Bored by queuing for the treadmill? Whether you’ve got an entire floor or just a few square feet, here’s how to create your own private gym at home.
The basement home gym of fashion editor Deborah Brett and her film director husband Tom Edmunds oozes sophistication and vintage glamour.
‘I wanted to move away from the sterile white walls and harsh lighting traditionally associated with gyms,’ says Deborah. ‘And it was important to us that this felt like a natural progression of our home rather than a late addition.’
The couple’s kitchen boasts greens and the hallway is painted in a moody petrol tone. ‘We wanted to continue this “grown-up” feel in the gym,’ says Deborah.
She resisted the inclination to paint everything white, the idea being that you need to incorporate more light.
Instead, Deborah collaborated with Hubert Zandberg Interiors (hzinteriors.com) on her gym design and went for a cool clean palette of Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue (farrow-ball.com), with textured panelling and warm woods. ‘Hubert’s genius idea of adding oversized wooden-framed mirrors hung with thick rope from wooden pegs was so clever as it means we can move the mirror placement and change the look of the space over time,’ says Deborah.
Wall bars, £399, johnlewis.com
Exercise bike, £2,249, nohrd.com
Boxing gloves, £169, fruugo.co.uk
Kettlebell, £29.99, gorillasports.co.uk
Rug, £125, frenchconnection.com
Smart rope, £80, conranshop.co.uk
Bench, £495, steuartpadwick.co.uk
Weighted ball, £30.57, amazon.co.uk
Dumbbells, £825, conranshop.co.uk
The gym in a cupboard
If you’re short on space, check out the workout area of Lorraine fashion expert Mark Heyes, which was once a cluttered cubbyhole in his spare bedroom.
CREATE COHESION WITH COLOUR
‘I painted the ceiling in the same shade as the walls to draw the eye upwards and make the space appear larger than it is.’
PLAN YOUR SPACE PROPERLY
‘I took the room measurements, along with a roll of masking tape and a tape measure to a gym store and started marking out on the shop floor where each item would fit, leaving enough space around the equipment for yoga sessions and a walkway.’
GO FOR OPEN STORAGE UNITS
‘I opted for shelving that is positioned high enough to be able to fit gym equipment underneath and a vintage gym clock above.’
GET READY TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT
‘Almost every item in my gym is portable, from the stacks of dumbbells on wheels to an extendable gym seat and sandbells housed in storage units. These items can be easily moved to change the look and feel of the room, which is key for motivation.’
MAKE IT YOURS
‘I don’t really enjoy working out, so it was essential that I created a space that made me feel comfortable and I wanted to spend time in. Personalise it with your favourite pieces.’
Whatever your workout style… we’ve got the kit
For circuit lovers
Alarm clock, £35, conranshop.co.uk
Punchbag, £22.50, redcandy.co.uk
Weights tower, £499, johnlewis.com
Dumbbells, £21.99, amazon.co.uk
Good Vibes Only light, £115, amazon.co.uk
Trampoline, from £418, bellicon.com
TRX resistance-band trainer, £79.95, johnlewis.com
Yoga gurus’ go-tos
Yoga block, £6.99, yogi-bare.co.uk
Foam roller, £48, lululemon.co.uk
Bath towel, £39, chalkandmoss.com
Weighted exercise bracelet, £50, conranshop.co.uk
Yoga mat, £160, saialondon.com
Chalk room diffuser, £100, haeckels.co.uk
Seat ball, £99.90, amazon.co.uk
Zen den essentials
Room and pillow mist, £15, madebycoopers.com
Namaste print, £6.95 (unframed), desenio.co.uk
Hand, £19, rockettstgeorge.co.uk
Amethyst bottle, £74, net-a-porter.com
Vertical planter, £608, chalkandmoss.com
Hot for cardio queens
Strada 2 bike, £400, raleigh.co.uk
Cactus wall rack, £20, redcandy.co.uk
Manual treadmill, £5,295, conranshop.co.uk
