Functional Artwork

Until we moved to our current house, our classroom was located in a separate room of the house where we could decorate and learn and make messes during our school time, and then when school  was over, we simply shut the door and lived peacefully (okay, happily) in the rest of the house. When company came, they never had to see our classroom unless I wanted them to see it. It was the ideal setup for me. When we moved, however, the houses we considered did not have an extra "hidden" space where we could spend our school time. Quite the opposite, actually. If you visit our house, our classroom is the first room you'll see, and you will definitely see it, because it is  located at the front door and is completely open to the rest of the house. I wasn't sure I'd like that arrangement, but it has turned out great. I finally came to terms with the fact that school is "what we do," and as my husband said, "Our house is for us, and it should work for us, not the occasional visitor."

Designed to be a sitting room, it is now 100% our classroom and my office space. It works best for our family to schedule school time and have a location that is conducive to learning and not being distracted, so as a result, we spend almost all of our [very long] school days time in that room and sometimes in the dining room. Because we can't simply close it off in the evenings or on weekends or when company comes, it's important to me that it is neat and clean and attractive and that it doesn't scream primary colors and messy projects. That's just me. If I get to come to your house, I'm not judging! (For the record, our room does not always look this clean. Usually, it's a downright disaster!)

I prefer that our home doesn’t always resemble a schoolhouse, and one way I accomplish this is through functional metal artwork. We do have and enjoy using a marker board, but for this very open room, I opted to trade out our bulletin boards and hanging chart pockets for more attractive and homey metal artwork. With my favorite heavy-duty magnet clips from the hardware aisle, which can hold a lot of weight, I simply put up any charts, maps, or artwork that I want to use for teaching, learning, or celebrating. It's perfect, because when I'm sick of it, don't want it up anymore, or want to change it out, it's a breeze!