School Room

I have long desired a room that is totally dedicated to home-schooling.  For years, we have used the table to get the homework finished.  I hated clearing off the school books to make room for lunch, then clearing off the lunch dishes to make room for school books, and so on.  In our Indiana home, we had a schoolroom in the basement.  It was rather cold in the winter, but it was open and well-lit, so we made it work.  I got used to not having to shuffle books and dishes several times a day, and it spoiled me!  :)

In the trailer, we do not really have an option – everyone has to squeeze in at the table.  A school room was on my list of “wants” for our new home.  It kept trying to scootch over to the “needs” column, but I kept shoving it back, somewhat reluctantly, I must admit!

The Lord was so good to give us a “bonus room” that we can dedicate to our school needs.  I am so grateful!  So, here are the before and after pictures of this wonderful world of learning!

This was the bonus room as we first saw it.  The walls were painted a neutral beige, but were so full of holes and punctures, that we had to do some serious patching on the drywall.  That meant we had to repaint, too.  There was a wallpaper border around the top, rather appropriate for our purposes, with the whole “library” look, but since I am not the world’s biggest wallpaper fan, I decided that it would have to go as well.  You can see in this picture the nice, spacious closet – a huge plus in my opinion (this house has the nicest closets, and lots of them).  The floor was bare plywood, but other than that, it was in pretty good condition. 

I painted this room my lovely Seamist and we had new carpet installed in the entire upstairs (and in the downstairs bedrooms).  Along with a fresh coat of white trim, it gave the room an entirely new look. 

I was so excited when I found a giant white board at a local consignment shop.  It was a high-quality, 4’x6’ board with a marker trayand it was only $24!  Paul helped me hang it, and it really adds to our classroom instruction!  Over in the corner is our “children’s library,” a collection of books that I have gathered over the years.  They range from my childhood favorites to solid classic children’s literature.  I always encourage my children to read good books – it helps to develop the mind!

Right now, this is where we spend a great deal of time each day.  Since it is such a great part of our lives, I wanted it to be a relaxing, serene atmosphere, too.  I feel that I have accomplished that to a small degree.  Later, I plan to add some pictures of great American landmarks that we have visited as a family.  My ideas are boundless, but so are my pressing priorities, so the photos may have to wait a while! :)