Cool Kids Study Space Made Easy and Affordable

how to create a trendy and cool kids study space on a budget

When redecorating our spaces there are so many things we take into consideration: style, aesthetics, budget, comfort, versatility and durability, just to name a few. First and foremost our homes need to work for us. Our decor needs to function for our families. Nowhere is this more important than in our work spaces. Parents need their office spaces and kids need their homework rooms. Here is our recent restyle of Jodie’s kids study space we completed in Jodie’s California home. Be sure to check out all the great organizing ideas on the Better Homes & Gardens blogger round-up this month too.

Jodes and I are very excited and honored be part of the BHG Live Better Influencer Network for 2018. We are compensated when sharing our favorite finds from Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart. As always our opinions are our own. Affiliate links for product sources are included for your shopping convenience.

You can enjoy more great storage ideas from our talented group of BHG Live Better Influencer Network bloggers.

 

The Situation

A few years ago Jodie reorganized her boys’ rooms. Since she continually found them nestled in each other’s rooms at night she decided to swap their individual rooms for one shared bedroom and one play/work room. Now that a few years have passed their play/work room was begging for an overhaul. Their play has evolved from Legos, Bionicles, and trains to online gaming and movie watching. The importance of homework space has increased since they began middle school. The entire room needed an overhaul so that’s just what happened. Here is the awesome restyle that has both Jodie and her boys more excited than ever for homework.

Before

Brainstorming a Kids Study Space

The brainstorming session involved the boys, Jodie and me (since I was conveniently here to help). We asked them:

1. What do you want to do in this space?
2. How much room do you need for these different activities?
3. What do you like most about your room right now?
4. What bothers you about the room currently?
5. Is there anything you can think of that would help you concentrate better?

Necessary Elements: Kids Study Space

Taking their valuable input into consideration Jodie and I browsed the options at our latest favorite home decor shopping resource, Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart. Together we looked at the online featured rooms at Walmart.com. We showed Roan and Reese the ideas we had for building them new homework stations. We saw their eyes light up. They loved the choices and so did we.  Another point that came up was that they felt the room was too cluttered and they didn’t have enough space to move around. We knew if we could find an answer to maximize storage this would make everyone happy.

Kids Study Space: Easy Book Cover DIY

To create a cohesive look Julie & I decided we wanted the books to “match” the color palette. We grabbed our stash of scrapbooking paper and started covering the books. One night spent in front of the tv covering books and we had plenty to add to our shelves.

Our technique improved as we went. We didn’t use any tape, so the books aren’t damaged. The covers slip off easily if desired. Since we used paper we already owned this project was free. You can do this with any type of paper to create a specific desired mood for your shelf decor.

 

Kids Study Space Cube Storage Organizers

We all agreed that the cube storage organizers made by Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart were the best option. They delivered on all key points:

• versatility (for now and future restyling)
• cool aesthetic, modern vibes
• extensive storage
• space-saving
• affordability
• durability

 

Planning the Kids Study Space

Next we took measurements and played around with the variety of configurations available. It was so much fun. The versatility of the cube organizers is nearly endless, so this brainstorming session went on for a couple of days. We highly recommend taking time at this stage in the process to do the same.

We used grid paper to sketch out different designs. I think the design we chose was actually the 3rd or 4th one we created. The ideas were flowing, and in the end everyone loved the final plan.

 

Restyling the Kids Study Space

In addition to the new furniture it was time to give the overall room a fresh, updated style. Jodie decided that the red, white, and blue walls needed to go. It was a darling look for her young boys’ rooms, but now that they were getting older a sleek, more mature style was envisioned.

The white shiplap wallpaper she loved from her recent laundry room makeover was the perfect choice as an accent wall behind the new homework stations. A coat of neutral gray paint on the other three walls did the trick. We chose “Platinum” by Behr. What a difference in style and brightness. Perfect for a kids study space.

 

 

 

Kids Study Space: Our Steps to Success at a Glance

1. Brainstorming
2. Planning
3. Weeding out/Cleaning
4. Wallpapering
5. Painting
6. Selling extra furniture and old toy collections on Facebook Marketplace
7. Trips to Goodwill for the remainder of outgrown items
8. Putting together furniture
9. Styling & decorating (our favorite part)

 

Involving the Kids

What also made this project so special and helped really make it WORK was involving the boys at every step. From planning and conception the boys added their ideas and enthusiasm. We spent a full day together cleaning out and organizing. They decided which items they wanted to donate to charity, which ones they wanted to keep, and a few prized items they actually decided to sell. Through the entire project were an integral part of the process. The end result? A room that they were not only excited about but proud of. They had helped make it happen.

Kids Study Space Versatility

Can we just talk about versatility for a moment? You all know how much we love to redecorate and restyle our homes. But even if you aren’t as crazy as we are about interior design change life evolves, kids grow up, needs change, moves happen, etc. etc. To have pieces of furniture with built-in versatility adds a lot of value. If you are budget-minded like we are this added value is key.

For Jodie’s growing boys and her ever-changing design ideas these Better Homes & Gardens Organizational Cubes are the perfect solution. This is the first configuration we chose, but they can reconfigure in almost endless ways throughout her home as needs change. How cool is that?

 

 

 

Kids Study Space: The Finishing Touches

Don’t underestimate the importance of the final stage: styling. Adding those little details will make all the difference. The decor details add not only beauty but functionality to your space. For our kids study space we added a desk lamp, two round gold-rimmed wall mirrors, cool decorative pillows, and 2 kinds of organizing bins. All these items are available from Better Homes & Gardens both in-store and with an extended online selection at Walmart.com. Conveniently shop some of our favorites below.

 

 

And just like that Roan & Reese have a brand new kids study space that works for them. It’s clean, modern and organized. The best part is that it functions as well as it looks. When you have a space that feels good and works for you productivity definitely increases. As the boys enter the most important homework years this is even more important. The whole family is excited about the results of the restyle, and the future is looking bright.

If you enjoyed this restyle you will enjoy our other recent budget-friendly room makeovers:

How to Create Budget Farmhouse Room Transformations

How to Make Decor Work For You: Balancing Form & Function