10 Stylish Kids Desks That Look Great in Every Room

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Join us over on Instagram for more!

With kids going back to school in just a few days (and truly back to school, at long last, for the majority of the country), it won’t be long before the school projects and take-home assignments start rolling in. The load is pretty light for my family, as preschool parents, but I can only imagine the homework hustle that awaits us when our little guy goes to elementary school. Chapter books, biography reports, fraction bars, Punnett squares; thinking about it all makes my heart race — and believe or not, way back when, homework was my jam!

While there’s no special sauce for nurturing homework warriors, educators, school administrators, and learning specialists all agree that establishing a routine with consistency — in both the setting (be it in the dining room, a home office, or at the desk in their bedroom) and the timing — is key for making homework sessions productive and successful. A great desk certainly can’t do our kids’ homework for them, but it can be that dedicated, ergonomic space they need to get things done on their own terms.  

Here are our very favorite picks:

Before all the complicated lesson plans come along, preschoolers and kindergartners have one basic assignment on their plates: create! And this sturdy wooden art table is just the place to do it. Featuring two matching chairs, shelves for storage, built-in cup holders for paint, an innovative paper roll holder, and 75 feet of paper, the playroom and bedroom-friendly desk really has it all for the toddler-aged set. The two-toned finish fits with any home decor and it can be easily wiped down to stay crisp and clean after every use. 

Buy it here: Melissa & Doug Wooden Art Table & Chairs Set, $269.99

Part dresser, part cabinet, part cubby, part desk, this Guidecraft model creates a bridge between living and learning spaces — which is perfectly in tune with the way we’ve been living and adapting as families for the last 18 months. Not only is the tabletop long and deep, giving kids ample space to sprawl out with their notebooks and writing utensils, there are plenty of in-design hutch and fabric storage options to keep them organized (another homework superpower). Plus, the open and flexible shelving is perfect to stack textbooks or folders, and host a range of acrylic vessels for writing tools, paper clips, and other school supplies. We love how the desk sits perpendicular to the rest of the unit, allowing kids to work more fluidly, with the energy of the rest of their room all around them. 

Buy it here: Kids’ Media System with Desk Extension, $559.99 from Target

Versatility is front and center with this spacious tabletop and minimalist desk design by Bill Eastburn. If a broad blank space is what they need to spread out and check things off their list, this has their name written all over it. Best of all, the legs can be swapped to support a wide range of activities beyond homework and study sessions. Use the Medium Legs to shorten it to play table height, or sub in the Short Legs for a coffee table transformation.

Buy it here: Large Charcoal Adjustable Kids Desk/Table, $239 from Crate & Kids

Set on a super-sturdy trestle base, wobbly isn’t in this impressive desk’s DNA; your tween or teen can fill up the shelves with everything they need to complete their workstation and not have to worry about losing anything (or hearing mom or dad complain about their clutter). What’s more, the rest of the frame features cork boards, cubbies with adjustable dividers, and a slot to hold a tablet — it’s fully equipped and GREENGUARD Gold Certified, to ensure a healthy and safe environment for your home-worker bees. While it doesn’t come with anything to sit on, that just means it can be matched with the chair of their choosing — a balance ball can work, too! 

Pro parents’ tip: For a truly dynamic setup, pair the desk with a fun cork board-inspired gallery wall above it. Check out some design/decor accessories that’d be great to hang!

Buy it here: Customize-It Project Trestle Desk, $1,099 from Pottery Barn Teen

For a homework haven that will keep growing with them, look no further than the Oeuf Brooklyn desk. With its adjustable height (up to three settings) and moveable storage boxes, it can be endlessly adapted to their study style and what they’re using in school. The slim, rounded legs create a streamlined, simple-yet-chic silhouette, which looks great when paired with Oeuf’s vertical library (sold separately). Overflow space for the win, and a striking accent against colored walls, if your kid has them! 

Buy it here: Oeuf Brooklyn Desk, $625 from The Tot

Have twins at home? This loft bed+desk duo is ideal for splitting one shared room into two unique spaces for siblings. Four feet of underbed clearance provided by the high loft creates a super functional study nook and frees up “so much room for activities!” Outfit each of your kids’ sleep and study vignettes with a fun area rug and chair that matches their individual tastes and personalities — even a petite dresser for storage would be a great fit. (Just be sure to measure well before making additions!)

Come time for college, your teens will be completely comfortable with the compact bed and study studio setup. We promise! 

Buy it here: High Loft Bed with Straight Ladder + Desk, $1,499 from MaxTrix

This is Scandinavian design at its finest! Understanding that a combination of concentration and physical movement fosters a safe learning culture, FLEXA offers an extensive collection of mobile desks and chairs that reflect the core principles of ergonomic design for children. The unique STUDY collection includes study desks and study chairs that are height adjustable and have tilt-able desktops. So, with the popular Woody desk, in its neutral 27’’ position, it reaches a perfect seating height for children 8+ years old, but it can be lowered all the way down to 18″ to accommodate children as little as 2 years old or raised all the way to 33 1/4″, making it a comfortable standing desk for older kids. 

Buy it here: Flexa Study Woody Desk, $999 from Flexa

The white version of the Camp desk looks identical to my own from childhood, but it’s offered in navy, too, which I love as a pop of color in a grey or white bedroom (also imagine all the colorful desk accessories that can add to its playfulness!). Like any traditional desk, this one is designed with spacious drawers, roomy shelves, and a cork board backing to make the most of your student’s study space; however, it can also be matched with a standard and fortified tech hutch for ultimate 2021 school-year suitability. The Standard Hutch highlights two cord cut-outs to manage electronics, while the Tech Hutch sports a smart strip with two regular outlets and two USB outlets for stress-free device plug-ins. 

Buy it here: Kids Camp Storage Desk and Hutch, $599 from Pottery Barn Kids  

Okay, so with this three-in-one study desk, bookshelf, and playhouse, the distraction factor is real — but when we’re talking about toddlers and preschoolers, that’s totally encouraged. The cleverly designed sloping roof functions as a desk on one side, a chalk and magnet board on the other side, and a two-tiered bookshelf underneath for storing tracing sheets, books, or toys. And finally, opposite the bookshelf, is the playhouse: literally poised and ready for open-ended play. Peep that chimney, too, the best place to stash pencils, chalk, mini erasers, or loose magnets. Everything was considered in this adorable, multi-functional design (which replaces the need for several pieces of furniture, moms and dads #ItsTheDream). 

Buy it here: My Mini Desk House, $595 from Maisonette

Coming full circle, we have to include a desk that truly lives up to its role as your kiddo’s best learning partner. Its height is adjustable from 22–30’’ for the desktop, with locking rotary knobs that can grow with your child (starting with your assistance, of course) and a thoughtful hydraulic rod that safely buffers the falling speed of the tabletop. The multi-angled desktop offers 0–60 degree adjustment to protect their eyesight and accommodate various needs from writing to reading and drawing. And our favorite feat? The erasable desktop, which can swiftly take care of any daydream-induced doodles. 

Buy it here: Multi Function Art Desk with Hutch, $649.99 from Wayfair