I want to start this post by saying that the dining table is a perfectly great and sometimes the only option for a SFH (schooling from home) space. However, if you are a parent facing the harsh reality (as many parents are) that normal school will not be in session in the next month (and you do have a little extra space to spare), you may be thinking about a more permanent school workspace. One that will make your home feel a bit more in control (remember control? haha wasn’t the past fun??) and the dining table reserved just for meals. Now I am not a parent but after watching and consoling my friends and family who are, I wanted to round up some solid desk/chair option for kids of all ages. It was the actual least I could do. Summer is almost over so let’s get right to it. Alright, little ones are up first.
If you are like Emily, your kids are in school but their studies are less about good grades and more about exercising their little brains to prepare them for the big leagues… elementary school. Sure there are cute workbooks and flashcards to go over but arts and crafts are still A BIG part of the curriculum. So instead of opting for a desk, think about getting a play table. Extra points if it has storage!
1. Jorden Lift-top Storage 3-Piece Ready to Finish Child’s Table Set | 2. Children’s Table & Children’s Stool | 3. Forest Table and Chairs | 4. Emilio Kids 3 Piece Arts and Crafts Table and Chair Set | 5. 2 Piece Table and Bench with Paper Roll | 6. Lemonade Playset | 7. 3pc Modern Table and Chair Set White | 8. Large Charcoal Adjustable Kids Table + Kids Chair | 9. Kids Table And Chairs | 10. Aghacully Kids 3 Piece Table and Chair Set | 11. Maxxi Mini Table Natural + Oriente Stool Natural | 12. Nicklas Kids 3 Piece Windsor Writing Table and Chair Set | 13. White and Maple 3-Piece Easel Kids Table and Chair Set | 14. Child’s Table with 2 Benches | 15. Kids’ Riviera Play Table & Kids’ Riviera Chair| 16. Kids’ California Dining Table + Kids’ Sunwashed Riviera Chair| 17. Melissa & Doug Wooden Table & Chairs | 18. Crescent Table & Crescent Chair Pair
I just think it’s worth a mention how chic children’s furniture has gotten. I mean #10 and #15 (hello mini wishbone chairs!) are too much for my heart. But when it comes it’s cuteness #3 and #14 are so sweet. However, being a parent makes you put practicality as the main priority, so if you don’t already have a ton of storage #1, #2, #3, #4, #10 and #11 are your top contenders.
Now let’s get serious because the kids are bigger and the math is harder…
This next roundup is for kids that are still not ready for the actual “big kid desk” but are in need of a more proper desk. The grind starts early people! And while I am clearly no expert, I feel that creating a work desk for your “not super little” little, is a good way for them to practice sitting at a desk like they would in a regular school setting. This is not me shaming any parent that doesn’t have a desk for their kid. Because let’s be honest, what is best for you sanity is best for you child:)
1. Black and Wood Kids Table with Drawer and Chair | 2. Architect Table Pink + Little Architect Chair | 3. Blue Kids Table + Galento Paris Kids Desk Chair | 4. 2 Piece Arts and Crafts Table and Chair Set | 5. Bohème Desk + Adjustable Weaning Chair | 6. Study Furniture Set | 7. Règine Desk + Kids Chair Suzie | 8. STUVA + Metal Children’s Chair | 9. Kids at Home Desk & Stool | 10. Kids’ Desk + Kids’ Chair | 11. Growing Chair and a Multifunctional Table | 12. Adjustable Mobile School Standing Desk + Industrial Activity Chairs (Set of 2)
And yet another classic “Jess can’t choose a favorite because she is annoying and can’t make a decision to save her life.” But really. LOOK at how cute these all are. I will say that the price of #1 is incredible and would blend with almost any style of home decor (10 points for that). #5 is a very sophisticated and CUTE setup and I would happily put that combo on display in my home. Plus the chair height is adjustable. And speaking of adjustable furniture, the desks for #9 and #12 also can grow and your kiddo gets a little taller. Pretty great AND practical.
Alright, it’s big kid time. That ranges from middle school to well I guess college with the quarantine still fully in place. The great thing about this category is that eventually, these pieces can be yours if you want! So HOT TIP: Choose with your kid (and you) in mind.
Also, the sweet room/desk setup on the left belongs to a now very grown 16-year old Grace that just this past year got a full room makeover and Sara and Julie are shooting this week! Stay tuned and hopefully, you are more patient than me because I CANNOT WAIT to see the photos. Until then here are the combos for your kids (and you)
1. Hampshire Olive Green Kids Desk + Adelai Office Chair | 2. LILLÅSEN + LÅNGFJÄLL | 3. Oslari Wood Writing Desk + Furlicious Faux-Fur Airgo Swivel Desk Chair | 4. Meredith Desk + Lourdes Task Chair | 5. Ada Glass and Wood Writing Desk + Upholstered Rolling Desk Chair | 6. Studio 34″ Wall Desk + Camden Office Chair | 7. Alex + Petal Office Chair | 8. Sloan Desk + Wingback Swivel Desk Chair | 9. SKARSTA + Channel Back Office Chair | 10. Helix Walnut Desk + Cooper Mid-Century Leather Swivel Office Chair | 11. Amherst Wood Writing Desk + Velvet Leighton Upholstered Office Chair | 12. FJÄLLBO + JÄRVFJÄLLET | 13. Trestle Desk + Velvet Mid-Back Task Chair | 14. LINNMON / LERBERG + FJÄLLBERGET | 15. Rooney Wall-Mounted Desk + Faux Leather Leander Swivel Office Chair | 16. Parsons Desk + Ergonomic Office Chair | 17. Kids Parke White Desk and Hutch + Kids Class Act Brown and Gold Desk Chair | 18. Industrial Storage Mini Desk + Green Upholstered Office Chair | 19. Mid-Century Mini Secretary + Velvet Office Chair | 20. Wood Writing Desk + Tufted Parker Upholstered Office Chair | 21. Reclaimed Pine Workstation + Sherpa Ivory Airgo Swivel Desk Chair | 22. Amelia Desk + Edith Velvet Desk Chair | 23. Troy Modular Corner Desk + Steelcase SILQ Office Chair | 24. MICKE + ALEFJÄLL
Ok hands down #1 is my favorite combo. That chair is the desk version of one of my favorite dining chairs that Julie featured in her Comfortable Dining Room Chairs post. Those leather-wrapped arms give my goosebumps! #4, #7 and #21 are also some of my favorites but something that was really important to me was to make sure they were all the chairs cushioned. It’s the only way! One thing I have been mulling over now that I have been working from home full time is an adjustable standing desk like in #9. Have you all tried them? Thoughts? Do I need one?
I know that some of these prices are steep but remember one day soon it will be YOURS, so buy in that mindset if you are wanting to purchase anything.
Ok so now your kids are guaranteed to stay quiet all day long and get incredible grades. Did you know it was that easy? Ha just kidding but I hope that if a SFH situation is upon you or even a WHF, that you got some good ideas. Let me know what you think in the comments. Are you finally setting up a “real school zone?” Let’s talk classroom ideas:)
Love you, mean it.
Opening Photo Credits: Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: A Playful and Bright Playroom Reveal
Kind of branching off this – I’d be really interested in seeing a roundup of stylish ergonomic / sit-all-day office chairs. So often, these roundups include dining chairs or (very cute!) fashion-y office chairs with no real back support, adjustable height, etc – which is totally fine for the way most people use a home office – for 2-3 hours a day, max.
But as someone who works remotely (even before the pandemic, and probably for the rest of my career) I’d really like to see some good looking but practical office chairs that I could camp out in. Because as much as I LOVE the look of these chairs, I can’t imagine comfortably working for 8 hours in a chair with a wooden back, for example. Thanks! 🙂
YES YES YES. +10000 to this situation. I actually JUST posted about this in the insider group. My chiropractor would kill me if I bought any of these chairs. A true ergonomic office chair needs to be fully adjustable — including the arms. Our backs and necks are screwed long term if we use any of these cute options to sit in all day.
That said — my Aeron chair is hideous and I really wish my beautiful home office had something comfortable AND ergonomic. Is that even possible? Help!
There are a lot of options out there… they are generally more expensive than what is in this post. I have this one from Human Scale (black) and its great- ergonomic, adjustable, lightweight, inoffensive.
The link might be helpful… https://www.humanscale.com/products/seating/diffrient-world-task-office-chair
I commented about this in a different post some time ago.
An office chair needs:
* To be adjustable – seat, back and arms if you have them, you don’t have to have arms.
* The seat should be adjusted so the front is slightly higher thsn the back, to sort of give you a slight lift under your knees.
* The back of the chair should keep your back supported (I see so many people with the back tilted back…this is wrong, it should, rather, be slightly forward if not comfortable straight up).
* Also, the top of your monitor/computerscreen should beat eyebrow level. If you use a laptop, put it on something, evrn books, so it’s the right height.
I used to work at Worksafe, an Australian govt organization that enforces workplace safety and health. I knew noyhing about thisstuff when I started and it makes ALL the difference.
If you’re in Australia, Officeworks and Amart both have a good quality range at great prices.
I absolutely love vintage secretary desks. Those would be great restored of course. I have been hoping someone sells it online since both of us are working from home and we need 2 desks. 1 desk isn’t working for us. Also love cb2’s secretary style desk
https://www.cb2.com/drommen-desk/s506618
It really is amazing that companies have not designed more stylish and compact desks/ multi-purpose tables for adults.
I just built my own so that I could fit my space exactly and maximize efficiency. Also saves a ton of money.
Soooo I def took all my furniture from my parents when I moved out, including their old kitchen table hahaha. And they’re never getting it back (tbh I’ve already sold a lot of it on kijiji at this point). Gave them an excuse to upgrade some of their stuff as empty nesters, and I didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg furnishing my first place. So maybe shop as if one day it will all be yours? But also maybe your kids will be like me and take it all with them?
Hi! I love the IKEA desk (#7) in the big kids desks but can’t find a link for it. Can you provide one??
Here you go! https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/alex-desk-blue-90409607/
Thank you for this post! I’ve been trying to find the right small table and chairs for my daughter for over a year. We’ve been temporarily using my childhood table and chairs, but they are a little dangerous – eek! I’m about to make a purchase to set my daughter up for a successful kindergarten year at home 🙂
I’m reluctant to share my source because they already have a long delay… but sprout-kids.com is adorable, inexpensive, made in America, and has tables that can “grow” with kids. Perfect for preschool and early elementary.
Also: totally freaked out by the coming school year, my inability to work while running an elementary school in my basement, and so planning a classroom is my sanity. Even if I know it will be “cute” for all of a day.
OMG. This topic is depressing me. Distance learning while I WFH. FML.
You know those really ugly cabinets that were poplular in the 90s… looks like an armoire-ish on the outside but is a desk/hides your computer on the inside. DO THOSE EXIST IN AN UPDATED VERSION? I havent found much. We are considering trying to turn a formal living room and or dining room into a more functional workspace but my desk can get…really..messy… also I have mulitple monitors I would want to hide. HELP!
I know exactly what you’re talking about because I had this as a kid! As an adult, I actually purchased something very similar at a Pottery Barn clearance sale and it’s been a life saver during quarantine. Also try looking for secretary desks! https://www.potterybarn.com/products/ludlow-secretary/?catalogId=84&sku=160440&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Desks&cm_ite=160440&gclid=CjwKCAjw34n5BRA9EiwA2u9k32U9K9wuVEDjiBxAW9Ou2BhAHOBHJ-z3Y-pGgnEHxvgmTdsGVWlNuRoCRNUQAvD_BwE
Thanks for the tip!!!
Check out any small town furniture store. Look for somewhere that sells Bassett, lay z boy, Ashley furniture. This is where my parents got theirs about 15 – 20 years ago and in their small southern town the stores still sell them. I have also seen them recently online Not sure where – see pottery barn and wayfair
I absolutely love everything about this post! So many good options! They’re gorgeous and I’d love to buy each and every one of them. One major flaw: it’s absolutely impossible to source so many of these choices because they’re already out of stock almost everywhere. 🙁 Well, at least the <$200 set. Kind of a bummer.
These guys have some gorgeous, high quality Montessori furniture that’s made in America. My kids love it and it grows with them too.
https://sprout-kids.com/
Whatever chair you choose for your child, make sure their feet can comfortably lay flat on the floor. They truly need to be grounded, it will help to keep them still. (take it from a special needs teacher for over 30 years)
I would recommend finding a Habitat for Humanity RESTORE near you. The one near us posts pictures of furniture on their Facebook page when they receive truckload donations (at least 3 times a week), and all the proceeds from sales go toward building Habitat homes in the area. We got our college kid a big Ikea desk in new condition, already assembled for less than half the cost new. Things sell fast. We went to a used office supply warehouse for a good used chair. These stores buy huge lots of furniture from big companies when they move or redecorate.
Thanks for this post. Fits right on my mindset of trying to set up a space for my kindergartener for this fall. Could you, would you do a post with inspirations and considerations for how to set up such a space? The thought of remote learning is daunting for both us parents and the kid. Maybe a fun functional space would help us all get started. Pretty please?
I’m a Certified, experienced Elementary school teacher and I have been homeschooling my kids for 5 years now. There is usually no real need for a designated desk until around 3rd grade. For K-1st grade homeschool we usually spend only 30 mins for “desk time” total daily. And we do it together or with a parent in the same room to address questions and keep everyone on task. No more than 1 hour for that age group is to be Typically expected. K-1 Grade work also often uses glue, crayon etc as they will get it on their workspace so I’d pick something you can easily clean. Regular use of a regular pencil also makes a table or desk very dirty:/ At a school the kids have different needs because the teachers use “classroom management” to keep everyone under control. At home you can accomplish in 2 hours what would take 7 hours to accomplish in an elementary classroom. The way your kids learn at home will likely not fit neatly into a cute little school area with desk. I’d suggest waiting a few weeks to see what homeschool is really like For your crew before investing in a kids… Read more »