JOIN USYour child’s bedroom often doubles up as the study area. The challenge for parents as decorators is to keep the room both cosy and student-friendly, writes Mala Ashok
Every year when school starts, your child goes to a higher class which means more books, more homework, and generally need for more room. If you live in an apartment, a separate room for your child, let alone a large room, is a luxury. You know that if you want to give this young academic in your life an edge, you have to create a study environment which enables maximum productivity.
The bedroom often doubles up as the study area. The challenge for parents as decorators is to keep the room both cosy and study-friendly. This is not impossible.
According to interior decorators, the key lies in creating a balance between clean space and mental stimulation. This enables the child to focus her mind and spark her imagination.
As always in decor, the first rule is to eliminate clutter. You may think fondly of the days when your little one played with dolls and doll furniture, but she doesn’t need these around when she is ten years old. Also, old books take up room so they should be moved out. You are the boss when it comes to deciding whether to store these old books and toys or dispose them of, but if your child has truly outgrown them, do think of donating them to someone who will get a lot of pleasure from them – and you get precious space!
And yes, space is vertical too. If you don’t have a lot of square footage to work with, “look up, look up, and look way up.” Think bunk beds if you have more than one child sharing a room. Even if only one child is using this room, think of loft beds which save you floor space since the bed is away from the floor and creates additional storage space. These are available in upscale furniture stores or you can show a crafty furniture maker a design and he can build one for you which won’t break the bank.
It is important to remember though that there should be well-defined boundaries between sleep, work, and play areas; this will help your child focus when it’s time to study. If you are working with a really small area, you can even take out the door of a closet and put a student desk there.
A place for everything and everything in its place is a habit you need to inculcate in your child as early as possible. For example, you could have a small toy/book chest and ensure that all toys and books are stored away after playing/reading. This will ensure that the work area is as clutter free as possible.