Sonia Voronoff is an ex-uneven bars gymnast, fitness enthusiast and advocate of a healthy lifestyle. She has devoted her life to helping people reach their health and fitness goals through the use of bodyweight exercise, adjustable dumbbells, and a basic home gym equipment as a sustainable and attainable approach to practice sport everyday, injury-free.
Installing floor-to-ceiling mirrors is the most cost-effective way of decorating a home gym because they allow natural light to enter the space. Outfitting your home gym with luxury equipment while using bright colors are other worthwhile options.Â
Workout sessions are boring, but no one’s ever got a toned body by watching TikTok videos all day long! And if you’re too lazy to head to the gym every day, creating an at-home workout space is the next best thing.Â
Having a dedicated workout area makes it easy for individuals to keep themselves fit. So, scroll through to check out my roundup of innovative home gym ideas that are functional yet stylish!Â
How To Decorate Home Gym: 19 Innovative Ideas To Consider
1. Natural Light
Working out outdoors while soaking in some Vitamin D offers plenty of benefits, including boosting endorphins and lowering obesity risk, heart disease, and diabetes. If you cannot work under the open sky, installing floor-to-ceiling mirrors will allow natural light to enter the space.Â
2. Invest In Luxury Gym Equipment
Luxury gym kits are well worth the extra expense if you’re a fitness freak or an architecture buff who cannot tolerate the sight of unattractive gym equipment occupying the space. Smooth wood flooring or ultra-modern concrete surfaces complement a kinesis machine and a curvaceous treadmill without appearing Tate Modern.Â
3. Use Light And Bright ColorsÂ
Be it a garage, basement, or spare bedroom– your home gym should be anything but dull and dingy.Â
Ask any interior designer how to create a bright home gym and hear them say that using vibrant colors is one of the secrets to sprucing up your space. Paint your walls white and lay bright flooring to make the small space appear large and spacious, while creating a calming environment. Â
In a basement-level home gym, use white paint on the floor and add large mirrors that will reflect light to make it appear twice its size.Â
4. Work And Workout From Your Home Office SpaceÂ
Don’t have any spare rooms in your not-so-big house? Use your home office space as a workout area– no, you don’t need to choose between a gym or a workspace; simply combine the two!Â
Furnishing your workspace with exercise equipment provides a personal space where you can work out in peace at your preferred time. I would suggest you divide the two spaces by adding separate carpets– one for the gym equipment and the other underneath the office furniture.Â
5. Add Motivating Elements
Believe it or not, you don’t need a spacious apartment or too much gym equipment to shed extra weight. All you need is a stationary bike for weight loss and building strength in the lower body and legs.Â
In the absence of a spare room, add a stationary bicycle to any corner of your bedroom or kitchen. Or place it in the living room, but be sure to decorate the space with floating shelves to hold accent pieces and a basket house for yoga mats.Â
A clean, modern background will make the stationary bike more stylish than a dark backdrop would.Â
6. Build A Climbing Wall
Have a spare bedroom that you’re planning to convert into an exercise space? Make your home gym a fun place by adding a climbing wall. Rock-climbing walls are a great way to engage your core, and even kids will love it, so your workout sessions will be entertaining. You can even add a basketball hoop in your home gym to make it kid-friendly.Â
Resistance training with ceiling-mounted hooks for pull-ups will also be a practical addition to your home gym. And if it’s a spare master bedroom, you can add an exercise bike, a gym ball, or a classic treadmill. This way, you’ll have a variety of workouts to choose from, and the ample space means you can work out with your family and friends.Â
7. Embrace A Minimalistic Approach
Less is more– I’m sure everyone has heard that; in modern interior design, one of the key elements is to embrace minimalism, meaning creating an uncluttered and simple space.Â
For a basement home gym, make your workout space as minimalistic as you can. Outfit it with a rowing machine, wooden bench, and treadmill, or you can enhance the space by adding a standout wooden staircase that leads to the floor overhead.Â
To create the illusion of a large space, envelope the staircase with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and paint your ceiling white. Don’t go dark with the flooring because dark colors add richness to the space. Instead, all-white epoxy flooring would complement the white ceiling well while making your home gym appear airy.Â
8. Add TextureÂ
Do you dread the thought of having white walls in your home gym? I’ve got a solution: textured wallpaper can amplify the look of a basic workout space.Â
In a neutral-toned workout space, textured wallpaper provides dimension, so you might as well go for that. Or simply use floral wallpaper on one wall while painting the rest white to make it the center of attraction. This way, your visitors’ attention will be diverted from the unsightly treadmill to the floral wall.Â
9. Create A Do-It-Yourself Zen Yoga Studio
On days when you don’t wish to work out using a gym instrument, your yoga mat will help you relax both mind and body.Â
After figuring out the right place to start, spread your yoga mat and think of easy ways to create a tranquil space. Surround your exercise space with an assortment of potted plants to add color and texture.Â
Else, you can transform your garden shed into a yoga area with a wabi-sabi touch by using an overhanging tree branch.Â
And folks who aren’t blessed with a backyard barn or garden shed can use their garage (residential) space as a yoga studio. Coat the walls of the garage space in white, followed by the floor, with cream mats and meditation cushions to add character to the space.Â
10. Make Room For Storing Equipment
You do not need to invest a lot of money to bring home a closet and store gym equipment, like yoga blocks, exercise bands, or weights. A sideboard or a modern dresser would be a good addition to your home gym, where you can keep everything in style.Â
Above the vertical storage unit, add wall hooks for gym gear, jump ropes, hoodies, and towels. Most people jazz up the wall of their home gyms by adding an accent piece or using a decal, so if you don’t mind the expenses, go ahead!Â
Remember, you must always pair your dark storage unit with a light-colored ceiling and flooring and vice versa.Â
11. Dress Your Home Gym With Lighting
Turning your sunroom into a yoga studio or gym will allow you to get Vitamin D without exposing you to the harmful UV rays of the sun. Simply open a window so that you can breathe in fresh air while working out.Â
And if you’re a night owl, furnish the room with whimsical lighting, a few famous artworks, and floating shelves. This way, the room can be used for a variety of other activities like meditating, resting, and reading.Â
In times of need, you can use the space as a mudroom, especially for throwing parties.Â
12. Accentuate The Ceiling
Without adding unnecessary elements, you can spruce up your home gym space by accentuating the ceiling. A white-gray-themed home gym boosts productivity, so those focused on achieving their fitness goals must opt for this color combination.Â
You can create a simple yet timeless set-up by painting the walls white and contrasting them with gray woodwork and a functional storage unit. Since the focal point of the home gym is the ceiling, use plaid wallpaper to add a playful element to the space, making it inviting.Â
13. Create A Hidden Home Gym
Don’t want to spend tons on gym instruments? Give your living room a makeover by adding weight-training equipment that doubles as furniture in your living room. A table lamp disguised as a dumbbell and a coffee table serving as a bench press are practical additions to your space. You can also include a flower vase that doubles as a foam roller.Â
When you want the home gym to echo your grand sense of style, opt for a wall of large mirrors to spruce up the space.Â
Framed mirrors, though a popular pick among gym goers, are a high-end option. They will be a valuable addition if you want to make your space attractive or you can simply stick to white walls paired with jeweled ceiling lights.Â
15. Build A Sauna
If you decorate it right, your home gym could be a space where you can unwind after a hectic day post high-intensity training. Wondering how? Incorporating a home sauna will allow you to detoxify post-workout. Hitting the sauna after working out is known to loosen muscle contractions while providing spa-like vibes.Â
A compact wooden sauna would be a better option for small spaces and you can even install heat-resistant lights for dramatic flair.Â
Still have some space in your gym? Integrating a built-in shower in the home gym will allow you to clean yourself and rush to the office without delay.Â
16. Design An All-Black Home Gym
Those who aren’t fond of bright colors must go all-black when decorating their home gym. An all-black home gym will change your mood while working out and you can pair it with black storage shelves and punching bags that blend well with the space.Â
17. Paint Your Home Gym Pink
Who said gyms are supposed to be masculine? Black or neutral colors aren’t the only options for home gyms; you can pick up a can of light pink paint shade from a local market to coat your wood walls.Â
If not paint, you can simply go for pink wallpaper that adds texture or depth to the home gym. This way, you can work out with your girl gang and make aerobic exercise sessions enjoyable.Â
18. Create Your Own Workout Bubble
Do outdoor exercise sessions get you excited, but the elements always rain on your parade?Â
Building your own workout bubble is a creative way to work out in the backyard without worrying about the weather. Outfitting a frameless pod fuses the borders between the interiors and exteriors, allowing you to work out in the garden anytime, regardless of rain or sun!Â
You can even turn it into a personal meditation pod by kitting it out with yoga equipment. But if you’re more into gym than yoga, furnish it with large equipment to turn it into a forever home gym.Â
19. Design A Living Wall
Lush ferns coupled with rugged rocks serving as a living wall sure don’t sound like the gym of your dreams. But an organic backdrop will make it the center of attraction– so don’t be afraid to be creative with your home gym.Â
Definitely, this unique concept cannot be carried out in the basement; rather, your garage will be the right place for this home gym set-up. You can zone out the area with shock-absorbent flooring and line up all the gym instruments, while making sure they face out to enjoy the view while working.Â
Tip
Health and fitness enthusiasts wanting to build a multi-gym need not buy too many equipment. A treadmill, an elliptical trainer, a rowing machine, and an exercise bike will help them reach their fitness goals easily. As for people who work out a few times a week, a set of dumbbells, kettlebells, and an exercise bike will be enough.Â
The benefits of a well-designed home gym are aplenty, from muscle building to improving upper body strength. Taking out time to work out from your busy schedule can relax your mind and help you sleep better.Â
Also, let’s be honest– in a generation full of sleep-deprived individuals, who wouldn’t want to get a good night’s sleep? But remember, your budget is important when it comes to decorating a home gym, so prepare beforehand to avoid overspending.Â