Design for your family's needs. "The owners of this home have three children ranging in age from 7 to 12, and they wanted a space that would allow the kids a calm environment to study and do their homework," says Alexis Lane of Lane Design Studio."By placing these two desks back to back, I was able to create an area large enough for all of them to sit together and help each other out," he says. "The bleached wood of the desks tied in well with the rug and soft gray of the room, helping to create a light, beachy feel that reminded the owners of Hawaii."