Expansion and growth are exciting milestones for any early childhood or elementary provider. But with these big milestones come big decisions such as furniture selections, classroom layout, learning material choices, curricula options, and more. Every choice matters, especially with school schedules and budgets to consider.
That was the challenge facing Amanda Edmondson, head of school at Tuckahoe Montessori in Richmond, Virginia. What began as a one-room schoolhouse run by Amanda's mom has quickly grown into a thriving program now serving 126 children from 18 months through 12 years of age. With no space in their current building to welcome new children and families, expanding to a new site was a must!
Knowing she had only a few months to design and furnish multiple classrooms before the beginning of the 25-26 school year, Amanda needed to quickly decide how she might create an inviting, home-like environment that balances beauty, functionality, and durability. Her solution? Partnering with Kaplan to bring her vision to life.
Elementary classroom space before the expansion to the new site. Photo courtesy of Amanda Edmondson, Tuckahoe Montessori.
Tuckahoe Montessori before the expansion.
Before the expansion, Tuckahoe Montessori's elementary program operated out of a cozy, tri-level cottage that had served the school well for many years. The classrooms were intimate and charming, but the space began to feel limited as enrollment grew.
"Our elementary program started with eight students," says Amanda. "This year, it grew to 35 total students, and I knew our cottage would not be big enough to accommodate everyone. The last thing we wanted to do was turn away new and existing students and families due to a lack of space."
It was time to look for a secondary space that Tuckahoe Montessori could call home. Amanda began her search in January 2025, hoping to find something near the cottage to help maintain the close, connected feeling the school has carried for so long.
"We didn't want the elementary program to be so far away from the cottage," says Amanda. "Luckily, we found space in a nearby church that is literally 2/10ths of a mile from one campus to another. I'm so glad we can maintain our close connection!"
Envisioning the new space.
While expanding to a new location was exciting, Amanda knew designing the new space would be deeply personal. "My dad or brother had made everything in the school up to this point. They are people important to the life of the school," Amanda says. "This was our first leap to go corporate and move away from that. It was a leap of faith that truly paid off."
The main challenge for Amanda was capturing the warm, home-like feel of the cottage that defined Tuckahoe Montessori. How do you make a space with white, stone walls feel warm and inviting? That answer came soon enough when a Kaplan sales representative dropped off catalogs featuring the Sense of Place™ for Elementary collection.
"As soon as I saw the catalog, I said, 'This! This is what we want!" Amanda says.
This collection's curved lines, collaborative spaces, and flexible configurations spoke to Amanda and what she wanted for Tuckahoe Montessori's elementary program. Her goal was to create a space that felt like home and functioned like a quality Montessori classroom, and Sense of Place for Elementary delivered.
The new elementary classroom featuring Sense of Place for Elementary furniture. Photo courtesy of Amanda Edmondson, Tuckahoe Montessori.
Making the choice to partner with Kaplan.
Even though the Sense of Place for Elementary collection caught Amanda's eye, she wanted to explore other vendors and their furnishing choices before making any final decisions. Beauty and functionality were important to Amanda's vision for Tuckahoe Montessori's elementary program, as were cost and delivery timeframes.
After discovering Kaplan's white glove delivery and installation services were an option for her and would fit her tight turnaround time, partnering with Kaplan was a no-brainer.
"As a small non-profit, we don't have a facilities team," Amanda explained. "I imagined everything being dumped in the parking lot and having to carry it up the steps and hope we could find someone to assemble it correctly. With Kaplan, the white glove service meant we could get tables, chairs, shelves, glue sticks, paper, and everything we needed in one fell swoop."
With Kaplan's white glove delivery service, a team of early education installation professionals would deliver and install Amanda's complete classroom order. The sales representatives handle the logistics of delivery day, relieving Amanda of the stresses of a project this size.
Now that the partnership was established, it was time to finalize the details of the new classroom space.
Designing the new learning environment.
It's overwhelming trying to figure out what to do with an empty space, a truth Amanda soon realized after signing the lease on the new elementary space in March 2025. Classroom design requires thoughtful planning to balance aesthetics, functionality, and safety. While Kaplan offers full-service classroom designs, Amanda valued the opportunity to incorporate the vision of a talented parent who was closely connected to the school community.
"Classroom designs are essential," says Amanda. "It was nice having a parent who could help us, but she isn't used to designing classroom spaces, so we missed a few things initially."
As Amanda and her team studied the parents' classroom designs, they noticed a few obstacles that could prevent the furniture from fitting into the space appropriately. For example, the height and placement of shelving units blocked windows and obstructed lines of sight, which could affect child safety and comfort in the new space.
"It's easy to get excited and want to buy everything," shares Amanda. "We wanted everything to fit and look inviting. Our Kaplan rep, Melinda, came over to the new space, double-checking measurements and ensuring things would fit before we ordered."
With the help of her Kaplan Sales Representative, Amanda refined the classroom design to support both children and teachers. Her rep even spoke with the teachers beforehand to answer questions about what was being ordered and how the delivery would go. At this point, Amanda was ready to place her order and begin the next step of her project—delivery and installation!
Photo courtesy of Amanda Edmondson, Tuckahoe Montessori.
Delivery day at Tuckahoe Montessori.
When delivery day finally arrived in June 2025, the Tuckahoe Montessori team felt the excitement and anticipation of their vision coming to life. Kaplan's team of delivery and installation professionals got to work, carefully assembling and placing every item exactly where it belonged. Unable to contain their excitement, Amanda's team also helped with some of the unboxing, leading to an emotional moment.
"While unboxing on of the items, I started to cry" Amanda said. "This program, which is so tiny and we've worked so hard to grow, is now turning into this amazing space that looks so beautiful. It was like a dream come true."
For Amanda, delivery day felt cosmic, like something Tuckahoe Montessori was supposed to have all along. The Sense of Place furniture felt right at home, bringing nice curves and softness to the classroom.
Amanda's advice for others expanding into new spaces or building classrooms from scratch: Do it!
"Kaplan is a great partner to have," says Amanda. "If you're in a large environment, they will install it all so you can walk in the door ready to go. If you're in a small environment and don't have the support, Kaplan is a great partner as you grow and make new choices."
With the new space fully furnished, Amanda and her team were ready to welcome students to a warm, inviting learning space on the first day of school. The classrooms now reflect the heart of Tuckahoe Montessori, blending the school's family-driven roots with thoughtfully designed furniture and materials. Amanda sees this transformation as the next chapter in her school's story, honoring its past while inspiring children for years to come.
If you're curious about how a Kaplan partnership can bring your classroom visions to life, reach out to one of our knowledgeable sales representatives today. They will gladly answer your questions, help you with environmental designs, and support you through every step of the classroom installation process and beyond.
