SEPTEMBER brings students back to school. And whether it's elementary or high school, college or university, working from home, a dorm room or an apartment, having a designated area to study is key.
We've asked area experts just what's needed to give the students in our lives the best possible spot for hitting the books.
The first rule? Choose items carefully and most importantly choose items they love because they'll be spending a lot of time hunkering down in this space over the next nine or 10 months.
To ensure a smooth transition from summer freedom to the responsibility of term-paper deadlines and exams, it's always best to be organized and have a place for everything, says interior designer Laurie Jarvis.
"Although today (spaces) are much more streamlined and sleek-looking, there are still some things that we need to store," she says.
"We don't use big dictionaries as much anymore because we go to the Internet for that. But, at the same time, students still have books and still have papers they still have to print off."
Many of the items the modern-day student needs to store are electronics. Jarvis suggests placing a tray on a desk that will hold a variety of smaller items to avoid clutter.
"You have to have a place for your iPod when you come in, for example. Your keys, you still need to store that. Your cell, your earphones. Kids especially are always wearing their iPods, so they've got to dump that stuff somewhere when they come in."
She says it doesn't have to be any old boring tray. It can, and should, have personality.
"In terms of esthetics, if you are a teenage girl at university, it doesn't have to be a boring basket tray. It could be your grandmother's antique silver tray. So you can really individualize it, so it can be masculine, feminine, modern, antique. It really runs the gamut."
Also needed? A charging/ docking station for when those electronics run out of juice.
While modern, clean lines have been popular in recent years, Jarvis says there's a trend toward mixing old with new, such as a rustic antique desk with a modern office chair, or vice versa.
"Especially for young girls, what they love right now is an upholstered chair that is very antique-looking. They can paint it or have it in glossy white, and then they have a glass table that is very contemporary, mixed together."
IKEA Canada's Andrea Mills adds that comfort should always play into the equation.
"The one thing you shouldn't skimp on is a supportive office chair, as you'll be spending a great deal of time at your desk. An ergonomic chair is very important.
"Imagine yourself typing or writing, so if it's adjustable even better."
For lighting, Mills suggests layering the room with light so the student will have both ambient light to illuminate the space and task lighting like a work lamp with an adjustable arm directed over the work area where needed.
And like Jarvis, Mills is also a big fan of desktop organization.
"An efficient work area encourages clear thinking and the ability to focus on studying. Magazine files, paper sorting trays and boxes are handy for managing or hiding clutter."
Mills says the best way to save money down the road is to look for a functional desk that can be used in a home office or apartment after graduation. She also suggests a bookcase that can act as a room divider, to section off a smaller work space.
Or make a smaller room work by maximizing your vertical space with floating shelves, says Jarvis.
"I love the look of it. I think it is very sleek and very contemporary and it actually mixes well with some antique pieces, too, if you've got the right colour match," says Jarvis, adding it's important to screw floating shelves into a wall stud to ensure they're safe and installed properly.
"It's a horizontal shelf but you are using your vertical space," she says. "So a lot of people don't have that floor space, or even a place for a bookshelf. But this you can put over anything. So you have to think of your vertical space and use it as well as possible."
-- Postmedia News
