Creating a Customized Classroom

Here at Schools In, we receive plenty of requests for furniture and equipment to enhance or update a classroom. Another exciting part of our business - one that is growing rapidly - is helping our customers completely redesign their space or even customize a new school or classroom.

As most school budgets start over in July, you'll want to think about where your money can best be spent. If you are considering a major classroom design project, there are some key points to keep in mind.

Where to Start

Coming up with a plan is the best first step when ordering furniture or equipment for a classroom. You'll want to think about the functionality, aesthetic and vibe desired in your space. Do you prefer traditional furniture with rows of desks and chairs? Are you more interested in a collaborative classroom with plenty of STEM friendly furnishings? More and more schools are opting for a hybrid design of traditional and modern furniture and equipment.

The Basic Must Haves

With most classrooms, you'll need to cover the same typical basics. That includes the general categories of seating, worksurfaces, storage and classroom presentation. While each of these categories seem fairly straightforward, each comes with a whole new set of possibilities for design.

For example, the category of seating brings to mind chairs but it also includes soft seating, modular benches, mobile chairs, stools, wobble chairs and much more. Even narrowing it down to something more specific like traditional chairs brings a slew of additional options - color, seat material, brand, seat height and more.

Worksurfaces can be desks or tables, each with hundreds of configurations and styles to choose from. Storage solutions are broad as well, with options for everything from toys to electronics.

Most classrooms also feature some sort of presentation equipment, with the most popular items including whiteboards and presentation carts.

Consider the Bones

Before selecting your basics, it's important to keep in mind the general construction of your classroom.

Are the floors soft and carpeted or hard tile? Some mobile furniture has specific caster types that are better suited for hard or soft floors. A classroom rug is also something to consider with hard floors, especially if group floor time is part of your teaching style.

Also consider the walls in your classroom. Are they cinder block or drywall? Will you need special mounts to hang whiteboards and display rails?

Classroom Wants

Once you've taken into consideration your classroom's bones and must-haves, it's time to think about the extra touches you want in your space.

Classroom rugs are an easy and affordable way to customize a space. Rugs aren't just for elementary classrooms; we have a great selection of solid and patterned rugs in earth tone colors that look great in higher learning spaces. Our Classroom Rug Finder is an excellent tool for sorting through our hundreds of rug styles.

With electronics being such an important part of the classroom, you also might want to consider items like charging towers, cables and charging carts.

Here to Help

Designing a classroom is a daunting task, but you don't have to go at it alone. Our expert sales representatives have helped customers across the nation and we happy to offer advice during the process. Give us a call at (877) 839-3330.