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From Habitat plus - kids' spaces

Making space to study and create is increasingly important in every home.

When it comes to kids, it's extra important that the space is an inviting and stimulating place to be. Remember it's not just for homework – it can be a space for reading, listening to music, drawing and writing as well.

Painting a child's room with their favourite colours is a great place to start. Be sure to add places to store things like pens and pencils, books and headphones to keep their desk free from clutter, as well as somewhere to hang their artwork and photos of their friends to personalise the space and help make it really feel like their own. 

Everything (should be) illuminated

Proper lighting is really important in a study. If your desktop space doesn't allow for a lamp, hang a pendant light like this one. Paint hollow wooden balls in your chosen colour palette and thread them on to the cord of a large naked bulb. Ours are painted in Resene Blue Lagoon, Resene Scrumptious, Resene Revolution (try Resene Raven) and Resene Half Rice Cake.

› Learn more about this look

Eke out a niche

Creating a special reading nook for any age with the bold black of a Resene FX Blackboard Paint wall is perfect for inspiration and personalisation. This floor is Resene Alabaster for a monotone base to the room that can be accessorised to suit any child of any age from toddler to teen. Or for a coloured chalkboard use Resene FX Chalkboard Paint or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

› Learn more about this look

Side studies

Why not create a special space for your little ones to work alongside you so that they feel included? In this fun and vibrant space – inspired by an old schoolhouse – the upper wall has been painted in Resene Moonlight (try Resene Hampton), the panelling is in Resene Untamed (try Resene Verdun Green) and the shelf and table legs are painted in Resene Noir.

Build panelled walls out to create a shelf where everything you need will be in easy reach.

Your kids can even help you make this simple magnetic chalkboard, which is made from a picture frame with the glass removed. Simply paint with two coats of Resene FX Magnetic Magic on the backing followed by Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in your choice of colour. We used Resene Family Tree (try Resene Palm Green). Once dry, you can write on it with chalk, which can be wiped off with a wet cloth or hang strong magnets on it – like these wooden letter magnets, painted in a bright spectrum of Resene testpot colours – and spell out some fun!

Artistic aspirations

If you have a budding artist in the family, why not make a special place for them to create? Working in a room with artwork and cheerful walls like these ones in Resene Gelato, Resene Moonbeam and Resene Half Black White could help inspire their next masterpiece. The chair is in Resene Vanilla Ice, the coat rack is in Resene Onahau and the 'floor rug' is a painted square of Resene Geyser over Resene Half Black White.

Fortune favours the bold

A fun stripe of Resene ASAP (try Resene Billy T) was added to this Resene Dusted Blue wall in this study, which shows off plenty of personality. The filing cabinet, basket and shelf crates complement in Resene Seachange, Resene True Blue and Resene Whirlwind (try Resene Gothic). The Resene Alabaster chair plays off the lampshade, the trestle legs are in Resene True Blue and the timber flooring grounds the look in Resene Colorwood Walnut stain.

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