kiki interiors

It’s week 3 of my room challenge and I have made a lot of progress and a few changes along the process… I am really seeing how useful this new space is going to be for my kids (and the whole family) and I also really happy to hear how excited the kids are, too!

Room challenge progress:

So far in this challenge, I have managed to stay on budget but I did luck into some great pieces like the desk from my parent’s old student rental.  The desk fits beautifully in the space plus it’s metal so it is durable and very easy to clean.  I also had a chair (that we used as a ‘time-out’ chair) that will be used with the desk.

I installed the buddy hooks for the back pack area – the package came with 3, so one for each child.  They were easy to install.  I installed them at a height that all of the kids can reach with ease.  The next step is for me to add some photo frames (one for each child) and hang them above their hook!

I found these wood frames at Michael’s (for $1.50 each) – the frames will be painted and then I will add their photos!

I added the wheels to the storage piece that fits perfectly under the desk and I labeled 3 of the drawers – one drawer for each child – the 4th drawer (the top drawer) is for shared items like scissors, glue sticks and more…

I wanted to add some colour to the space and the kids art pieces are perfect – it’s their space after all and they love seeing their work on display plus this fits in the budget, too!  I have some painted canvases that we did as a craft here at home and a mask my son made at school (I was looking for a place to hang this).  I figured the best way to display their pieces is in a gallery wall display.  I like to plan my gallery walls by laying and playing with the arrangement on the floor first.

These clip board I’m going to add to the gallery wall and I’m going to use them as an easy way to display assignments (any subject) that they worked hard on and that they are proud of – the clip board makes it easy to change this up regularly.  I’m hoping a third clipboard will fit….

See my progress for week 1 and week 2

Room challenge budget:

4 drawer storage piece              $32.95

Buddy Hooks                               $20.00

3 wood photo frames                  $4.50

2 clip boards                                 $10.00

Spent so far …………………………$67.45

With my remaining funds – I’m hoping to find some small storage for the desk surface for pencils and other everyday homework materials and tools.

I’m so happy to have stuck with this challenge – it’s making space of an area that is perfectly located and it is going to be a well used space and I’m really happy that my kids are excited too! check in next week for the final room reveal!!

A proper homework station is something that my family really needs. It is now week 2 of the $100 Room challenge and I have made some great progress…the decluttering of my nook / hallway was pretty easy it was really just a matter of getting it done.  One of the elements that I am really loving with this challenge is the timeline – one month to complete the room is keeping me focused.

Homework station – My inspiration…

I need the homework station to have storage and work space but I have another 4 feet of wall space.  I decided just this week that – that wall space would solve another issue that I have – the school bags!  So I am going to add some hooks (1 for each child) for their school backpacks.

Here are some images that inspired me –

Photo credit: Becomingmartha.com

Photo credit: Craft-O-Maniac

Week 2…

I have cleared out the space and I totally lucked out – my parents had a desk from an old student rental that they sold (very quickly) so I fell into some luck with a desk.  The desk fits nicely into the space!

The above image is how the space looked before I decluttered.  I then added the desk. The desk is white and made of metal so it is going to be easy to clean.

Homework station Costs so far…

We only have $100 to spend. Coming across this desk was a huge win.  But the desk did not have any storage.  My kids definitely need storage for papers, duo tangs, books and more…I found this storage chest of drawers on staples.ca

The chest of drawers $32.95

The next item I purchased  a set of 3 buddy wall hooks  – 3 kids and 3 hooks, perfect! Plus I think these are really cute (I purchased them in white)

The wall hooks $20.00

So far I have spent half of my budget…but these are the bugger ticket items that will really make a big difference in organizing this space. I have some more funds for some decor  to make the space a bit prettier….

So far I’m making progress and I love that my kids are excited for their new space too,

This is my first time participating in the $100 Room Makeover Challenge! This amazing challenge is hosted by Erin of LemonLavenderandLaundry.com If you have not heard of this – neither had I until about 24 hours ago … so here’s what it is …

The $100 Room makeover Challenge

A bunch of bloggers take on one room in their own home and in one month’s time and with only $100 – they transform the room and share their weekly progress.  Curious to learn more and check out some of the rooms that have participated in the past? Click here

Why am I participating in this $100 Room makeover challenge?

Well, I love to try new things and I do like to challenge myself – when we decorate and stage we often are on tight budgets but I never really have the chance to make changes in my own home – you know the story of the Cobbler’s children, right? Well same goes for interior decorators and home stagers (and probably most other professionals) – we are so busy with projects outside of our own home and our own homes are a bit forgotten…

I also really need to start focusing on certain areas of my home to make them more user-friendly and functional.  As my children are getting older and bigger – our lifestyle needs are changing and so, our home needs to adapt – with this challenge I can give myself a deadline and a budget (and I get to share my progress and results with you and other bloggers – there’s the accountability).

So which ‘room’ did I choose?

Technically – the space I chose is not a room but it is a trouble area in my home that I feel I can do more with – I have this ‘nook’ area off of my kitchen and between my laundry room that is becoming an awful catch-all for random ‘stuff’….crafts, sports equipment, library books and more….I had my kids actually sort through it before I knew about this challenge so this photo actually makes the space look like less of a disaster.

I have decided to turn this space into a designated ‘homework center’ or ‘kids office space’.  My 2 older children are getting regular homework to complete and they need a space to work.  they still need help from Mom and Dad so sending them to their bedrooms isn’t the best area for homework right now – this area is close to the kitchen (so easy access to Mom and / or Dad) but also separate enough that it is quiet enough for them to focus.

Goals for the challenge:

• De-clutter and find new ‘homes’ for our stuff – this area is becoming a dumping ground for all sorts of kid stuff – we do have a mudroom area and they have bedrooms so I really need to systematize that and probably get rid of some stuff
• Find a desk and chair that will fit in this nook – this nook is only 22″ deep so I will need to find something narrow enough that it doesn’t take over but still a good size for the kids to work at (and fit a lap top computer)
• Storage for the homework space to keep papers, pencils and other materials organized in this shared homework space (since it is a shared work space – I need some storage for the kids to keep their things but also supplies like paper, pencils, etc…)
• Add some light (we don’t have a plug for a table lamp – so for now I may have to either add brighter bulbs to the existing overhead fixture or see if I can purchase something that will add more light)
• Make it pretty! (I will have to get creative but I’m thinking of re-purposing some old frames and framing the kids art and/ or photos)

I’m excited for this challenge – it gives me a deadline to complete a project that my kids really need once school starts and I know the summer will fly by before I realize it.  Wish me luck and stay tuned and of course, let me know if you have any ideas….three more weeks to go!