure the chair is comfy. This chair wins in the comfort category hands down. Plus, we love the style–it’s chic and modern and goes with a variety of styles.
Make Your Homework Station Personal
Organized Homework Station Leads to an Organized Student
- A place for everything saves time. No more wasting time looking for lost items.
- Help your student organize their homework papers and assignments.
- Keep resources and tools at their fingertips.
- Empower your child to keep track of their schedule. Add a visual calendar to the homework station.
- Develop life-long skills.
For some helpful tips to get students to commit to their homework, check out The Ultimate Guide to Kids Homework created by the Parents Mode blog. It’s full of great information on how to get your kids excited about their homework and the importance of homework.
A Place to Succeed
And finally, it’s important that kids have a designated, private space to study and focus. The kitchen table isn’t ideal. Distractions are inevitable, so homework sessions take much longer with less than optimal results. Kids need to have a space all their own away from noise and commotion. Give your kids the best start for the school year. Create your own personalized design together. It will grow with them and provide a lasting environment for focus, learning and success.
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