Getting Organised and Ready For "Back To School" with IKEA

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Whilst we’re all currently enjoying the summer holidays and a much welcome break from school runs, homework deadlines and the endless cycle of washing school uniform. It’s actually only a few short weeks until September comes around and a new school year begins!

Now I don't know about you, but every time a new school year rolls around I promise myself I will get more organised. That I won’t forget letters that need to be handed back to school, that we won't be scrambling to get homework done the day before the deadline and that we won't be late! But a few weeks in and we have usually forgotten all that and school mornings are back to being as stressful as always.

But this year IS going to be different because this year I am getting us all organised and ready for the back to school rush with some practical solutions for our home thanks to IKEA! 

One of the main things I wanted to get organised over the summer was storage and a desk space for the kids to use to do their homework on. Now that both kids are in school, we have a continuous stream of homework. James especially prefers somewhere quiet he can go to do his homework and so a desk space in his room felt like the perfect solution.

James  will be heading into Year 5 at school this year which will mean even more homework in preparation for SATS next year. It’s really important he has a space he feels he can go to relax, study and complete homework. He currently has weekly spellings and maths challenges as well as a homework grid every fortnight, so plenty to do! 

We recently redecorated James’ bedroom and had a bit of a shuffle of furniture so we had the perfect spot, right by the window with of natural light, which would be perfect for a desk space. With the bonus of being up in his bedroom away from the noise and distractions of his little sister or the TV. James is so easily distracted, and I feel like when he tries to get anything done downstairs, I spend more time giving him a gentle reminder to get on with the task than he spends on the task itself! A quiet, comfy space in his bedroom for him seemed like the best solution for everyone. 

So, we headed to IKEA in search of the perfect furniture for a homework corner and we were spoilt for choice. In one visit we had managed to get everything we needed including the desk, chair, desk lamp and even storage and stationery! Here is our finished homework corner all set up -

The kids have a black and white theme in their bedroom and IKEA had everything we needed to continue that theme for their desk area. We wanted a small desk so chose the MICKE desk which is the perfect size for kids/teens and even has a large concealed draw for extra storage!

Of course, a comfy chair is super important and the kids had lots of fun testing out all the chairs in a bid to find the perfect one in our local IKEA, let me tell you there is lots of choice! We decided on the ÖRFJÄLL chair as not only did it match our black and white theme (it’s available its lots of other colours too) but it has a padded seat and backrest so is super comfy for the kids.

We finished off the desk with lots of handy accessories including a desk lamp for the darker winter evenings, plenty of storage for stationary, paper and books etc thanks to the TJENA and PALLRA ranges plus a handy ISBERGET tablet holder. James often uses his tablet for research for homework or for finding images for inspiration, so the tablet holder works really well on his desk.

To create the kid’s new homework corner, we used the following products -

ÖRFJÄLL Children's Desk Chair

Made with a high-quality density foam the chair is made to last and offers the ultimate comfort which is definitely you need in a desk chair. The ORFJALL chair has adjustable heights so works perfectly for both James and Evelyn who are 5 and 10 years old. The safety castors have a pressure-sensitive brake mechanism that keeps the chair in place when you stand up, and releases automatically when you sit down ensuring kids can get on and off the chair safely. 

MICKE White Desk 

We picked this desk because we loved the sleek simple design, the large sliding draw for extra storage and the size. The desk is the perfect size for kids and doesn't take up too much room in their bedroom. The hidden draw offers extra storage without taking up extra room and as one side of the desk is open with a metal loop style leg underneath the desk can be easily accessed too. 

PALLRA Mini Three Draw Chest  

With so much homework coming home and two kids who love to buy stationary (they probably got that from me!) I knew we would need plenty of storage. Of course, the desk has the draw for handy storage but I also wanted some storage for underneath the desk to keep extra paper and supplies. The PALLRA three draw chest works perfectly and fits neatly underneath the desk too. We are using it to store extra paper and card as well as a dictionary and times tables square so they can be used when needed. 

TJENA Desk Organiser 

As I mentioned above the kids love buying new pens, pencils and stationery so a desk tidy was super important. We love this TJENA one as it has 5 different compartments, they can either be used as shown above or taken apart as each pot comes out and can be used on its own (including the base!). It offers ample room for everything the kids need including paper, pens, pencils, rulers, rubbers and any other stationary they might need. 

ISBERGET Tablet Stand

James often will use his tablet when doing homework for things like research, finding images or copying information and so I wanted him to have somewhere to store his tablet on this desk so the ISBERGET tablet stand was the perfect solution. It offers two different positions to stand your tablet and when not in use it fits handily inside the desk drawer.

One of the great things about IKEA is everything is under one roof! No dragging the kids around a busy town centre or various shopping trips. Nope we managed to sort out all our storage requirements, created a desk space for James and even freshened up some other areas of our home too all in one shop, IKEA. Oh and of course not forgetting the all-important meatballs and ice-cream on offer in IKEA that work as the perfect bribe for the kids (and the husband) to make it round the store without any moaning.

James is really happy with his new desk space and is so pleased he will have somewhere quiet to go once school starts and the homework begins to roll in.

Whilst we were there, we couldn't help but also grab some of the super handy IKEA KALLAX units. We have used the unit to store school uniform for the kids so that they can easily grab their own uniform in the mornings without any fuss.

Both kids have two draws each, one draw has jumpers and polo shirts and the other has school trousers and shorts/skirts etc. I'm hoping this might make getting ready on school mornings run a bit smoother too as the kids can go ahead and get dressed whilst I do the same!

Are you ready for September yet? If not, why not head down to IKEA and get your whole family back to school ready and save the stress in September.

They have solutions for any problems you might face from shoe racks for easy shoe storage (no more lost school shoes two minutes before you head out the door). To storage solutions for everything from paperwork and homework to school uniform or even under bed storage to free up a bit more room in your home.

Are there any problems in your home that you think IKEA could help with?

xXx

**This is a paid collaboration with IKEA and Mumsnet. However, all words, opinions and images are my own. I retain full control of this post.**