A Desk Worthy of Starbucks Last year my wife and I dropped $300 and way too many hours on a big new desk for our fireplace room, thinking it would be our younger children's go-to study spot. The fog of delusion was so thick that we could barely see the desk until last month. At that point we found that our children's homework evidently involved a long-term study of household junk. Or, perhaps, our study-area design was flawed. Into my vortex of cluelessness, I invited three people to help me create a kid-friendly study space: Harris M. Cooper, professor of education, psychology and neuroscience at Duke University; Amy Kiefer, vice president for the educational division of KI, a furniture manufacturer; and Ed Schmidt, an architect with Fanning Howey who specializes in school design. One good way to start, they said, is to be old school. Literally. "When constructing a space for your children, you might want to think of the one-room schoolhouse," Mr. Schmidt said. You'll want to consider flexibility, interactivity and socialization. Practically speaking, that means providing a variety of work spaces even within the same room, and accommodating unconventional study spots. It's good training, Mr. Cooper agreed. "As children get older, they'll have to work in multiple environments," he said. I get on an airplane and know what kind of work I can do. Specific layouts and furniture mixes depend, of course, on one's space, budget and children. Mr. Cooper said that because my children are 11 and 14, I should consider involving them in the design. Parents of younger children, he said, will want to be more prescriptive, taking into account their children's learning styles. For younger children, the book "Pat the Bunny" is a good design guide, Mr. Schmidt said, in that it offers different surfaces and a range of tactile experiences. So bear in mind the texture of the paint, wallpaper and fabrics, and how your children tend to react to such things. "That sort of stimulation is exactly what you'd want," he said. And you need to track where they are in their learning. By age 6, there should be words everywhere. When they're 11 or 13, it's all about creating their own worlds. Creative approaches to shelving can help. Quidditch brooms, skis, lacrosse sticks or even books can be used as shelving materials, as long as they're stable and anchored to a wall, as I found while completing such a project not long ago. Ms. Kiefer said parents should do a little homework of their own, to understand how their children tend to learn. Are they visual? Kinesthetic? Auditory? Thinking about this can help you build the right environment," she said. Do a search for "children's learning styles" for tips on this. Parents may not want to tell children that this space is intended for schoolwork, my panelists said. Ask them to help brainstorm a cool space, and they'll use it for schoolwork and everything else. Ms. Kiefer suggested three distinct workstations, which sounded expensive until I put her shopping list to the test. I found an adjustable swivel chair and a desk with drawers for $160, a beanbag chair for $25, a wall-mounted drop-leaf table for $30 and a pair of cafe-height stools for $100. I liked the idea of a high table because it would offer my children the option of a standing workstation. Ms. Kiefer offered a better reason: it's cool. "Kids love cafe height," she said. It still feels different, and if friends come up, they're at the same height and they can have a conversation. It's no coincidence, she said, that many colleges are "adding a Starbucks feel." Perhaps our 11-year-old son or 14-year-old daughter would like an espresso machine for Christmas. Whether or not you opt for coffeehouse furnishings, my panelists cautioned parents to pay close attention to lighting and views. Mr. Schmidt said children should be able to see the outdoors, if not have quick access to it, and colors and lighting should add energy to the space. The study area we created last year was somewhat flawed on this score. Prisoners of our gigantic dark desk could stare at a shaded wall with an antique mirror and a Tiffany lamp subduing a 40-watt bulb - all the while luxuriating in a vintage wooden chair. The only things missing were a drawer full of mothballs, a tray of Sen-Sen and a Victrola loaded with Count Basie's best. Time for homework, children! Later, father will take us for a ride in the motorcar.