Schoolhouse Design Week Four

Many Hands Make Light Work

Schoolhouse design week four is DONE! We had a major blitz day here to wrap up week four of the schoolhouse design. My back is sore but my heart is grateful to friends that lent a helping hand. I am so happy to report on all the work we have finished during week four of this schoolhouse design project!

First off, I have to give a big shout out to the Board of Directors for all pitching in this week. Truly, this week (and mostly Saturday) has been a testament to the saying “many hands make light work!” If you have not “met” our board, check them out here.

Another shout out to my faithful helper, Ben. Do you remember him from week one? The son of my friend. You know, the one who moved four-and-a-half tons of rock in two afternoons? Yep, that one. He has been so helpful during this project! I have been paying him, but I am happy to do so. He is saving up for college and missionary work so I feel like it is money well spent!

One final shout out to my sweet mother, who without fame or glory, weeded most of my front yard. This was no small undertaking and it was a HOT day. She is a saint. I hope she can move tomorrow! (Sadly I forgot to snap a picture of her. She really deserves a gold medal for her work!)

So without further ado… the schoolhouse design update…with LOTS of before and after pictures!

Week Four: The Original Plan

The first priority will be to keep working on the desk project. I am setting a goal to get everything sanded by the end of the week. I am also going to get the basement completely cleared out and ready for the new schoolhouse furniture. Finally, I am also going to get all the furniture pieces ordered so they are ready to be placed in the schoolhouse.

I am happy to report that everything on the week four list is DONE!

I know, I am in shock too! Granted it was delayed two weeks due to my camp week adventure, but that’s okay! Camp week was amazing and worth every minute!

So let me show you some of the progress we made… I have so many pictures to share!

You might remember this is what the desks looked like when we started. Everything needed to be sanded, washed, and repaired. It was a huge undertaking! We had so many fun helpers along the way!

My baby watched from her chair on most days. Today our board members’ son got in on the action. What a cute helper! The kids really were so good today as we worked for more than ten hours!

We had six kids, five and under around today. I am so glad that they played together so well. They would circle through indoor play, outdoor play, and watching/helping with all the excitement. My son sat in most of the chairs today, trying to decide which chair would be the best for the next school year!

I was voted the messiest strainer. Seriously, I don’t know what my problem is… I have stain all over myself. Everyone else has a spot here and there… but nooooo… not me! I need a serious shower! (That’s me!)

But, regardless of the mess and all of our “helpers” we are done! I am so excited. They are so cute. I will post final pictures after I get them staged in the schoolroom, but here are the garage pictures of the desks and chairs, drying as you read!

Next Up: Basement Clear-Out

On top of the desks getting done today, we also got the basement cleared out and ready to be furnished and decorated. If you remember from paint week, I just shoved all the furniture to the middle of the room while we painting.

I am SOOOOOO happy to report that the basement is clear and clean and ready to become a schoolhouse. Get ready for picture overload. These make me so happy. Let me walk you through the pictures and tell you a little bit about how the schoolhouse will be set up.

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Schoolhouse Walk Through

When the students arrive they will come in and hang up their coats and school bags on these hooks. Arriving soon are the shoe and lunch bag cubbies that will go underneath the hooks.

Since we value time outside, students will need a place to store muddy shoes, rain boots, snow boots, heavy coats, and other outside gear.

I also think this picture shows the color of the wall best. I am in love with it. The color is peaceful and bright with just a little bit of whimsy to make you smile.

After coats are hung and lunches are stored, the children will head past the potbelly stove to morning time! Perfect, right? When we bought this house I thought this was a strange addition to the basement, but now, I know it is perfect. (Our house has central heat, don’t worry! Students will not have to gather around the stove to keep warm in the winter!) But, I am excited to gather the students around the stove for quiet afternoon read-alouds!

Speaking of morning time, let me show you the morning time room. This room will act as the morning time room, my office, and the computer lab. Right now it is just a freshly painted room, but soon it will hold a purple braided rug looking up to the beautiful classroom calendar made by Treasures From Jennifer. (If you have not seen her work, you NEED to hop over to her website. This is not a sponsored recommendation in any way. She has no idea I even exist. But, her work is amazing and I just want to buy EVERYTHING!)

Next up is our classroom. The desks will be placed in the large open area perpendicular to the windows. A large blackboard will soon be hung at the front of the room and a large bulletin board will be hung at the back. A television will be mounted on the wall between the windows. (Old meets new!)

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Looking Forward

Now we are looking forward to opening up the schoolhouse to the public. Furniture will be arriving slowly and things will be placed in the schoolhouse. Although I will keep you updated on these Monday blog posts, make sure you are following along on social media to get the blow-by-blow! (Facebook and Instagram)

I have orders of books, rugs, shelves, tables, maps, and more all coming to bring our schoolhouse to life! If you are in the area, please join us for our parent night and open house!

Please come by and see our progress this summer. Click on over to this post to see all the details!

What do you think?

Drop a comment below! I would love to hear your recommendations for your favorite school supplies, classroom manipulative, or Montessori/Waldorf inspired learning toy!