Adjacent Homework Station
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Create a bright and lively space that'll get your kid's creative juices flowing! The cabinets used here were ordered in a factory-applied yellow that echoes the hutch across the room. There's no reason you can't get this look with some vibrant paint and a weekend of DIY. Putting a desk in a space just outside the kitchen provides a bit of privacy for independent workers but keeps them close just in case they need homework help. Easy access to snacks is also a plus.
Storage-Loaded Homework Alcove
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Build a space-smart little office right in your kid's room. All you'll need is some stock lumber, storage bins, and tracks for a sliding work surface.
Creative Closet Space
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Take the doors off of a little-used closet and line the walls with a fun pattern to create a handy homework alcove. Your kid's design ideas may not match your own, but applying their feedback will make the space—and studying—more appealing to them.
Armoire Office
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This clever contraption features a door with a fold-down table for a work station that can be tucked away when the studying is done.
Cozy Corner
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Some wall-mounted shelves or cubbies and a small computer desk makes for a quick and easy study station.
Corkboard Wall
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Cover an entire wall in cork tiles or chalkboard paint to make a bold—and functional— design statement.
Kitchen Counter Homework Station
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This tiny desk at the end of a counter makes for an open-yet-compact workspace that isn't tucked away into a cabinet or closet. It's perfect for younger kids who need homework help and supervision while working.
Plugged-In Study Nook
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Carved into a kitchen, this desk faces a wall to limit distractions for students trying to complete their assignments. Built-in cabinetry makes for ample book and supply storage.
Great Room Homework Station
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If you don't have a dedicated room for a home office or study space, you'll have to learn how to share. Living spaces can lend themselves nicely to multiple uses. Put a vacant wall to use with a built-in work unit. But if there's a television in the room, make sure it's turned off at homework time.
Light, Bright Desktop
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For sit-down kitchen desks, like the one shown here, leave about 30 inches between the bottom of the lampshade and the counter.
Budget Home Office
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Kelly and Wayne Averbeck of Jerome, Idaho, used leftovers and bargain buys to age their office to perfection. Similarly, you can use what you've got to incorporate a homework nook to your existing built-in storage. See An Office Update With Vintage Appeal to learn more about this budget remodel.
Rustic Reclaimed Study Station
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Outfitting a room almost entirely with recycled or reused finds can prove a challenge. Too much salvage, and your space starts to look like a junkyard—which is why interior designer Sally Bailey lets simplicity reign in her home studio, shown here. This interesting space makes a great study station for older kids, while teaching the importance of eco-friendly design. For more on how you can get this look, see How to Create a Rustic Reclaimed Workspace.
Side-by-Side Seating
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This kitchen office was designed for a mom who wanted a space she could share with her 12-year-old son. Key features include outlets for two computers, a cordless phone, and a single printer, undercabinet task lighting, and a dividing column of drawers to stow craft and office supplies. This arrangement makes a great cooperative learning area for homes with multiple students, too.
Creative Catch-All
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When kids are in the picture, the kitchen office can be part homework desk, part high-tech hub, part first-aid center. That's the case with this multitasker designed by Greenwich, Connecticut, architect Jay Haverson: The lower cabinets in the teak-topped desk store office supplies, phone books, and recipes. Emergency supplies, including medicines and flashlights, as well as electronics, are hidden up high behind touch-latch cabinet doors. A corkboard "backsplash" creates a home for memos.
Space-Saving Station
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If you're really short on space, adding a dedicated homework station can be as easy as building this. Like a ladder-rack, this clever unit props up against a wall and can be anchored or left portable.
Modern Home Office
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Lift storage units off the ground! Build and hang large, high-impact shadowboxes instead of mounting traditional shelves.
High Impact Work Station
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Boldly colored storage boxes are great for stashing supplies and matching binders are perfect for filing graded papers.
Hidden Study Station
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Slim bifold doors make it easy to hide a workspace that's in a common area.
Wall-Mounted Wonder
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This compact, folding work surface doubles as covered supply storage unit. Create a similar space with easy-to-install wall-mount desks.
Adjustable Storage Station
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Create a nook with a network of adjustable wall-mounted shelving if built-in storage is out of your budget.
Catch-All Cubby Bins
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From wicker to brightly-colored fabrics, choosing the right storage bins for open shelving can add to the look of your space.
Pretty and Punctual Homework Area
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Be mindful of clutter, but allow your child to pick a few decor items to personalize her space. A wall-hung clock will get your kid into the habit of scheduling and getting work done in a timely manner—or at least in time for their favorite TV show.
Walled-Off Study Station
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Throw up some wall frames and create built-in room dividers, like the ones shown here, in a larger rooms.
Work Space With a View
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Make homework time pleasant with desks facing a window. You'll eliminate the need for using a lamp or overhead lighting in the daytime.
Kid's Corner
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A small corner of a kid's room is all you need to create a homework station.
In-House Computer Lab
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Make sure your study stations have enough outlets to power computers and charge gadgets. In homes with more than two kids, a set up like the one shown here ensures all of your young learners have an equal amount of real estate.
Reader-Created Study Station
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Reader Carol Dregne of Galena, Illinois, created this vibrant work station for her two boys to share. The world-map wall covering makes a great learning tool—and beats an ordinary atlas any day of the week.