Chris and I both have gym memberships, but we still wanted (and get lots of use out of) our home gym. I like to go to the gym early in the morning (like 5 a.m.) when it’s not too crowded, and I can have my pick of machines. I’ve found that going even an hour later feels too busy for me! Weekends also feel too crowded to me, and I like the luxury of using the treadmill in our house when the weather is bad :)

It is a luxury to have a little gym in your house — You need to have the space and the money for equipment. We started small, in our old house, with a used treadmill. And in the house after that, we set up the treadmill in our guest room. We feel really lucky to have a nice space in our current home to exercise. And this space has gone through several transformations! Here’s a look back at the evolution of our home gym:

Home Gym Sources

How It Started:

This “before” picture kind of makes me nauseous. I hated those orange floors and brown walls. It needed a white coat of paint, stat!

We Made a Mood Board

Ceiling Fan | CLJ x Floorpops | Light Fixture | Yoga Mat | Bench (similar) | Weight Rack | Rower (similar) | Treadmill

I always like to start with a mood board. I put on here the equipment we already had alongside the pieces I wanted to buy. I had (and still have) big heart eyes for that ceiling fan.

We Laid Peel-and-Stick Floors

These pretty, easy-to-install checkerboard floor tiles came from our collaboration with FloorPops! They’re so durable and substantial, and the home gym was the very first place we ever installed them. A debut!

We DIYed a Picture Frame Trim on the Mirror

This room had mirrors when we moved in, but we added trim to really “finish” the look. This is an easy DIY project, and a few other mirrors in our house might get this treatment (*side eye*).

We Installed All of the Equipment

Once we rolled in our rower, treadmill, and weight bench, we were ready to sweat (and we were already sweating, ha!). Never underestimate a well-lit space with a fresh coat of paint and some new floor tiles. It was so motivating to work out here.

We Broke Down the Budget

We already had the rower and the treadmill, so the biggest ticket item was the ceiling fan (and worth every penny, in my book). The floor tiles are so affordable, and the whole thing cost less than two years of an average gym membership.

We Started Working Out

I broke down my home gym routine here, and it hasn’t changed much in a year and half. I still love to use this space to wind down after work with a little cardio, and it’s still my go-to on weekends.

We Removed the Staircase

We had never removed a staircase before! The motivation here was to get more space in the gym and in the room above it — what’s now a playroom and might some day be a “bunk room” for sleepovers. We hired this out, and it wasn’t as expensive as we thought it would be.