How to create the perfect study space in your child’s bedroom

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September marks the start of another school year. Over 9 million children in the UK attend school, and around 4.4 million of these are secondary school pupils.

As any parent of secondary school pupils will know only too well, homework is always a big issue. Most secondary schools set at least 45 minutes of homework per night; increasing to around 2 hours for older pupils. Even primary pupils are often given homework projects to do. 

And then of course, after secondary school almost half a million pupils go on to sixth form college for two further years of A-level study before deciding what to do in the next stage of their lives.

All in all, your school age child is going to need somewhere comfortable and suitable to study. However young they are, the sooner you can help them get into good study habits, the better.

In many homes, the best place to set up your child’s study area is their bedroom. Even if there is only a small space available, there is a lot you can do to create a space which will help them to work at their best.

Here are our five tips for how to create the perfect study space in your child’s bedroom.

Start with the biggest desk you can fit in

However your child works best, and whatever kind of homework assignments they are given, the more space the better. So get the biggest desk you can. Whether you need to include one or more computer screens, keyboards, writing space, surface storage for books and stationery, try to find a desk surface that can accommodate as many of these as possible yet still manage to look uncluttered.

As well as the size of the desk itself, ensure that the desk is the right height for your child to be able to work properly at. For a few ideas, take a look at DIY Homefit’s range of office furniture online that includes pedestal desks in various sizes and configurations. Check out our pedestal desk ideas here.

Maximise storage options

As well as finding the biggest desk you can, you also need to maximise storage options for your child. Start with planning as much concealed storage space as possible. For example, cupboards or drawers, either under your child’s desk or as part of their bedroom furniture. In the image below, the desk area itself is long and narrow, which saves space but still enables several sets of drawers to fit underneath, as well as the cupboard and drawers alongside the desk.

The more concealed storage you have, the better your child will be able to organise their stuff. It will also make it easier for them to put everything away once they have finished studying so that they can have some down time and relax for a while. 

DIY Homefit offers a range of office storage equipment as part of our range of office furniture online. For example cupboards, drawers, filing cabinets and shelves. Any of these can easily be combined with our pedestal desks to create the perfect storage solution for your child’s bedroom.

Find ways to minimalise distractions

One of the biggest problems with having your child’s study area in their bedroom is that they are likely to get distracted by the things around them. 

Having as much as possible stored away out of sight is a big help here. And perhaps lending them a hand to tidy up their room before they start homework could be a more productive use of your time than a constant battle of wills for the next hour!

It’s also a good idea to find ways to separate their sleeping/relaxing area from their study area. If they have a TV in their room, see if this can be pointed away from the desk they are working at. Another idea might be to buy a room screen to partition the room into different zones. Even better if the design of the screen reflects your child’s tastes or interests, and adds personality to the room. 

Let your child personalise their study space

We’ve just discussed adding a touch of your child’s personality to their room, and this can really help them to engage with their study area and make it a more appealing space for them to work.

So make sure they are fully involved in the colours and styles of their study space, storage areas and the rest of their room. Whether you have a younger child – as reflected in the image below – or an older teenager, give them the opportunity to stamp their personality on their new study space.

Also make best use of open shelving not just to house more items but also give life to the room. Shelves can hold books, tech equipment, stationery supplies, as well as special items such as pictures, knick-knacks and toys. Help your child to curate the shelving so that it looks good, and why not add a few finishing touches such as fairy lights or plants to make the ambience of the room just right for your child.

Make organisation fun

Once the study space is up and running, do all that you can to help your child get organised in a fun way. It might be a good idea to have a wall chart or large calendar on the wall above their desk, where everything important is written in full view. Or you may prefer a planner notebook and/or shared online calendar. But whatever system you use, make sure that both you and your child know what is happening when, and what clothing, equipment etc is needed. 

But try to keep the practical organisation of day to day stuff away from the study space, or it could just become another distraction. See if there is space elsewhere in your home – perhaps a porch, understairs cupboard, kitchen cabinet or kitchen island – where you can house all the school stuff as it comes home at the end of one day and is prepared to be taken back the next. This would mean your child only has to take essential homework items into their study space and can focus better on the task in hand.

This is likely to work even better if you can add a bit of design flair to the school drop area, with decorative hooks, folders and boxes for all the paraphernalia of day to day school life.

We hope that the above ideas help you to create the perfect study space in your child’s bedroom for the new academic year. For further ideas and inspiration do check out DIY Homefit’s range of office furniture online

And remember to visit again soon for more home and lifestyle tips from DIY Homefit.