I think we can all agree that 2020 has thrown us for a loop…over and over and over again! But likely the one thing on most of our minds has been school. What’s it going to look like? Are we going to be in school? At home? Both? All year? For two months? As Fall approaches and we are making decisions for our children’s education and how we choose to work ourselves, we are trying to prepare as much as we can. And one of those ways is creating a home work station…for you, your kids, for everyone! We teamed up with The Container Store and their new Virtual In-Home Design Service to bring you two home workspace designs: A kid friendly workspace and a shared adult workspace. These two space saving designs will have you on your way to an organized, successful year, whatever that may look like for you!
The Shared Workspace
My husband runs his own business and often times works from home. He’s always needed a home office, but his current set up wasn’t ideal. There was no storage and it was always a mess…because there was no organizational system in place. I turned part of his home office into a craft room for the kids, where their desks for this year are currently set up. I knew that I would needing to spend time in that space to be available to help them, and wanted the new desk area to work for me too. We designed a space that would give my husband and I space to store our things, and switch out laptops when we needed.
The Issue: Before
Our office has potential, it just wasn’t being used efficiently. There is no storage, and a desk without storage is just a recipe for desktop disaster. Stuff everywhere. Cords everywhere. Nothing had a home, and that needed to change. Plus, it’s not very pretty 🙂 We needed paper storage for my husband, accessory storage for my craft and work supplies, and a clean desktop that would allow us to share the space without having to move stuff off the desk every time.
The Solution : Custom Designed Elfa Workstation
Oh what a difference a properly designed space makes, and I can’t even tell you how easy it was. I scheduled a free virtual consultation with Rashida at The Container Store. I showed her my current space, discussed what I was looking for and what my budget was, and that very same afternoon she emailed me back an incredible design! We were able to tweak it together to come up with the best fit for my space, needs and budget. Then, with a click of a button, it was ordered!
Here’s How It works
You can design and customize more than just closets! Desks, pantries, garages, whatever you need. Schedule your appointment online with one of their designers. They will send you a measurement sheet to measure out your space. You will then connect via Zoom to discuss and plan. Make sure you have a budget in mind, because there are several design elements that can alter the price. After your consult, your designer will work on your space and email you the design! Tweaks can be made as needed. After you decide on a final design, it will be purchased and shipped. You can choose to install it yourself, or hire one of their installation professionals. So easy!
What I love about it
Installation was a breeze. When your design is emailed to you, it will contain a link with customized instructions for your exact design. Installation requires a drill and a level. The hardware is included in your design and it didn’t take me more than 45 minutes to install start to finish. Finding the perfect finishing touches however, that takes time 🙂
The narrow profile: The narrow profile of this particular design was perfect for our small space…considering we have two other desks in the room as well!
The customizable pegboard: The pegboard is the perfect way to store desk accessories, craft and art supplies. You can purchase hooks, boxes and shelves (for plants, obviously) to create the perfect system for your needs. I love it to store my colorful pens in the clear boxes, and they are also perfect for keeping your phone out of the way.
The movable shelving: The Elfa system allows you to be able to move your shelves around as needed, and add or subtract them.
The spacious drawers: I love the different sizes of the Elfa drawers. We used the narrow ones to hold additional small items. You can get these special divided trays to make organizing easy! Then, my husband and I each have a large drawer to store our things. It works great that I can just unplug my laptop, place it in the drawer and the desk is ready for him to use.
I definitely feel better about the start to the school year now that my entire family is set up for success. Bring it on hybrid…distance…in person learning…I’m ready for you! Kind of 🙂
The Kid Friendly Workspace
Setting up a space in your child’s room may be just the ticket for creating more space when they need to learn from home. While I love having my kids in the kitchen with me when they’re working on something, having a quiet area that is just theirs can be really helpful too.
The Setup
The same Elfa custom design as you just saw with the shared work space was used here (clearly we love it!). We had a small corner of my son’s room to work with, and this compact footprint was perfect. He will be going into kindergarten next year, and we wanted him to have a place for what he’s working on (reading + writing) but also fun stuff like coloring books + crafts. There’s even a drawer for toys – it can’t be all work when you’re a kid! He’s been really good about putting his supplies back where they belong, and I can tell he has a lot of pride in his “big boy desk!”.
Whatever kind of set up you choose just know that everyone’s needs are so unique when it comes to workspaces. That’s why we love all the different options that you can choose with Elfa – they are literally endless. And even once your desk is installed you can continue to change shelves and drawers around whether you need to.
Best wishes with the upcoming school year + your work from home needs. We’re right there with you, and always happy to offer organizing advice 💕.
Ashley + Lindsay
