My friend Bonnie reached out to me last week to see if I could help her figure out how to decorate her new classroom. She is switching roles from teaching middle school social studies to the middle school guidance counselor. Bonnie was nervous about the room having no windows and feeling claustrophobic.
We met at school last week to take a look. Here’s what the space looks like right now:
Yikes. Quite the challenge. Let’s start with the positive. The walls have just been painted that light turquoise color, and the new linoleum floor is a light gray. Bonnie likes the wall color so that is a good thing. The classroom is large. It will serve as a place for Bonnie to meet with students one-on-one, and in group settings.
Here’s what she had to say about her approach to working with her students and her goals with her new classroom:
First, I want them to know that I recognize them as individuals – with their own unique talents and gifts. Second, I want them to feel supported in their learning and daily activities in my classroom. And third, I want to create a super positive, fun and happy spot in their day when they’re with me.
Can you see why she is such a beloved teacher?! These students truly feel respected by Bonnie.
Coming Up with a Plan
When trying to come up with some ideas to make this classroom more welcoming for Bonnie and the students she serves, I started with the major factors to address. I usually like to start here because I see design as a way of solving problems and leveraging opportunities.
In the case of this room, the 3 biggest issues that I saw were:
- No texture. The vast amount of cement block and linoleum are flat and artificial. Never has there been a better case study for a lack of texture than this room. We can add texture with baskets, weathered wood, pillows, etc.
- No natural light. Because of the lack of windows…or a window, there are not trees, sunshine or breeze to look at. This room needs life added – big time.
- The color. The color per se is not a problem, it is just something that we will need to highly consider when bringing in any other colors. If you bring in anything that is bright, or even too much of a pastel, it could quickly turn into a kiddy space which I know she doesn’t want.
In addition to those factors, our two other challenges will be the existing furniture and…budget. The furniture was all being stored in a separate room. From what I could see, it is clunky, heavy and brown. Bonnie and I will be getting together in the next week or two to start playing around with the placement. At that point, we will get a better idea of what we are up against. As for budget, there really is none. Bonnie will be picking up some things on her own.
After facing the challenges straight on, my next step was to start coming up with ideas for Bonnie’s classroom. Brainstorming how we could make this a space that fits her needs and that her middle school students love.
Source
Bonnie texted me this image to give me an idea of an office she loves. Of course she would pick this gorgeous light-filled space from one of my favorite designers, Studio McGee. It’s super traditional and fresh at the same time. While it was tough to replicate the light in this room, I did think we could try to get the same amount of texture. Please note how much life the pops of greenery add to this home office. Not sure if we will be able to get one, I did find a desk similar to the inspiration image at a GREAT price in case Bonnie decides she wants to pass on the one currently slated for her classroom.
I compiled the products for the inspiration mostly from Target, with a few little things from World Market and Pier One sprinkled in. The reason for this is three-fold: 1) Target is local to us. It’s easy to pop in, grab a few things and go. 2) Sometimes students get you gift cards to awesome places like Target 🙂
Bonnie is not stuck to buying everything from one place. These boards are just to help her visualize the colors, textures and elements she can add to her space. So, if she happens upon something at a garage sale, on clearance at a different store or wherever, she can pick that up just the same. These boards can guide her in her choices.
Choice #1 – Textured Traditional Classroom
wall shelves / wall hooks / floor lamp / side table / table lamp / wood carved wall plate / chair / ceramic pot / preserved boxwood / woven magazine holder / faux fiddle leaf fig / throw pillow / rug
This mood board reflects a traditional style in neutral tones. Lots of grays and a dark indigo as a little bit of color. The colors are kept neutral to offset the brightness coming from the walls. You will see both mood boards include greenery because the room needs that touch of life. Considering the room gets zero natural light, preserved boxwoods and faux plants will be her friends. The hooks are also on both boards. These will be crucial for student backpacks to go up on instead of the floor.
Choice #2 – Inviting Coastal Classroom
wall art / chair / floor lamp / preserved boxwood / lamp / throw pillow / wall hooks / wall shelf / faux fiddle leaf fig / throw / rug
Option #2 is a little more coastal, less traditional than the first. The colors are a little brighter. There is still a lot of textural elements, like the chair, the throw, the burlap in the lamp shade, etc. The area rug comes in a blue version and this warmer version. I love the blue one, but we needed something to balance all of the blue we have in the walls. The little bits of rusty coral is perfect. Here is a closeup of the rug so you can see:
So there you have it. Two different looks with a lot in common. What I love is that Bonnie can mix and match from both if she would like. Most of the elements could easily be swapped. Once I get feedback from Bonnie on which look she prefers, it will be easier to move forward on the furniture placement. I will keep you posted on how that goes!
Which one is your favorite? Do you prefer the more toned down neutral, or the brighter option?
Like these inspiration posts? Check out similar posts HERE.
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