Pottery Barn Kids Study Space Challenge: Our New A+ Study Space!

Edited 9/25/2012 to add – the contest is now up on Pottery Barn Kids Facebook page! You guys can go and vote for my space and if I win, I can give the same set of furniture away to one lucky Mommies with Style reader!

Today I’m excited to announce that I’m a part of a challenge with Pottery Barn Kids. Last month, I was contacted by Pottery Barn Kids and asked if I wanted to take part in a blog challenge. My task – to create a cool study space for one of my kids using a selection of Pottery Barn Kids desk and some other products that I got to select from.

I was thrilled as the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Nate, now in 3rd grade, has been in dire need of a desk and a space to do his homework. For the past few years, he’s been doing it at our breakfast bar or at the kitchen table but as the homework is getting longer and tougher, I knew he’d be in need of a desk space in his room so he could really buckle down.

This is a photo of Nate’s room where we choose to put the desk before the desk arrived. Kind of a mess, right? His room is definitely a good size but we were using his soon-to-be desk area as a play/stuffed animal storage area. Not exactly the best use of the space.

So I’m not gonna lie. I lost some sleep over how to design his new study space to make it look unique and cool.

There are some amazingly design-talented bloggers participating in this contest and I felt the pressure! I scoured Pinterest for ideas and wandered the aisles of my local stores looking for that extra *thing* that would make Nate’s space different. I yelled at hubby to get crafty and all the while, Nate was quietly in the background suggesting things I didn’t really listen to at first.

But after several failed attempts and noticing that Nate had no interest in sitting in his new space I realized the key piece I was missing the entire time – this was HIS SPACE! It needed to be something that was appealing to his tastes, not mine. Once I embraced that, everyone was happy.

The desk we choose was the Kendall Desk in Espresso ($399, PotteryBarnKids.com) and the chair is the Carolina Stationary Chair in Espresso ($129 at PotteryBarnKids.com).

I added shelving on the wall in front of his desk and we let Nate design what he wanted to display on the shelves.  This way, I felt that he would pick things he loved and it would be a space he enjoyed and would be happy to sit and work at because it incorporated all of the things that make him happy!  Here’s hubby hanging the shelving (gotta love his high-tech skills using a belt to measure, right?)

One of my favorite things about the new desk is this Mini Lazy Susan from Pottery Barn Kids ($39).  I have placed it right in the center of the desk on top so Nate has easy access to it and all of the items he needs for homework and basic crafting are right there at an arm’s reach away.  It’s amazing how much he’s already used it to just draw pictures or do whatever – having it all within easy access makes it really appealing!

And now, onto the shelves.  For the small shelf up top, Nate picked his Lego Ninjago Clock and a small Swoop, the mascot for our football team, the Philadelphia Eagles!

For the lower, longer shelf, Nate designed to display all of his Harry Potter Lego Figures:

And here’s the final space!  You can see that the middle shelf on the right has the Magnetic Clip Board in Airplane ($14.99, Pottery Barn Kids) with Red Arrow Magnets, also from Pottery Barn Kids for $12.00 and he put some cute family pictures up on the board.

Also pictured is the Solid Task Lighting Lamp in Navy ($39, Pottery Barn Kids)

And the Hedgehog Bookends ($39, Pottery Barn Kids) They’re actually supposed to be displayed facing out but my boys thought it was cuter if their “noses were in the books,” which I thought was kind of adorable so that’s how we have them set.

Here’s a wider shot of the room.  By the way, the boxes to the left of the desk are from the Boys Creativity Cameron Storage Line ($19.99 and $30.99, respectively, on Pottery Barn Kids)

And by the way, because someone’s already asked – the Hedgehogs are sitting atop a storage cube that did NOT come with the desk.  We thought it was a nice little edition to give them some height and to provide more storage right on top of the desk instead of having a traditional hutch.  What do you think?

Here’s one more wider shot – the room is definitely Pottery Barn Kids friendly as Nate’s bedspread and window treatments are also from Pottery Barn Kids!

So starting next week, you can vote for my space on the Pottery Barn Kids Facebook page!  There will be four other bloggers participating and if the Mommies with Style design wins, we will be given a second set of everything I received to give away on this blog to one lucky Mommies with Style reader!  So go and vote for me and my design so one of you can receive the same!

Disclaimer: I was not paid but did receive product to facilitate this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.