With Marlowe entering 5th Grade, I decided this summer that I really needed to create a dedicated study space for her. Like most ten-year-olds, Marlowe has trouble focusing on Homework, and last year was really hard in that regard. We worked with her most nights at the dining room table, and it was like pulling teeth to get her to stay on track. Even if her brothers were playing downstairs in the basement, or in their rooms, it felt like every five minutes she’d pop her head up from her worksheet at the slightest sound to ask what they were doing, or how much time she had left.

I had an epiphany at the end of last school year that it was really going to be on me to teach Marlowe good study habits and strong organizational routines– and that was going to start with a dedicated study space for her. As a type A person, my executive functioning skills are an 11/10, and they have been my entire life. It’s been super interesting (and extremely frustrating at times) to figure out how best to parent somebody who needs a ton of help in that area. What I’ve realized is that setting an example for Marlowe, and teaching her some habit stacking and good organization, is the first step to easing the transition into independence.

I ended up designing the sweetest little study nook for Marlowe in her bedroom recently, and I wanted to share it with you guys today! My goal was for it to be an area that can grow with her as she ages, and that inspires her to be her own best student. The space is both functional and personal to her, and she is already improving her study habits SO much in just a few short weeks of school because of this change!

I ended up going with a desk that is really simple, but very elevated. I love how it matches the bookshelf that I had already put in her room (in case she wants to use both in her future apartment one day), and that it could even be reimagined as a console table! I repurposed a lot of my childhood bedroom furniture in my first apartment as an adult, and I was able to do that because my Mom never bought very childlike furniture for my spaces as a little girl. I think it’s possible to strike a nice balance!

Her new desk chair is ergonomic so she can be comfortable as she grows and spends more time at her desk, plus the height is adjustable: a detail that I know she is most certainly abusing when I hear the little lever being played with from the other room! Her (and my) favorite detail is probably the corkboard. It’s covered in a really beautiful fabric, and there is the option to hang it without damaging the wall– It was designed for dorm rooms! Marlowe has put together the sweetest collection of little photos and mementos from various parts of her life, and I have added in some inspirational stickers and quotes that I want her to think about daily. I’m trying to teach her that she is in charge of creating spaces that motivate and inspire her and that creating healthy habits and routines is a practice she can bring with her into every phase of life!

I’m putting all her study nook items below, but let me know if you have any questions!

Photographs by Julia Dags | Copyright © 2024 Happily Eva After, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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