Tween desk ideas and accessories

I can’t say that N has a decorated bedroom. (Or even a tidy one). The OH likes magnolia walls so that’s what there is in the majority of the house. N isn’t worried about having a colourful room, although one day I would like to decorate it properly for him.  Maybe it would encourage him to keep it tidier (although my version of tidying when I was a child to ram everything on the floor into my desk cupboards and wardrobe. My mum never opened them up to check!).

N does need a new bed. At the moment he’s got his dad’s old teenage bed – a floral divan bed with a terrible mattress that definitely needs replacing. I’ve tried to find a new mattress, but it’s a weird size bed. Evidently it was a longer single bed, but it’s also wider than a single, but narrower than a small double. So I’ve struggled.  Hence why it would be good to just get him a new bed. It’s taken 8 years to persuade the OH to get rid of the old large arm chair from N’s room, so maybe the bed is the next one to go.

Once the armchair had gone (it’s now still residing by the stairs in our hallway and blocking that instead), it meant N could have the desk that the lodgers left when they moved out.  It’s a huge desk but luckily N’s room is a good size, and he was so chuffed to have his own desk to use.  He’s already spent a few mornings before school doodling away, and some evenings he wanted to do his homework up there. I think that was more to do with avoiding me checking his work.

With a large drawer in the side, it means he’s even got somewhere to store his work or notepads. N is a stationery lover and I did say we should go out and find some cool desk stationery for him.  Lighting might be an issue as there’s no plug in that spot, but we just need an extension cable and he’ll be set. 

As N’s room is a mish mash of furniture – he’s got a pine chest of drawers which was mine as a child, an old dark wooden wardrobe with mirror and an Ikea modular bookcase/shelves, plus now the desk – there’s an opportunity to just make that desk corner a cool homework and drawing space.

I’ve pulled together some different products and styles that could work well for a tween desk space. Not just desk ideas but accessories as well.

Desks should be strong, suitable for the space in them, with plenty of leg room for growing children. Drawers are helpful for storage.

Theming by colour or style can bring the space to fit into the wider room decor. Bold colours, industrial or natural.

Tween desk essentials:

• Music – N has an Echo Dot in his room, he quite likes a bit of background music while he’s doing homework and they’re easily moveable around the room. Otherwise a fun digital retro radio – find one in their favourite colourways

• Writing equipment – go classic or fun (a trip to Smiggle pleases most younger tweens)

• Plenty of cool notepads – lined and plain

• Board for pinning notes and souvenirs to – try wire, cork or peg boards

• Lighting – movable lamps are useful enabling light to be focused in the right direction.

The main goal is to make a space that children want to use, especially as they get older and need to do more homework. It’ll be sad times when N always goes upstairs to do his homework. I quite enjoy pottering around the kitchen while he’s doing it, or sitting and chatting it through. But over time, he’ll want his own space and hopefully we can make it somewhere he finds it easy to relax and work at.

What kind of desk space do your tweens have for homework?

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