Few pics below of my main level so u get a feel for my house:

More pics of my house

Here's what someone did with their laundry room but it might translate for you. Check out all the associated photos. I like the bench with the glass table.

What a cool idea! Never Thought about a bench! For me, personally, I couldn't sit there because I need back support and I also don't sit side-by-side w my students. I usually sit at let's say the shorter side (if thinking about a rectangular shape) and my student(s) would sit at the longer side to give them some space. I like the the closeness of a square table but awkward shape for that room I think. Bench would be cute for students tho! Also need a working desk and the other pieces.

For your office side, look at Bassett Furniture. For the student side I would look for a drop leaf table, an antique/vintage one would be nice, even a painted one. The one leaf would be left down & against the wall & the other side could be left up. The rounded shape of the up-leaf would keep an airiness while still providing work space. I see a need for lighting actually. The wonky floor lamp needs to go. I would consider wall mounted swing arm lamps with cord covers. The one for the student could be in that blank space of the wall grouping to the lower left of the grouping. (An electrician can add an outlet on that wall for you fairly inexpensively) The other lamp could be in the desk area, with a little rearranging of the pair of pictures. Then you won't need the floor lamp. Add a cute chair or 2 for the student desk from an antique/used furniture store.

That's a great idea! So an oval drop leaf table? Will have to look for that. As far as the standing lamp goes (ha ha!), I carried that up from my family room because I needed extra lighting. That will not be staying!! :) If u have any actual pics to send me, I would appreciate it!! Thank u!!

Even with the table lamp I think the entire arrangement on that wall needs to drop down 12". Right now it gets too close to the ceiling.

Yes, remove all the wall decor and rethink it when the new furnishings come in. Generally, I advise keeping decor below the window and door frames where you and your stuff live.

Hi! I guess I should have started this discussion by saying I don't need to keep "anything" in this room. All can go as far as I am concerned! :) having said that, I reeeeeeally need new layout ideas as well as desk, file cabinet, bookcase, area for students (table or writing desk), window treatment, and a new family picture wall. HELP!! :)

And also wanted to show u how high the family picture wall is if u can give that some thought:

jamie, now that you have grover on your team, you're going to have this dilemma solved in no time! :))

Hmmm interesting! :) But "my" desk will house my desktop computer so need a place for keyboard and hard drive. Even if I go to a laptop down the road, still need a place for the keyboard - I don't like when the keyboard sits on the desk.

Also, have a ton of wires under my current desk as well as a modem and need place for printer.

You can buy keyboard trays that simply attach to the bottom of a table and slide in and out. As for cables and such, I would hide a surge protector inside the cabinet and plug everything into that. If you wanted to get rid of cables altogether, you could go wireless. Otherwise, get a cable tray or other management system--I know they make tubes and even decorative twist tie thingies with leaves.

Let me add some equipment and see how it impacts the space.

This is all from Ikea. You could organize your office into a space-saving model of efficiency in one trip. BTW, the furniture comes in several colors including a dark brown.

Thank u so much! :)

Don't underestimate the value of good organizers. I don't have an office, but I have a painting studio with both open and closed storage. One of the best things I did was buy about 10 little cups that hook on my wire shelves. I think they were a buck apiece at Ikea and they hold pens, pencils, cutting tools, inks, charcoal... Well, you get the idea.

I hung this nifty organizer on the wall by your desk so you can keep your stapler and paper clips and whatever else you use right by your hand but off of your desk. Give a lot of thought to how you want the space to work and look before you buy anything. You'll be happier every day when the space works for you.

If you want cubbies for the kids, or even just to store things you want the kids to access, look at Ikea's Expedit with bins and baskets. In the configuration just above, it could go on the wall under the family photos and be convenient for them while you work. It comes in many configurations and colors.

I, too, don't like my desk against a wall. The double tables back to back create a lot of functionality. Go wireless as much as possible. There will be no end to wires otherwise. Find desks that you love to set the whole tone of the place. If you like the chair you have, keep it for yourself. I have often thought of making a cover for my office chair to make it look better in the room. Find interesting chairs as accents for the students. They can usually take a less than perfect chair. I do like the bench idea, but it might not be all that practical if you have two people at once and you want to help them in rotation.

You must have good lighting.

Unfortunately, I can't go wireless right now. My printer is wireless so it can stay on top of something on the left side of the room but otherwise, all the wires (and there r a TON) are also on the left side of the room. :(

So sorry, I have the same problem. No matter what I do, I can't control those wires.

Yeah was just asking my husband and between the modem, router, printer, etc, I am stuck with wires on the left side. Soooo if I can't have tables in the center, any other suggestions?

What do you mean by left side? Left as we look from the stair, or left as you sit at the desk? In the configuration above, I've moved your desk all the way to the wall so you could use a wall organizer and your cables can run along the wall under the organizer. If the wires are on the other side, just flip the whole affair so the cables run along the other wall.

Ohhhh! I didn't see that groveraxel!

I actually took a decorative basket, set my surge protector in it, and then plugged in all the things that came off the desk. Wrapped up cords that were long, made sure no cords were crossed or knotted and it works great.

This was for similar orientation as your desk to wall, altho cords are at opposite end from wall.

Have done this with a few clients too when we wanted to get their desk away from the wall. It gives you something pretty to look at and does an amazingly good job of hiding the mess. You can take it one step further and find a basket you can cut a hole in so the surge protector plug can stick out instead of crawling over the side.

Same configuration moved all the way to the left. Move the bookcase to the opposite wall on the right. The printer stand can be tucked away where the bookcase is now. Take down the stuff on the right wall and start all over. Your swag is too small. Find a bigger, more luxurious one. I think one large picture on the right wall will leave a nice impression and a walkway which won't seem an obstacle. Get yourself a beautiful lamp for the table. One that makes a statement. Color will be more stimulating for the intellect. Perhaps in the picture you find and/or on the interesting chairs you find for the students.

Happy Holidays! Ok, so you are all basically agreeing with groveraxle's recommendation of having me facing front basically and not the wall (LOL) and having the 2 desks/tables touching each other instead of across the room from one another. I will have to move the desks/tables all the way to the left for now (little by little if I go wireless, I can also move it closer to the center) and try to do something with the wires like a basket as catieb recommended or something similar. I will definitely check out Ikea! I also like the idea of something under the window for storage if I can find something low enough. If anyone has any specific ideas/pieces other than the Ikea ones or a bookcase, window treatment or family picture wall idea, I will take them!! Thank you! :)

Jamie, look at the Ikea website at all the options in their office category. Also look at Billy bookcases and look at the Expedit with desk as well. The Galant system also has some L-shaped desks that might work really well in your situation with you and your computer on one end of the L and two students across from each other on the other leg.

I'm really trying to get you to think outside the box and ponder what would be most convenient. For example, think about the one or two things that just annoy you no end every time they come up. It might be that you have to go to another room to get the games, or that there's no close space for paper and pencils, or stuff keeps rolling off the student table.

There is a solution to every one of those problems with a little creativity--like the basket idea for cords.

And if it sounds like I'm pushing Ikea, it's because their stuff is really a good value in situations like these. Just one example: I googled keyboard trays and Ikea's is about 1/4 the price of the next cheapest one I found.

My whole purpose in uniting the student and teacher work surfaces was to have a more cohesive, organized space, more room for storage, and to get you away from facing the wall. Trust me: facing outward will do wonders for your outlook. ;-)

I completely appreciate you "pushing" Ikea!! :) I am not looking to spend a lot of money on this space so thank u! I should have mentioned, though, that I am a math tutor so nothing needed for my students besides paper, their textbooks, pencils, my calculator, and folders! :) I have many textbooks so a bookcase is a must and a closed space to house all the other stuff including my own office "stuff." (I work from home). Can u forward me the L-shaped idea? I just don't like to be on top of my students. I like to sit on one side of a table and have them sit at the adjacent side - not across from me,

I like the dark color the Galant has but would also like to maybe I corporate a lighter color as well so not so "matchy matchy." Not a big fan of that. :)

Here's the link to the office inspiration pics from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/roomset/

Most of their furniture comes in dark brown, a birch color, and white, although I think the Expedit comes in a rainbow of colors.

Here's a link to the whole Galant series: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=galant&pageNumber=0

And here's the Billy series: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/11683/

Note that you can buy frames and doors separately. Word to the wise if you haven't shopped Ikea before: it can be overwhelming, so go armed with a list and your measurements. Plan to spend the day. Take a large vehicle. And if you go early enough, you can have breakfast for 99 cents. ;-)

Such a pretty home! Pottery Barn carries a few modular desk pieces that are pretty and very sturdy. They offer file cabinets as part of the desk. I recently purchased a few pieces for my attic office that is on the other side of my bedroom area. I, too, work with students. Depending on their age, you might want to reconsider a glass table. It would look beautiful but oh so many fingerprints and sharp corners. Love to see the finished room.