Believe it or not, many home builders and interior designers say dedicated homework rooms are a growing trend. But don’t panic if you home is tight on space. Education experts agree that the “where” doesn’t matter as much as much as having a specific place for doing homework that is organized and pleasant.

Whether you’ve got a room to spare or have a tight floor plan, here are five simple ideas for creating a homework space that your kids will actually enjoy using.

Choose a quiet spot.

While it may be tempting to have your child do their work at the center island in the kitchen, it may not be ideal. Kitchens tend to be hubs of family life, and full of distractions, from snacking siblings to TVs, and the din associated with getting din-din on the table. Instead, look for an area that can be cordoned off from the hustle-and-bustle.

If you don’t have a quiet spot, create blinders.

If you just can’t find a quiet spot – consider creating a little study center out of cardboard. Put it up when your student is working to keep them focused on the task at hand. Here is a tutorial from the amazing Martha Stewart on how to make the one pictured here.

Set up one master set of supplies

If you have multiple children, there is no need to buy multiple homework supplies. Instead, set up a central clearing house for crucial items like pencils, pens, erasers, scissors and glue. Keep them neat in a chic (& cheap) homemade organizer – here’s the tutorial from BH&G for the storage unit pictured above.

Borrow a closet.

If you are short on space but have a closet to spare, consider making one over into a cozy study nook. Take a look at what the incredibly talented Jen at IHeartOrganizing did to transform her son’s closet into a study zone.

Decorate inexpensively.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to decorate a space beautifully. Let your imagination run free – and let the kids brainstorm too! They often have fresh ideas – and (bonus!) the more input they have, the more invested they’ll be in this whole homework thing too. The simple desk pictured here was created by using a very inexpensive Ikea table and some basic peg boards. The complete how-to is over here at Ikea Hackers.

Where do your kids do their homework? Where did YOU do your homework as a kid? Do you think your study surroundings made a difference in your life?

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