Design Experts Reveal How to Make Your Home Gym Feel Like a Luxury Retreat

Your resting area and recovery zones should be just as chic as the rest of your house—at least the team at Iron House Design thinks so. In this bright home gym, the designers put in an elegant white sectional and a matching adjustable bench so their client could complete their sets in style.

In the converted garage that's now a home gym in our 2024 Whole Home, the team at Iron House Design created separate wellness zones in the space for the ultimate workout circuit. There are mini zones for strength training and cardio, plus plenty of storage space against the walls. By adding the right decor, they made sure the entire space looked luxe.

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If you love the idea of working out in nature but not the actual experience of doing so, bring the outdoors in with your decor. Designer Lauren Sullivan of Well x Design incorporated a preserved moss wall in her hot yoga room. "From the very beginning, I knew I wanted skylights and a full wall of greenery, so we designed the entire space around these elements," Sullivan says. "We also optimized the space with energy-efficient infrared radiant heating panels placed discreetly in the ceiling."

Though this home gym is located in the basement, Erin Coren of Curated Nest Interiors managed to make the space still feel light and airy. She chose Benjamin Moore's Simply White for the walls and ceiling so the space felt bright but not sterile, and brought in a wall of mirrors to bounce the light around the room. "We kept the walls clean to allow our dancer client a blank canvas for creativity, and decorated with plants instead to breathe life into the space," she says. "In a basement, faux plants were the only option, but they do the trick!"

Rather than going for a completely updated look, choose old-school aesthetics with modern elements. Erin Coren of Curated Nest Interiors chose a vintage boxing gym as inspiration for this home gym, infusing the client's love of rock 'n' roll in the space as well. "We didn't want it to have the gritty aspects of an old-school boxing gym, but instead elevated it with high-end finishes like the wood paneling and an antique mirrored wall with iron framing," Coren says.

Yes, this is a home gym, believe it or not. Patrick Cunningham of C&C Partners explains that his client, who's very into health and fitness, always dreamed of having a commercial gym all to himself, so that's exactly what they made him. "When all was said and done, the luxurious gym—decked out with mirrors galore, every machine imaginable, perfect lighting, and glorious A/C—finished just under 1,900 square feet," Cunningham says.

These homeowners wanted to create a home gym experience that felt like staying at the most luxe hotel—and Patrick Cunningham from C&C Partners made that wish come true. They put it in a building separate from their house, designing the glass doors on one side of the structure to open up into a zen-like garden complete with a custom water feature; the other side faces a courtyard.

Liz Potarazu of LP & Co. is not only the designer of this home gym, but its sole member. "The design vision was to create a space that felt cohesive with the rest of the home, which features bold colors, a plethora of intricate molding, and integrated lighting," she says. Because she exercises at five in the morning, overhead lighting would not have been pleasant in this room. Instead, she chose sconces that create ambient lighting to help her ease into the day.

To keep this home gym on theme with the rest of the home, Laura Hildebrandt of Interiors by LH brought in this pop of bold yellow, which was inspired by a fabric used in the adjacent space. "I thought it was the right pop of color to make the space interesting without feeling oppressive," she says. She kept the other aspects simple, creating unique sections for activities and limiting visual clutter.

Haven’t you heard that rattan lighting is all the rage? Decorate your home gym in your personal style so there’s no mistaking whose workout zone it is. In this studio by Curated Nest Interiors, the bohemian vibes are very present, setting the mood for a relaxing workout session every single time.

Work out with a view—and tons of natural light—by putting your home gym in a room with plenty of windows. This modern home gym, designed by Jamie Bush, is so pretty and serene that anyone would want to hang out in it—even when they're not pumping iron.

The founders of AphroChic—Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason—partnered with Resource Furniture to create a multifunctional home gym and guest bedroom to maximize the space in their new home. The couple used the brand’s LGM product, which is a revolving wall bed with a fold-down desk, integrated shelving, and a built-in queen bed, giving them essentially a three-in-one room that can be used as a home gym when everything is folded away.

If you’re going to have a gym at home, go all in and make it as grand as any luxury gym you could join. Splurge on good machines, racks of barbells, and even hoops for arm workouts—whatever you need to do the workouts you love. You know what they say: Go big, or go home. K+Co. Living definitely went big with this design.

In this pool house turned wet bar turned home gym by the Pratt Guys, they kept all the necessary workout equipment in a single corner, even going so far as to choose a treadmill that folds up and hangs on the wall. If you don’t have room for a lot of equipment or simply don’t like the look, choosing pieces that can easily fold or hide is a great way to still incorporate a home gym.

Related: The 10 Best Treadmills for Your Home Gym in 2024

There’s nothing worse than going to the gym for a relaxing workout only to be greeted by abrasive colors and neon signs. At home, opt for neutrals or tones that calm you to provide a restful place to focus on yourself, as designer Laura Hodges did in this home gym slash office.

If your climate allows, move your weight rack outside for a luxury gym vibe. This is not only a great way to get in your strength training, but it also lets you get a little sunshine and enjoy your outdoor space.

Related: 45 Small Patio Design and Landscaping Ideas

Part workout studio and part meditation pad, this home gym by Sherry Hart and Jennifer Jones Condon does it all. See those pretty gold and white decorative objects? They’re actually weights that double as sculptures. Seagrass meditation cushions and a daybed are there when a head-clearing is preferred to sweating it out on the Peloton.

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Crisp white paint isn’t the only option! In fact, sometimes a moody, deep tone enhances the sense of intimacy and simply makes the space cooler. Here, design firm Sunny Circle Studio used Farrow & Ball Hague Blue, hung abstract art, and incorporated decorative seating.

Related: 63 Tried-and-True Blue Paint Colors Designers Rely On