Today I have Florence’s new desk space to share with you as she starts her first year of kindergarten to inspire you to create or revamp a work space in your home, too! Whether you have a lot of space, or feel like you don’t have a space to spare, setting a designated spot for your kids to do homework or you makes it much easier to get into good habits.

To create a homework station in your own home, you really only need a few basic things:

A table or desk
A chair
Some type of light (either natural or a lamp)
Basic supplies (pens, pencil, eraser, scissors, tape, etc). Highlighting jars and sharpened pencils. Nothing kills productivity like not having a tool to complete homework! Also love to include colouring pens of different sizes for Florence’s age.

As with any space, creating an organised and inviting area to tackle tasks, such as homework, is key for kids. I love to think that it’s a great starting point for staying organised through life, that good habits start early and that making it fun goes a long way to making kids work hard too!

For younger kids, It’s a good idea put a desk next to a reading corner. Reading is one of our favourite ways to learn and it's handy to go from sitting on a chair to a more cosy and casual floor area where we can snuggle and read. For us, our only homework in Kindergarten is to read to our kids. I also love to keep a few books and toys nearby for those frustrating moments when everyone needs a break. It’s a great time to connect and reset. when we designed and made florence’s room, we built a reading nook window seat in which her desk is now placed near to it.

I like to think about ergonomics when setting up a desk. Make sure that the child fits correctly with feet flat on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle. The desk surface should be 2-3 inches above their elbow when bent.

If you can, put the desk near natural light. Looking out a window is helpful to rest little eyes as well as enhance productivity. If this is not possible, a lamp works well too.

Keeping basic supplies handy ensures the child can focus on the task at hand. We like to keep supplies minimal and tidy, such as a pencil, pens, stapler, tape, scissors and paper clips and add in any other supplies when they are needed for the homework.

FLORIE’S DESK MAKEOVER

I found the PERFECT desk and handmade chair for Florie at a vintage shop. You know me, if I can find something used with character to charm our home with love, I will!

All it needed was a little TLC. It’s a traditional wooden school desk with adorable shelves beneath for slotting in those workbooks. Honestly when I saw it in a cute vintage store, I knew it was meant to be! The desk is wooden with an orange tinge to it, I knew the fist thing to do was to sand and see if It had a clear seal or was stained. Unfortunately it was just a clear seal and the wood was really very un interesting. It still felt too dark and heavy in her room, so, I opted for Paint! I love the power of paint, its a quick, easy and in expensive way to breathe some new life into furniture.

I chose not to paint the hand made chair and just give it a wash as I loved the character and colour.

DESK PAINTING TIPS

Choose your piece
Always start by cleaning your furniture to remove any dirt, dust, or grease.
Know when to sand it really is important to properly prepare your furniture piece before painting. Always, start by cleaning your furniture to remove any dirt, dust, or grease.
You don’t always have to sand furniture before painting, but sometimes it is absolutely essential. So how do you know when you need to sand?
If you are going for a smooth finish, it is a good idea to lightly sand the entire piece to smooth any flaws.
If your piece has a super shiny or a flaky finish, you should always start by sanding it.
Choose you paint. I chose Dulux slow dancer Semi Gloss.
Before using the paint, stir well!
Use good quality paintbrushes. If you use poor quality Bristles they will constantly shed onto your projects and leave bold brush marks. Getting a smooth paint finish is basically impossible. (see below my fave) Tip, you can use a roller for larger flat surfaces to save on time, I opted out as this desk is pretty small!
Apply one coat then let it dry. More often than not you will need two coats.

The colour is so pretty and welcoming, pairs nicely with her chest of drawers which I had originally painted sage green! (see below)

Pictured above. Florie’s painted chest of drawers opposite her desk. She has a lot of natural light throughout the morning, then it gets dark! The lamp, wall sconce and diffuser light adds the exact ambience and task lighting she needs for working at her desk or reading books. We diffuse in Florie’s room day and night. We love to use oils to promote calm and happy feelings and support sleep. Most of the oils (despite the huge collection we have), are the oils in the classic bundle. Like peace and calming, orange, valor and more…You can see the bundle and our kiddies faves here.