Back to School: How to Create a Study Area at Home

School uniforms on, school bags cleaned out, lunches packed and alarms set. That can only mean that it’s time for the new school term to begin and unfortunately, the end of the summer holidays.

But it’s not all doom and gloom - the new term is a great opportunity for a new start and to make some changes at home. If this is a crucial year for your little one (or even if it’s not) you might want to think about creating a new study area at home for them to use.

Whether your child is just starting high school or if they need to buckle down to get through GCSEs or A-Levels, then a study area is a must-have. It encourages them to use the new space as the year goes on and gives you an excuse to remind them that concentrating on their school work is the most important thing.

Have a read below of our tips for creating your study area and the essential items you'll need to make it work in your house.

Who is Using Your Study Space?

You might already have a good idea about where and what to put in your new study space, it’s important to figure out exactly who will be using it. Try asking yourself the following questions:

• Do you have just one child who needs to study or multiple? 
• Are they on key stage 3, taking GCSEs or brushing up for A-levels? 
• Do you also need to use the study space for studying outside of your regular job or retraining for a new career?

Answering these questions will give you a better idea of how your study area needs to look and how big the space needs to be. Depending on the age and level of your child (or children), you may need different items or a bigger or smaller space for them to study in.

Pick a Spot in the House

This essentially means looking at your current house layout and seeing where you can fit a desk and a chair. Whether you are lucky enough to have a spare room already, or are simply allocating a portion of the living room for a study space, it doesn’t matter. Even if you have to do some rearranging of the current furniture, it will be worth it.

No matter what your circumstances, your study space should be tranquil and give your child (or you) enough headspace for you to concentrate on revision, taking notes or both. That means choosing a study space that is out of the way of the busiest parts of the house, especially if you already have a house full of children, pets and everything else besides!

Your current house layout will help a lot in deciding where you will choose, but just remember that once you've designated your study space, you should respect anyone studying in it by keeping the volume down on a television or speaker and allowing them to study when they like.

Get the Essentials

Once you have cleared your space (and rearranged some furniture) you will be ready to pick up some study space essentials. The following might at least give you some inspiration about what you want to include in your study space:

Desk
Make sure your desk is large enough to fit all your little studiers and has a clear surface for them to rest a desktop computer, laptop, pad of paper, textbooks, stationery and anything else they might need. Try our Koln Bluetooth Desk, which also features built-in speakers for your bookworm to put a concentration playlist on in the background.

Chair(s)
Make sure you get a chair that is comfortable to sit in and will not give anyone studying a bad back! A padded office chair will do the trick. If you have more than one child using the space, perhaps you can get them a chair each so they still feel like the study space is theirs to use.

Stationery
They might already have some stationery that they use for school, but having stationery specifically for your study space will ensure they've always got what they need within grasp. Try our Desktop Stationery Set in Blue so that you have all of the essentials your child needs for the project they’re working on. Our 5 Drawer Mini Box - Geo will also help you keep the desk as tidy as possible.

White Board or Cork Board
The addition of a whiteboard or cork board will give your child a convenient place to put important information such as dates or deadlines. Try our Cork Notice Board and hang it just above or just near your desk. If you have multiple children you could even write a schedule for when each child will be using the space during the week.

Lighting
Make sure the study space is well lit using the main room light or even a lamp. If you need to get a lamp, make sure it isn’t too big and illuminates the area in soft light rather than causing glare. The last thing you want is to suffer eye strain during a heavy study session.

Decoration
Last but not least, if you have room for it on your desk, try and add in some decoration. This could be a potted plant to make the space look fresh, or even a motivational poster or slogan hung on your cork notice board. Whatever you choose, make it a unique and inviting place to spend a few hours.

Need more inspiration?
Check out our Back to School range to find a treasure trove of great ideas.

Have you created your study space for the new school term? Remember to share all your best pictures over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for everyone to see!