Newsflash: your home gym doesn't have to be drab. Workout equipment that's been relegated to the basement or tucked into a corner of the garage can still look very nice. With the help of a little paint, wallpaper, proper lighting, and some plants, you can completely transform your sweat space. In fact, we've found evidence that well-designed home gyms do exist. Below we have compiled some of the most beautiful and creative examples. When strength training is done in a room like this, you actually look forward to training.
Pause the mirror
mike van tassel
Designer Lindy Galloway designed this home gym in Hudson, New York with a cardio area, meditation zone, and yoga space. She custom-made the mirror so that it could be hung rather than hung on the wall. The floating effect enhances the luxurious, spa-like feel of the room.
do a plank
jack thompson photo
If you're lucky enough to have a separate building outside your home (it's not a garage!), turn it into a wellness space. This bright and airy room was designed by Nadia Palacios of Nadia Palacios Residential Design and built by Wyndham Builders, and Nadia says the goal was the feel of his cottage in the garden. Each element of the room has been carefully considered. Wood planks are beautiful yet functional and can hold heavier equipment than sheetrock. This building is often used by homeowners with spacious bifold doors left wide open to help with air circulation. (The gym can be stuffy!)
Understand design-ahead details
Erin Wheeler of Sunny Circle Studio
Erin Wheeler of Sunny Circle Studio (who actually designed the 2022 Real Simple Home rooms!) made her own with gorgeous blue paint, custom wall moldings, jazz-inspired light fixtures, and elegant window treatments. We have further upgraded our gym. Fun fact: The “art” in the center of the room is actually a Frame TV, perfect for at-home workout videos.
Add nice cabinets and tiles
Jason Hartog Photography
If you can add custom storage to your room, use this opportunity to do it right. For this basement home gym, designer Joe Alcorn of Alcorn Home Design & Build designed a pretty, light-colored wood-grain melamine front so the homeowner could hide workout equipment like rubber bands, yoga mats, and cleaning supplies. I decided to add a built-in cabinet. A cool tile backsplash also adds another layer of texture to the room. Warm-toned wood slat ceilings counteract the cold, sterile atmosphere that often exists in basements.
Create a partition
Chris Testani
Lairi Klassen designed this basement from Real Simple Home 2021 to be multifunctional. Although there is a living area that takes up most of the room, she added a pegboard divider to create a separate small zone for exercise equipment. (So ​​you can hang things up if you want!) And instead of hanging a heavy mirror, leaning it against the wall works well.
Choose a cute wallpaper
Natsumi Sara
Designer Rachel Peck of Rachel Peck Interiors was aiming for a boutique hotel feel when she teamed up this custom oak slats with delicate floral wallpaper in collaboration with contractor Dimora Remodeling. This cleverly offsets the utilitarian aesthetics of most gym equipment. Rachel also said of this combination: “The wallpaper's high level of detail and the structured, uniform look of the slatted wall combine to give the room a focal point of tension, allowing the wall to achieve that 'wow' moment with just one piece.” became. looking for. ”
don't forget the color
Ellie Lilstrom
Albie Buabeng, an interior design content creator at Albie Knows, added a fitness zone to her multipurpose room, or what she calls her “flex lounge.” It also has a lot of other features, such as a work area, so it had to look good as well. Colorful artwork, temporary wallpaper, and fun graphic Ruggable rugs warm up the space. She added a super practical wall unit from iDesign and a chic woven basket to store weights, bands, and towels.
Arrange structural elements
Joni Ray of Ray Baby Ray
If you're surprised that this is in your basement, don't worry. So were we. Joni Ray of Ray Baby Ray actually harvested lemons and made lemonade from this underground space. Since the vertical poles cannot be removed due to their construction, Joni painted them with a long, narrow checkerboard pattern. In addition to this, she and her husband created a custom plywood arch and added strip lighting for a backlit effect. And if you look closely, there was also a handrail installed for bar training.
Add spa benefits
True Style's Ariel Elliott with Ari
Ariel Elliott of True Style with Ari was dedicated to creating a spa-like environment in her home gym. She made sure to include beautiful wooden open shelves and wicker baskets, as well as lush plants. When Ariel is relaxing after an intense workout, she places a small waterfall and reed diffuser on the tabletop that creates calming water sounds. And the mini fridge was a genius addition. No one needs a cold drink more than someone who has just finished a tough training session.
install ceiling beams
Lucy Cole
Shea McGee of Studio McGee has an amazing basement with a home gym and indoor skate ramp. (Careful, you've been blown away.) If you're trying to find ways to reduce the cold in your training room, install wooden beams on the ceiling like Shea did here.
mix ingredients
Madeline Harper
If Peloton is your life, Shawna Percival of Styleberry Creative Interiors offers plenty of design solutions in this post on how to design around a stationary bike. Perhaps the real charm of this corner is that the variety of materials, including brick, wooden ceiling treatments and modern art, significantly upgrades the room.
build a sauna
hugo land garcia
Just because you have a gym at home doesn't mean you don't need a sauna completely. You can also add a sauna to an existing room. Designer Kristin Hildebrand of KH Interiors updated a regular home gym with a Finleo He sauna, making it a true wellness retreat for homeowners.
Get creative with storage
Organized style Lela Bliss
Professional organizer Lela Burris of Organized-ish converted this sunroom (once a screened-in porch!) into a small home gym. She used her top-notch organizational skills to create the most organized exercise equipment area you've ever seen. Metal pegboard, closet shoe shelf and various command her hooks provide ample storage space. To save money, she hung multiple inexpensive mirrors instead of buying a large mirror. And of course, I love the pale shade of pink paint.