(The MckLinky for the Not Back-to-School Blog Hop is HERE)
Where we do school. Ha!
This post is one of those in theory kinds of posts. This year, we haven’t really used the school room at all. Instead, I sit in floaties stacked two high on a big leather chair in my master bedroom. I look absolutely ridiculous, but I did something to my tailbone, and it’s relatively pain-free this way. Google tells me these tailbone injuries can be 10-12 weeks? Ack! I hope that’s not true. I’ve been “floating” since about the 4th of July.
So, in theory, we do school here:
Just to keep it real, I snapped those photos, as is, before I cleaned it and organized it for not back-to-school. 
Our school room has many lovable features, but this is one that I get asked about the most. Handy Man installed cork flooring – not on the floor, but on the walls. It’s prettier and more durable than the alternative.
Handy Man also created all those built-in bookshelves. I don’t call him “Handy Man” fer nuthin’. Didn’t he do a beautiful job?! I showed him a catalog of what I was hoping for and he worked for such a long time, cutting lumber, measuring, assembling, painting and crown molding – wait is that even a verb? Well, it is now. He crown molded the shelves and white board. I think I’ll keep him. And them.
The flooring was chosen with rough and tumble boys in mind. It’s rubber. We can drop, spill, scoot, slide, lounge – pretty much anything those boys can dish out, that floor can handle. It was created with places like public airports in mind, so I knew it could handle The Boybarians.
We also have a big ol’ white board that, when I’m not floating, is a fantastic educational tool. It was u-g-l-y until Handy Man trimmed it out with matching white border wood. I bet “matching white border wood” has a more official name.
Here’s a pic of it from an earlier blog post. We used it to play Pictionary at Christmas. (That handsome guy would be my nephew.)
A charming feature is the retro school room lights. I’ll try to get a photo of those soon. I can’t believe I don’t have any! Those were used in schools and classrooms ages ago; it was a fun authentic nod to the classroom purpose of the room. The curtains remind me of Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study.
Most importantly… location, location, location.
The classroom is located right off the kitchen. I can’t tell you how useful that’s been in the overall operation of our home and managing our days. When designing this home, we really tried to take into consideration all the ways we could make school and life and life and school all a natural fit. Having the school room directly off the kitchen has been one of those “yay, at least we got that right!” decisions.
During Iowa’s fleeting warm months, we’ve also been doing school in the garage. It’s been a fun way to enjoy the weather and still accomplish something. Last week it took me all week and I still only made it to 3/4 of the blog hop entries. This week, I hope to make it to ALL of them.
Thanks for visiting! Check back tomorrow because I have fun news for all of you with tween/teen homeschool students! 
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great room. Can I borrow your husband to make those bookshelves in my office? How lucky to have someone so handy. Actually mine can probably handle it. I’ll have to show him this picture – fantastic.
I have shelf envy!
GREAT schoolroom.
Maybe I’ll show them to MY Handyman & bribe him to make me some
I really like your bookshelves. Once we remodel I’m putting in lots of those. I’m finally getting around to adding my classroom post.
I LOVE your shelves, the whole room really! I love the curtains too! That kind of built in look is what I dream up in my head for the future! My hubby is handy, but doesn’t have tools anymore, so the dream will likely remain a dream!
Love, love, love your schoolroom! Those bookshelves are wonderful and the overall feel of the room is so cozy.
Having it right off the kitchen yet it’s own dedicated room is brilliant! Tell Handy Man he could have a job just building for homeschoolers:)
Hope your poor tailbone feels better soon. Ouch!
I am with everyone else…I have shelf envy. Bookshelves just make me so happy. I still need to take pictures of our school room. It took me two posts to write about curriculum…I am thinking the school room won’t take nearly as long!
LOVE it! Love your shelves and whiteboard.
Great schoolroom! I aspire to have one similar one day soon. We are in the process of building a new home for our family, and have included a room for this purpose in the houseplans. Awsome-thanks for sharing!
I love the cork flooring idea for the walls and the bookshelves are amazing.
You room is beautiful. I would love to transform our room into something like that. Maybe over time we will see!! I love though and I am sure your kids do as well!!! Take care & God Bless!!
I LOVE built-in bookshelves in a room – so fitting for a learning atmosphere.
Jamie
I need more bookshelves. Maybe it’s time to ditch my IKEA and put my own handyman to work?
Hmmm… like the bigger whiteboard too. And the trim is a great idea to make it look nice. I wonder if it would look weird by the kitchen table where I normally keep all the maps?
That Handy-Man sounds like he’s, uh, handy to have around.
Okay, bad pun but you know what I mean!
That room is a wonderful thing. Functional, well-designed and a cool place to learn…and teach, too, I’d imagine.
Hope your butt gets better! ;o) (Another bad pun, I know.)
LOVE that school room girl! Handyman is a keeper for sure!
I love those shelves…now I just need to get some of those in my home!
Those shelf units are spectacular. The little green envy monster is rearing his old head. Yep. Handyman is a keeper.
Oh, and my green is Corn Husk green by Behr. The smaller darker strip is Grass Cloth.
Darcy- These pics don’t do the school room justice
-S
Yep, shelf envy. Amazing.
Why is it that every time that I come here, I leave green with envy? But this time, at least, there’s no pressure. . .for me, that is. Any chance that Handy Man would be willing to take on a 30-something year old, carpentry-challenged, father of 7 as a wood-working apprentice? If so, I think My Honey might be interested!
Hope you get feeling better soon! I love those curtains, they are awesome!
This has been such a great blog hop. We were hoping to move this summer, but are still stuck here making do with what we have (or don’t.) I’m getting so many fabulous ideas for a schoolroom though if we can find a house with enough space. Thanks so much for doing this.
p.s. thanks for your congrats–and we just found out it will be boy #4!
Awesome room! Tell hubby that the cork walls are brilliant. I love my school room but it is upstairs, many times I have wished it was off the kitchen. Kim
WOW. that is just beautiful! i love how the background melts away and leaves all the school room in focus.
I love the colors – very nice (and the bookshelves aren’t too shabby either!) . . . .
LOL, thanks for not cleaning up — makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one! I love the book cases, especially that all the shelves are nicely spaced. I keep having to creatively rearrange my books to fit on shelves that aren’t as user friendly.
How cool that you have a lot of space Darcy. I like the white on brown background.
Your bookcases are seriously awesome. Wow! What a blessing! Have a wonderful new school year!
Oh my gosh! I love your built in book shelves! Seriously, I am so jealous (but happy for you). My husband isn’t a reader, so not a fan of having tons of books, so not a fan of book shelves. I finally got him to concede to me buying some and I created a little home library area.
I am behind in my homeschool hop post. So much else going on, but I’ll get to it before the next one is due. LOL
Oh wow….drooling over here!! I love that room!!!
Wow! That is an amazing space!
I love this room!!
Oh, those shelves are AWESOME. You are blessed to have such a handy hubby. I am thankful though that my hubby finally realized how badly I needed shelves and bought me some really cool ones. He’s even watching to get me some more!! Great room!!
I am a week late. LOL I love your room. When we moved into our house we thought office would be perfect for homeschooling. Having tried to use it as such hasn’t worked out as well as we were hoping.
I can show my hubby your photos and I think it will be a good place for us to plan from.
Thank you for sharing.
what a great room! and inspiration. on the tailbone injury … buy a boppie (one of those half moon breast feeding pillows) and sit on that. i had to do it for several months and it was heaven.
Can you tell me about your homeschool room flooring? We’re building a house and I’m wondering what it is, how it was laid and how you decided to use it.
Any other homeschool room design tips?
Thanks!
Heather
GORGEOUS! Wow – I want some of those.
I am an aspiring Homeschool mama and looking for ideas and inspiration. Your school room looks amazing! Handyman did a wonderful job – I am insanely jealous of those bookcases!