Back-To-School is the annual whirlwind that spins parents and children into activity hyper drive. Life can become temporarily chaotic as everyone adjusts to new schedules and tasks, but there are ways to maintain a sense of calm. Here are 7 St. Louis remodeling projects that help the family stay balanced by staying organized:

1. A Kitchen Work Desk
The kitchen tends to be a home’s central gathering place, and a desk in this room lets the children do their work while staying connected. Install a countertop with a set of drawers to make a sleek built-in that doesn’t use up a lot of room. This work desk even has a great view of the backyard pool, which also makes it an inviting place for parents to work. See photos of the kitchen where this work desk resides.

2. A Quiet Work Nook
For students who need a little more solitude to properly concentrate, borrow a little square footage in a laundry room, bedroom or basement for a cozy and productive work space. Shown above is a pretty nook in a laundry room that is only 3 feet wide but wisely uses the vertical space for a bulletin board and shelving with under-cabinet lighting. When their work is done, the chair conveniently slips out of the way under the countertop.  See the pet-friendly laundry room this work nook is part of.

3. Home Office in a Multi-Tasking Room
This is a multi-purpose space that was created for a busy family. Located between the garage, rear entry and kitchen makes this a high-traffic area, but it is precisely laid out so coats, bags and shoes can be quickly unloaded without causing clutter. Some serious work can take place at the full-size built-in desk while a load of laundry runs. Also note the built-in file drawers under the framed photo, which extends organized storage across every available surface!

4. Coat & Storage Bench in a Laundry Room
With laptops and tablets, students can work most anywhere they please, but keeping their belongings organized (and the rest of the home clutter-free!) remains a priority. Attached garages tend to be the main entry into the home, and for this project, the room between the garage and kitchen is converted to a laundry and mud room. The built-in bench is a smart hub for keeping coats, backpacks, hats and shoes in a central location.

5. Kitchen Coat Bench and Storage
Taking the built-in coat and storage bench concept into the kitchen works just as well. For this project, the corner of the kitchen next to the garage door has a storage unit that matches the kitchen cabinets. Along with the hanging hooks, they’ve added a small desk surface for writing and recharging, plus plenty of drawer storage above and below.

6. Basement Mud Room Area
This family has a detached garage behind their home, so the basement becomes the central entryway to the home. This project cleverly combines a kitchenette and an open storage area (which makes it easier to quickly find items) within easy reach of the door, and the artful details (like the comfy bench with more space for shoes) lets it blend into the overall beauty of the lower level family room its part of. What looks like a wood floor is actually porcelain tile, which stands up to heavy use and dirt while being easy to clean. See more photos of this lower level.

7. Small But Mighty Loading Zone
A large family with many school-age children gave up a corner of their attached garage to create this loading zone. This 4 x 7 foot room packs a lot of important activity into a small space. A wall of floor-to-ceiling open shelving is a convenient landing for shoes, bags and books. A wall and base cabinet creates a charging station with work top and plenty of storage, turning this into command central for gadgets and messages. 12×12 ceramic tile is durable and easy to clean, and the elegant cabinetry combined with a lively paint color makes it a pleasant place for the whole family who depends on it to keep their lives organized.

Be it the back-to-school season or a typical day, good design solves your problems and makes life easier. Let the designers at Mosby Building Arts help you improve your home by calling 314.909.1800 or contact them here.