Yes, y’all, we’ve made a slight change to our plans yet again. Since we bought this house in 2013, we’ve been planning on using one of the bedrooms as a gaming room for Matt where he could set up all of his gaming consoles (he’s collected almost all of them from the very first Nintendo) to create some hybrid of a gaming room and museum. ๐
He’s been excited about that plan, and I was perfectly willing for him to use a bedroom for that purpose. After all, I have a huge amount of space in this house that’s dedicated to my pursuits — a huge studio, and at some point next year, an almost-as-big workshop. So it only seemed right that he should have a space all his own to do whatever he wanted with it.
But last night, he dropped a bomb on me. He said that instead of using that room as a gaming room, he wants to use it as a home gym!
Y’all, never in my life have I thought that I wanted a home gym. In fact, when I’d see pictures of home gyms, I’d turn my nose up at them because they’re just not pretty. I’m unapologetically a form over function kind of person, and home gyms are nothing but function, generally filled with not-so-pretty equipment. I’ve never seen a home gym that made me think, “Oh, that’s so pretty!”
So last night when he told me this, I was initially indifferent. It’s his room, after all, and if he wants a home gym instead of a gaming room, that’s fine with me. But then after giving it some thought, I became INCREDIBLY excited about it! Like, ridiculously excited about it. I’m actually excited about having a home gym!!
Naturally, as my excitement grew, the first thing I did was go to Houzz and search for home gym inspiration, and I started making a mental list of everything I’d like in our home gym.
We don’t have one of those fancy weight lifting machines, and probably won’t be getting anything like that. Obviously, my treadmill and Matt’s exercise bike will go in there. I may want an exercise bike of my own since his is the type that pedals automatically and is made specifically for people with Parkinson’s, M.S., etc. I’d like one that I have to pedal myself. And I’d also like a punching bag. ๐ A TV is also a must-have item because I need entertainment when I’m on my treadmill. Beyond that, we’ll just add to our gym over time as we find more things we’d like to add.
If I were planning a dream home gym (words I never thought I’d say or write), I’d also include one of these Isawall installations…
I had never heard of this until last night when I was searching Houzz, but this looks pretty amazing. You can get all sorts of attachments and accessories that work with the Isawall for various types of exercise. The actual wall part comes in 4′ x 8′ panels. We’d only need one for our room, but I’m almost afraid to send in a request for a quote. I might do it just out of sheer curiosity.
Anyway, this change doesn’t make much of a difference to our floor plan. The home gym is just going right in front corner bedroom. But we’re still keeping it connected to the new master bathroom. It’ll be like a huge master suite + home gym on that entire side of the house.
I thought about closing up the door to the hallway, but if I’m in there and want a glass of ice water from the kitchen, I don’t want to have to walk through the master bathroom, through the master bedroom, into the back hallway, through the family room, through the music room, and into the kitchen. That seems crazy.
And then I thought that we might want to close up the doorway between the home gym and the master bathroom, but why? When I’m through working out, it’s just so convenient to have the shower right there. If we close off that door, then I’d have to make a lap around the house to get to the shower.
So we’re going to leave it like that with the doorway between the home gym and the master bathroom, and with the doorway from the home gym into the hallway. It might be a bit unorthodox, but I’m okay with that. ๐
Anyway, this is a new side of me, and one that I didn’t know was there until last night — a person who gets excited about a strictly utilitarian home gym. But Matt and I have been getting more serious about our health over the last year-and-a-half, so I guess this is the next step for us. And maybe there’s some way I can make a home gym look pretty. ๐
If you have a home gym, I’d love to know what your must-have items are!! I don’t want anything that costs thousands of dollars, but what about the small stuff? What small must-have items to you use consistently?
Just in case you missed it, I shared this grid of pictures showing my progress since we started keto in June 2018. Sometimes it seems like progress is so slow and it’s easy to get discouraged, but this was so encouraging for me to see.
In related news, I’ve been working on packing up and clearing out the three bedrooms that will be part of the upcoming remodel, so that has kept me quite busy. Matt and I have decided to get completely out of the way and move our bed into the breakfast room. So we’ll be sleeping in the breakfast room for probably the next two months, which should be very interesting. ๐
Once the remodel is done, we’ll move into the guest bedroom until we do the addition and have a proper master bedroom. But who knows how long that will be. We could be in the guest bedroom for quite a while, and that’s perfectly fine with us. We’re in this for the long haul. ๐
61 Comments
Courtney
November 6, 2019 at 10:40 amExciting! You look wonderful.
Sherre
November 6, 2019 at 10:52 amI have a “home gym/craft room.” I craft WAY less than you, so just a counter-height dining table and a smaller desk work fine for me ๐
I have a $250 exercise bike that I got 4 or 5 years ago. I’ve probably ridden it 20 times. I love biking, but riding on a stationary bike just feels like torture. Plus, after the first day, the seat bruises my butt bones, so it hurts the next day!
I’m part of an online community called the Balanced Life. It focuses on Pilates workouts that range from 10 minutes to 1 hour and the motto is “Grace Over Guilt.” It also has other types of workouts, like HIIT or Barre, so I can switch it up. I’ve been able to stay consistent with it for 2 years, and I’ve also started to “up my game” and complete longer workouts each day for more of a challenge!
Basically, that’s my tip for “must haves.” Find a community to be a part of that will encourage you to stay consistent. A smart TV to access the workouts would be helpful. And I also have a bunch of different weights, ranging from 1 lb to 12 lbs! They come in all kinds of pretty colors ๐
Lawana
November 6, 2019 at 10:53 amEven though the gym was initially Matt’s idea, I hate to see him lose his game room/museum. To have collected all the consoles and to have had that plan for so long, it has obviously been an ongoing passion for him. Perhaps there could be a small section of the future sun porch sectioned off for Matt to still have it. Keeping the opening from the hall to the gym will allow access for a guest to use the gym without going through your private area, however if you like the idea of closing it off, a mini fridge would be a nice addition. It would make me more conscious of staying hydrated while exercising. I’m excited for you and I know you will make it as attractive as any gym can be.
Elaine
November 6, 2019 at 11:07 amRe gym suggestions, consider a water fountain. Itโs also great for when you get up in the middle of the night and just want a sip of something to combat dry mouth.
Justin
November 6, 2019 at 11:10 amI think there are some ways you can have fun “decorating” a home gym if you put your creative mind to it. First of all, there’s nothing saying the walls have to be bare. Even if you plan to have balls or something that might hit the walls, there are ways to secure artwork and put it behind plexi instead of glass.
If you really wanted to have fun and don’t mind messing with them, you could even bling-out your exercise equipment. Nothing says a stationary bike has to be blah gray. Nothing says that wood panel has to be plain woodgrain.
I also wonder if this isn’t an opportunity to think-ahead to how Matt’s abilities to use the equipment might change over time and whether you might want to include tools or equipment (like a ceiling-mounted lift) to get him on and off his bike so that when he can’t do that under his own power, he can still use it (I’m just throwing out ideas…I have no idea what his abilities will be over time).
For that matter, there’s no reason you couldn’t also include some of his “museum” stuff in the room. Maybe have shelves or display cases up near the ceiling for his collectables.
Carla from Kansas
November 6, 2019 at 12:19 pmCan the game room go somewhere else? Am assuming Matt still games.
Patricia
November 6, 2019 at 10:11 pmMy husband turned our third garage into a gym – he loves it . Guys and gyms!
I like my rebounder . I jog on it thirty minutes at a time in front of my TV inside the house – no garage for me ! I also hike because, Colorado. ๐
Theresa P
November 6, 2019 at 11:11 amYou look great! I’m a big exerciser, so I love that you’re adding a home gym. I agree that a smart TV so you can access workouts online would be a necessity. I also would want the space to have only a few dedicated items (bikes) and lots of flex space, so that you can work out on a mat, exercise ball, do some step, etc. A bike (get a regular bike and a peloton subscription that you can watch on your smart TV, do not get a peloton bike – I’ve heard the screens on those break way before the bike breaks), a small weight bench with various weights, mats, a jump rope. That wall thing looks amazing too, and it doesn’t take up floor space. I’m not sure you’re going to find teal weights, hahaha, but I’m sure you’ll integrate teal somehow! How fun!
Um, not sure how you’re going to survive sleeping in the breakfast room! LOL! That’s hysterical!
Sherre
November 6, 2019 at 12:11 pmI have some teal weights!! ๐
Shari
November 6, 2019 at 3:38 pmMy wish list item for a home gym would be a small FAR infrared sauna. It’s a perfect addition and very healthy and healing!
Eileen
November 6, 2019 at 11:12 amA good bench is always nice to do weight training while supporting the back, sitting, etc.
Jules
November 6, 2019 at 11:13 amThe wall apparatus appears to be a TRX. Itโs one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you will ever own- comparatively inexpensive and safe.
Rachel
November 6, 2019 at 11:15 amI don’t have a home gym, but I liked the aesthetic of this home gym they made over on this episode of The Weekender: https://youtu.be/cmHeqJXNFRw
It’s not your color scheme, but I love the stripes, storage, and mirrors.
Heather Gillett
November 6, 2019 at 1:21 pmlove the stripes!
carswell
November 7, 2019 at 10:25 amThat’s funny – that’s the part of the design that I hate. LOL.
On another note – Kristi – is there a reason you and Matt don’t just move into the guest room space now?
Maggie L
November 6, 2019 at 11:18 amThis is awesome! We are slowly building a home gym as well. So far we have a bench, dumbbells, bar and plates, an exercise ball, resistance bands (the loop kind and noodle kind) and a plyo box. Oh, I also have a weighted vest and ankle weights. Good luck! Looking forward to this!
George
November 6, 2019 at 11:20 amI built a deep closet in our basement guest room that stores the treadmill and weights. I use it everyday, but before I put the closet in, I hated how the treadmill and weights ruined the room. My parent complain they have no place to put their close when they visit but they’ll probably be dead in 10 years.
Susan P.
November 6, 2019 at 11:42 amWould there be anyway to have some sort of corner display or something around the room up high near the ceiling for his collection?
Jo Ann Miller
November 6, 2019 at 11:23 amWhere is the MASTER CLOSET?
Adele
November 7, 2019 at 3:43 pmIs the area marked “Storage” a walkin closet?
Julie Brown
November 6, 2019 at 11:27 amPerhaps the home gym can have gaming decor elements, adult version?
Debbie
November 6, 2019 at 11:30 amI would suggest a large wall mirror if you are lifting free weights. It helps to watch and keep proper form as you do your exercises. It also makes the room feel brighter and bigger. ๐
Margie
November 9, 2019 at 8:06 pmI agree about the mirror, it is really helpful to check your form for lifting and for yoga. Other equipment I have found helpful is a recumbent bike, free weights and bench. A balance ball is also handy. If you are going to splurge a mini fridge for water!
Linda
November 6, 2019 at 11:30 amHow about painting one of the gym walls in chalkboard paint so that you can track your progress and make notes? You could also put up words of encouragement.
Paulette
November 6, 2019 at 11:33 amKristi, you look wonderful!!!
Rose Cook
November 6, 2019 at 11:38 amI purchased one of these a month or so back.. and while I have not consistently used it (life tends to get in the way).. when I do.. I def feel the results. Seems like such a simple machine but it seriously gives you a great workout .. and it’s not too terribly expensive. https://thedbmethod.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-4nuBRCnARIsAHwyuPoqm18lP4OS2lLaoRfMqsF_BSMtoRUJZEygJYO-lnQXpNyUKmx5c6EaAk92EALw_wcB
AJ
November 6, 2019 at 11:46 amI’ve just starting planning for my own home gym – waiting for my son to move out in January – and have been looking at suspension trainers as well. The Isawall is just a brand, as is TRX. They have different ranges of equipment and base systems, from full wall panels to attachment brackets for ceiling or wall, etc. For me, I’d rather have something easy to install and somewhat less permanent than a wall panel so a TRX type is probably what I’ll go with. I’m just using hand weights currently with my workouts (videos on Amazon Prime)
Can’t wait to see what you come up with to make your gym pretty!
Karen Chartier
November 6, 2019 at 11:51 amDefinitely get the Isowall! We have this equipment at our local rec center, and I like doing that over a bike. Itโs more fun, works your muscles better, you can do a ton of different exercises…
Chris
November 6, 2019 at 11:57 amThe Isawall looks interesting. It’s similar to something they have at my physical therapist’s facility.
You look amazing! I need to diet and may print your “progression” photos to put up for inspiration.
Andrea B.
November 6, 2019 at 11:58 amI look forward to seeing what you do with the room. I know that once you add your color and details to the room, it will be beautiful regardless of the equipment inside. I think that a lot of home gyms are strictly made for the function and they usually don’t have cheerful colors. I know you wont fall into that trap!
Tracy
November 6, 2019 at 12:01 pmYes the TRX bands are very versatile. No. Need to get fancy with that wall thing. Just have the wall reinforced at different heights and put up a bar to attach the band to. A mirror, bosu ball, Bowflex select tech weights are good so you donโt need a entire rack of them. Check out Erin Oprea on insta she has a cute simple gym.
Diane
November 6, 2019 at 12:11 pmOh Kristi, you have completely transformed into a younger more beautiful version of yourself. Way to go!!!
The gym sounds great… but the question that begs to be answered is what is Matt’s plan now for his gaming equipment?
Marybeth
November 6, 2019 at 12:33 pmYour weight loss transformation is a HUGE WIN!!! YAY you!!! Keeping up with the food plans while you’re doing all these stressful projects is a real badge of perseverance! ๐๐๐
Phoebe
November 6, 2019 at 12:36 pmWhy does it have to be one or the other? A game room needs mostly wall space, a gym needs mostly the open space in the middle, and perhaps one wall. You can call it a man cave if it needs a name, and combine both!
You could put a big tv on one wall and surround it with shelves with all the gaming stuff. (Make sure to make the tv able to go up and down, if you do something like this, as the height that is comfortable for gaming will be different than the height that is comfortable for watching tv while exercising). I’m talking about filling the entire wall, like if you had one of those bookshelves photo wallpaper. I remember you saying he uses all of his consoles, but I bet he doesn’t use all of his games daily, so they could use some shelves that are not immediately accessible. Use the open space for your equipment – perhaps you could even place Matt’s bike in such a position that he could use it while gaming, and put in some extra time on it.
Looking for man cave photos instead of gyms should give you lots of design ideas that can work for you. I’m sure you’ll find lots of inspiration.
Kelly Carns
November 6, 2019 at 12:53 pmThink about putting a small, college size fridge for water bottles in the home gym.
janice J dinse
November 6, 2019 at 12:56 pmWhat about a water cooler or a mini frig for water in your gym. How about a stereo in case you wanted to listen to music or books on tape. I was thinking, could you move your bedroom into the family room during the new remodel? The breakfast room for your bedroom would mean you would have to walk through the kitchen, through your bedroom to get to your studio. Towels in the gym with a laundry basket.
Katherine
November 6, 2019 at 12:57 pmBravo on the keto dedication. You are looking so good. As to gym ideas. My 94 yr. Client still does stretches daily and suggests a mirror for form and a bar to do help maintain balance. Ballet bar work is an excellent workout. House looks amazing.
Karen
November 6, 2019 at 1:11 pmI was instantly sorry for Matt’s game room to go, even though I can understand his need for a gym so well – our living room area is littered with training equipment and as we are getting older it’s getting more and more ๐ but I love the ideas above to kind of combine both aspects in this room for Matt’s sake – if you don’t have an different, better solution? I’m looking forward to you showing us how to make a gym room pretty and hope for some ideas we can implement in our (far smaller) house!
Julia
November 6, 2019 at 1:29 pmJust a question….where will Matt store and use all of his gaming stuff?
Alexsandra Thompson
November 6, 2019 at 1:30 pmYo might want to check out Peleton. It combines a bike with an screen for online classes.
Alexsandra Thompson
November 6, 2019 at 1:31 pmSorry, I meant Peloton.
Donna T
November 6, 2019 at 1:37 pmI have a spare bedroom โgymโ where I warm up on the treadmill and then do floor or wall exercises with bands and weights. Leave a blank wall space to use for knee bends with your exercise ball and checking your posture. It would be great to have bands connected to the wall for shoulder exercises. Also, a chair for support and sitting exercises and stretching for legs.
Dale
November 6, 2019 at 1:57 pmHi Kristi,
Everything looks great. I one thing I noticed or did not notice are closets. I know they are super important to me. Maybe I just missed them in the blueprint.
Marilyn Canaday
November 6, 2019 at 2:06 pmWow! Wow! Wow! You look beautiful! You continue to inspire me in so many ways! Even if I do only a fraction of what you do from design to health, you help me! Thank you!
Nadine
November 6, 2019 at 2:16 pmKristi – You look so beautiful and younger.
Skt4me
November 6, 2019 at 2:46 pmHave fun planning! Look at used equipment, and add gradually.
Di
November 6, 2019 at 3:00 pmyou look great! How did you get your eyebrows to fill in? Mine have been disappearing for years.
Karyn M
November 6, 2019 at 3:21 pmYou look awesome! Keto is definitely working for you!
Marianne in Mo.
November 6, 2019 at 3:35 pmIf Matt gives up his game room what will he do all day? Surely it will go somewhere? I wonder about your music room; I never hear about you using it, and it has been on the back burner for finish work if I remember right. Don’t you still have to outline the stencil in parts and decide on the bookshelves.? My point being if you aren’t using the room regularly, could Matt have use of it for gaming as well? As for the work out room, I love it, wish we had a dedicated space. We have the room – two guest rooms in the basement that mostly sit idle waiting for our daughter and family to visit! The smaller room has a trundle bed for the boys, so I’ve put my treadmill in there so it’s not out in the family room downstairs. But my husband has weights and a barbell he uses, which he brings out from the unfinished area when he wants to use them. I would also like a rowing machine if we had a dedicated room. I have bad knees, so I can’t do bikes, and they are uncomfortable, but I think I could do a rowing machine. Other than that, I walk outside when weather is good. My daughter has a Peleton (no screen) and she LOVES it, but it looked uncomfortable to me! She likes to do spin biking. Definitely have a drink source, either a fridge or water dispenser, and some type of cushioning on the floor, mats or locking rubber flooring. That wall thing looks pretty cool but I have no experience with them. A large mirror is a help, and light and bright colors that stimulate your mind. This is one place I would have a background of white, with some colors here and there.
Bekah
November 6, 2019 at 5:29 pmYou and Matt are such an inspiration!! Youโll love a home gym, we put one in after having our first child and it made such a difference. I work out every weekend day and my husband works out every single night. Weโd never swing that with a non-home gym!
My favorite thing is just space to stretch out in. My husband has a weight bench, and a power rack with an Olympic bar and accompanying weights. We got everything at a used athletic store and saved a boatload.
Anyway, I know youโll love it and congrats on all of your hard work- you can really see the difference!!
Alta Craig
November 6, 2019 at 9:26 pmWhat a fabulous idea, to have the home gym, master barh, and master bedroom all connected! You can have a great workout, get cleaned up, and head to bed, lol. leaving the doorway into the hallway will definitely be more convenient, as you said. I wonder if there is a way to incorporate Matt’s gaming into the room?
Jenny Ballard
November 6, 2019 at 10:45 pmWhat a great idea. I suggest your TV has an internet connection and have it mounted where you can easily follow along with workouts off the net to keep things fresh. As soon as I read this, my first thought was a beautiful big bookcase in the family room to store Matts collection of gaming things. It would make a great conversation piece when people come to visit and add, an integral part of who Matt is, to your home.
Sewducky
November 7, 2019 at 5:16 amFrom skimming comments and memory….
You can dedicate a shelf or two for the “game room” museum type consoles he doesn’t use, but to enjoy, somewhere, it’s part of his love.
Gaming and a guy can go together…fun “gaming” artwork, (later for him, unless it’s too cheesey), create pixel art, from an older game he likes, (my cheesey brain goes to a Donkey Kong weightlifting or that boxing game) maybe switch up the colors to work with the decor. A storage unit on the wall for the TV with space for a smaller collection of modern gaming consoles (esp. if you design in a flex open space) might not be bad. Some newer gaming consoles can have smart TV functions/channels built in. PlayStation’s Vue had something happen recently, and it is or might be going away. But for a Gym, I think there is something coming from Nintendo for the Switch, that’s potentially workout/PT related coming out (think Wii fit, but for controlers for the switch, more on positioning vs balancing on a board).
For DIY inspiration on gym storage, a blog, home-made modern, had some simple storage builds for a bench or a flex wall you can work possibly off of, and adapt to your needs/wants…
Theresa
November 7, 2019 at 9:32 amWhat about 1 wall with mirrors and then using the large black and white stripes on the rest of the walls?
Jessica
November 7, 2019 at 9:52 amMy husband has also collected every game system available from the original Nintendo forward, and we have been planning to do re-decorate his game room as a sort of “museum” as well. I was really hoping to see what you did for inspiration. I hope that you can find some place else for it to fit in your home. I am also excited to see what you do with the home gym.
Cynz
November 7, 2019 at 12:33 pmI was wondering if you had thought about the wall that the tv is on in the gym being a media wall and having Mattโs games systems he uses the most feature on that wall with a comfy sitting area and maybe set up so he could play while on the bike. The. EST of both worlds and more of a gym/recreation room.
Also I think keeping all your doorways is a very smart move have you considered a pocket door between the gym and Master bath in case in the future if you have guests that want to use the gym you could still have your privacy. The exercise wall looks like a very cool idea that I need to check into myself! I am so excited for you to get this phase of remodel done!
Sue
November 7, 2019 at 1:18 pmTalk about your change of plans! Wow! Maybe you could use the gamer theme for your exercise room and set up a place for Matt to actually game in te guest bedroom. We only have a treadmill and it shares a spot in my husband’s office. No big deal and no ideas for you from that set up. LOL
oah
November 7, 2019 at 1:35 pmHaving seen your floor plan several times, I don’t think you have enough clothes closet space. My own closet is 9×14 with a door at one short end and I took out all the wire racking and built my own shelving and added wood poles. It was so much better laid out but it is still too small. My husband uses the guest room closet. One thing I wish I had was a closet with a set of drawers in the center or something to use as a landing place for when I change out purses and a place to keep small stuff like scarves and gloves. My master bedroom is over sized but not much usable space. I am considering knocking down the wall between the bedroom and closet to make it bigger.
Adele
November 7, 2019 at 3:53 pmIs that an opening for a closet along the righthand wall of Matt’s Gameroom/Home Gym?
I am also wondering about where all of Matt’s gaming stuff will go and where Matt will game, since this seems to be a really big part of his life. If that is a closet, would it be possible to remove it to gain a couple more feet and then make all or part of that wall and front corner the gaming area?
designdreamer
November 7, 2019 at 7:49 pmI too, feel a tad bad for Matt, but also say “kudos” to him for wanting to get healthier. I personally go TO the gym as opposed to having one in my home – and I’m one that actually USES my membership and participate (mostly) in classes 4-5 days a week, so good instructors are what’s important to me. I AM curious about that Isawall – have never hear of such a thing, and they don’t have anything like it at “my” gym, but they probably have all of the functions in a different form.
You are looking FANTASTIC Kristi, WOW!! You may have been discourage, but the difference in your face from July to now seems incredible. As I mentioned before, I’m pretty much trying to maintain, which is a big struggle for me, sigh.
Sue Givens
November 10, 2019 at 9:06 pmI would recommend a really good mat. Whether you use it for yoga, stretching, or some other exercise, I would recommend trying it out before purchasing. A good mat that doesn’t immediately compress under wrists and knees has been a life changer for me. My other recommendation is just open space, enough that you can starfish on your back. It’s so unpleasant to feel cramped while you’re trying to move around on the floor.