Remember when we had a choice to send our kids to school or teach them at home? (Insert nervous smile)

Many parents and students don’t have that choice right now but we do get to choose how we jump in and make the most of this new normal…not normal. LOL

Let me start by saying that I’m in a whole new season of life right now! This year, I only have one child, in middle school, so I’m not mad about virtual schooling at all. In fact, I am excited for the freedom it will give us as a family.

Now when all four of my kids were in school, I may have felt differently but this year we had a little fun turning our newly emptied bedroom, into a guest/office/school room!

In this post I want to share three ways we prepared this space for school.

Be sure to read all the way to the end for a fun surprise!

1. The Desk

A desk or designated work space is a must. For us, that meant trying to revive an old desk we bought second hand! It has served us well throughout the years but it needed some TLC! With a missing knob, and multiple colors happening throughout, I was more than ready to give this thing a facelift.

As you can see, the entire room needed a refresh, so let’s dive in!

Sanding the desk

Once I started sanding, I realized I was in for a big project! I purchased this desk years ago second hand and it had layers of minwax and chalk paint to remove. It took days for me to finally get it all done but it was definitely worth it! Sharing that to say, if you don’t have a desk, check out thrift stores, facebook market place or any second hand places near you. Its amazing how a little sanding or paint can transform a piece of furniture.

If you do decided to sand, save yourself some time and use a 40 or 80 grit sandpaper finished by 220 grit to give it that smooth to the touch feel. That’s what finally did the trick for me!

I wanted to showcase the natural wood so I used Varathane ultimate polyurethane water-based crystal clear Matt so the wood would keep its original color. Of course, paint is always a great option as well and we did end up using some!

My daughter chose a beautiful pale pink as an accent color and I absolutely love it! I used that color on the round details on the legs and on the inside of the drawers.

To pull it all together, I snagged two knobs from Hobby Lobby and made two leather pulls from bracelets, which gave the piece a little more character.

2. Storage

To create a school space that isn’t overwhelming for you or your kids, storage is going to be key! Other than a facelift for this desk, I knew I needed a way to make this space beautiful, yet functional, so let’s talk about what I choose.

My first choice was this beautiful 5-Drawer Rolling Storage Cart That I found online at Honey-Can-Do.

Since my daughter is in a higher grade, we mainly needed a place to keep papers and a few supplies and this rolling drawer fits perfect in the corner and holds everything she needs!

I also snagged this set of 3 round nesting rope baskets to hold my daughters blanket and pillows. Of course that seems like more of a decor option, and it was, but we keep our house cold so I always find pillows on the chairs and blankets all around so it was actually a necessity for my sanity! LOL

So think, how can I make this space beautiful in a way that fits our needs?

3. Organization Station

Last but not least, we decided to hang up an old chalkboard and weekly calendar, for her to write down assignments or special dates for online class meetups.

Of course a weekly planner will work, as well as an online calendar if you prefer, but again this was functional while helping create an atmosphere that she gets excited about being in and that was key for me.

FUN SURPRISE!

I was blessed to partner with an incredible company, Honey-Can-Do, for this project and they want to give one of my readers a chance to win $100 worth of goodies from their site!

To enter, CLICK HERE!

The winner will be announced on my Instagram, this Friday September 4, 2020 and I can’t wait to see who wins this shopping spree!

They have so many beautiful options on their site, I know you will find things to help you create your own school space and so much more!

If you like any of the items I used, or would like to make another purchase, use code : WILDFIREBREAKINGFREE when you check out and you will automatically get 20% off of your purchase!

Thank you for being a loyal reader and supporter here! It’s because of you that opportunities like this exists and I don’t take that lightly!

I would love to hear about how your family will be approaching school this year, so comment and let me know below! Also, share your space with me on IG for a chance to be featured! Share your Honey-Can-Do purchase too! I’d love to give you a shout out!

Good Luck Friend! I can’t wait to see who wins!

With Love,

Lisa Faye