I’m so excited to tell you all about this new project I’ve got going. It’s been under wraps the last few weeks, but now I can declare it to the world!

I’ve been chosen as one of 5 bloggers to participate in the Pottery Barn Kids Design an A+ Study Space Blogger Challenge. I know that’s a mouthful, but essentially PBK has provided me with some of their products, and I’m going to design a study space for my 5 year old who is entering Kindergarten. Four other bloggers will also be designing, and when we are done pictures of all the spaces will go up on the PBK Facebook site, and you can vote for your favorite. And I hope you’re voting for me!

What’s SUPER exciting is that if I win, I will get an identical set of study space furniture and accessories to give away on the blog to one of you fabulous people. That would be amazing.

I’ll be walking you through my designing process along the way. I’ve got some DIY tutorials up my sleeve and I’ll be talking about design choices. The spaces will be finished and posted on September 17, and then voting will open!

To start, I’ll show you the space I will be using for the redesign:

That’s the 5 year old’s room. It’s never really been designed all that well; it’s kind of a hodge podge evolution that happened from when he was a baby until now. Witness:

This is what resides in that space right now. A nice bookshelf that is, unfortunately, overloaded with baby books and things he’s already outgrown. On top, we’ve stashed preschool projects that, now that he’s entering kindergarten, will become obsolete. He loves to hang up his own artwork, too, so he’s taped a few recent pieces up with blue painter’s tape.

The “artwork” in this area is really quite sad. It consists of an old, old framed Ireland print that RD Husband and I acquired right after college, in that stage when you are essentially picking furniture up off the street to decorate your apartment. And when Toy Story 3 came out, RD Husband got this poster in the mail with some promotional items from the Writers’ Guild or some such association, and we decided to tape it up in the 5 year old’s room. Classy, right?

The Dutalier rocker is going to present a bit of a challenge. I love that thing. We bought it when the 9 year old was born, so it’s been a part of the family for a while. And I actually sit in it every night to read to the 5 year old or snuggle before bed. I don’t think I’m ready to give it up, so we’ll have to find a new place for it. To be determined.

Now, here’s what Pottery Barn Kids sent me for the new space! I chose a red and blue palette, although my son’s room is painted light green. I’m going to try to pull that all together somehow.

1. Kendall Desk in Sun Valley Espresso

2. Carolina Stationary Chair in Sun Valley Espresso

3. Solid Task Lighting in Navy

4. Printed Magnetic Clip Board in Stripe

5. Magnets in Red Arrow

6. Mini Lazy Susan in Red

7. Hedgehog Bookends

8. Boy’s Cameron Creativity Storage, Deep Cube and Jumbo Box

So, that’s what I’m working with. I’ve got some other stuff around here that I might appropriate, and as I mentioned I have some DIYs to perform.

So stick with me as I transform this room! I can’t wait to share the process with you.

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