When you started designing your home gym, you probably got plenty of advice on what equipment you needed and how you should organize it, but there's one aspect that many people neglect. Your gym decor is an important part of the experience, and it's a large part of what keeps that gym from turning back into a storage room you never use. We found some Home Gym Decorating Ideas to help you design a space you'll keep coming back to.
1) TEAM
Teamworks is everything, even in a home gym. There are a lot of apps online that let you choose gym buddies or share your goals to help you stay motivated, and this motivational poster from Amazon is another excellent way to remind yourself that you have friends, family, or even social media followers that are part of your workout team. If you find somebody to encourage you, you can use these stickers as a reminder of their support.
2) DIY Displays, Not Storage
Your gym should be an enjoyable space, even if you hate exercising, because you're achieving an important goal and making a lifestyle choice when you work out there. One way to create a comfortable environment there is to display items instead of storing them. What does that mean? You can create displays like the workout ball holders in this Dream Design DIY article so that everything will look nice and so that you have easy access to your equipment. This makes you more likely to use it and put it back where it belongs.
3) Leftover Paint
You don't have to spend a lot of money designing your gym space. It should be a fun place, but it's also a utility space like an office. That said, you're probably not spending a lot of money on decor. Try finding leftover paint like Monica Mangin does in this video and painting an accent wall with it. Making a room that you like the look of will increase the chances that you'll actually come into the gym and work out.
4) Self-Motivation
Everybody has a different reason for working out, but self-motivation is often the most powerful. You can definitely try to get in shape for a spouse or for somebody else, but if you're doing this for yourself, then you'll never run out of motivation! That said, everybody needs a little push sometimes, so we liked the idea of placing a reminder that you are your own motivation. You can get a motivating poster like this from Amazon to remind yourself why you're doing this and glance at it when you feel lazy or discouraged.
5) Dancer
Not all gym decor is functional or even motivational. Some of it's just something fun that'll make you love the space and want to be there. If you're a dancer or if you admire the form of one, you might like these cute little decals with a dancer in various poses. You can place them around the gym to give yourself something to look at as long as you have smooth flat walls to put them on. If your gym is in an area with unfinished walls, you might have to get creative!
6) Clipboards
Clipboards probably sound like an organizational tool, and that's one of the things we liked about this home gym idea. They're a useful organizational tool, but they can also be a perfect way to change up your decor regularly. You can print out a stack of motivational quotes and flip to a different one every day or mix it up with some drawings or other pretty imagery. You can hang them on the wall like Melissa did in her gym and use them both for decorations and for a list of your daily workouts!
7) Flameless Candles
Are you looking for a relaxing gym for yoga, pilates, or other calming exercises or an invigorating gym for CrossFit, cardio, or strength training? If you want to create a calming and comforting space, battery-operated flameless candles like these from Amazon are a wonderful way to set the mood and make this gym feel more like a soothing luxury than an intimidating place where you have to force yourself to do your workouts. Try painting with soothing colors, too.
8) No Pain No Gain
"No Pain, No Gain" is a saying that's used a lot in gyms because it's often true, particularly for high-intensity workouts and strength training. You need to go through some pain or soreness for your muscles to rebuild themselves the way you want them to, and if you take this saying to heart, it can help you keep up with your workouts. Otherwise, you could find yourself slowing down and doing shorter, lower-intensity workouts. A motivational "No Pain No Gain" poster like this one from Amazon can be an excellent daily reminder.
9) DIY Mirror Wall
Mirrors serve many purposes in a gym. They give you a chance to check your posture as your exercise, but also make lovely decorations and reflect light to make the room look brighter and feel happier. If you make a mirror wall like the one in this article by Tami Karus, it'll reflect your entire gym or a large portion of it to make the whole room seem bigger and more open. All these things can have a major impact on your mentality and make you want to spend more time in your home gym.
10) Garage Lights
Lighting can be a decoration if you use it right, and since you've probably earmarked most of your gym space for equipment, you'll want to take advantage of all the decorating opportunities you have! We liked the idea of bright lights to mimic daylight and create a happier space while making your exercise routine safer, so we thought these garage lights would be a good idea. You can angle them to highlight key decor items but also to provide enough light in each corner of your gym, and they're durable in case you bump into them during a workout.
11) Mindset
Sometimes, the effectiveness of your workout is heavily affected by your mindset. If you think you can't do something, you probably won't be able to do it, and if you think something will be difficult, then you might lose motivation and eventually give up on using the gym you've worked so hard to build. A reminder to stay in the right headspace can be valuable, so we found a "MINDSET IS EVERYTHING" poster on Amazon for you. This poster has a picture of a kitten that thinks it's a tiger to remind you that you're a tiger, too.
12) Wallpaper Accent Wall
It's important to turn your gym into a space that you'll want to be in so that you don't start avoiding it. Think of your gym as a workspace. Working out and getting in shape is your job, and like any office, your gym needs to be a pleasant workspace. One way to create an attractive space is to put up an accent wall using wallpaper so that you can choose from a variety of designs and pick your favorite. You can see the effect that this has on a gym in this video by Lauren Nicholsen.
13) Inspiring Jokes
A gym doesn't have to be a serious place! Sometimes you need to take a moment to laugh at yourself, so go ahead and add some jokes that'll make you smile during even the most intense workout. We liked this one in particular; this decal with a progress bar that says "installing muscles" is a funny joke but also a convenient reminder of why you're doing all this hard work. Find the poster or decal joke that works for you!
14) DIY Chalkboard Wall
The best way to get results is to plan a routine and stick to it. We like the idea of posting your routine so that you can see it from wherever you are. This makes it easier to jump from one exercise to another without having to stop and look at your schedule on a phone or small notepad. One way to post your routine is by painting a chalkboard like the one in this Two Berti's home gym on your wall. This will make it easier to change your workouts as you get stronger and increase your workout intensity.
15) Funny Weightlifter Decals
Decals are fun ways to decorate a gym because they maintain the black and white theme that a lot of gym equipment has, and their black and white color helps some people stay in a focused, goal-oriented mindset. Decals like these weightlifters from Amazon give you something neat to look at if you need a distraction from burning muscles, and the small size gives you plenty of chances to place them somewhere funny, such as making it look like the little weightlifter is standing on top of a light switch.
16) DIY Giant Pegboard
Pegboards can turn a dull and industrial gym into a comfortable and friendly space that you actually want to be in. A strong, firmly-mounted pegboard can be used for exercise, and any pegboard can make a wonderful place for storage and decorations. We loved the balance Lisa Medina achieved with her homemade pegboard wall, making it a practical space to get equipment from and also a pleasant and well-decorated area. Try putting decorations in areas that wouldn't be convenient storage, such as hard-to-reach corners.
17) Custom Neon Message
If you could say one thing to yourself next time you exercise, what would it be? Would you remind yourself why you're doing this and encourage yourself to never give up? Would you tell a joke? If you decide what message motivates you and makes you happiest, you can create a customized neon sign here and hang it up for constant inspiration in your home gym. This is also a nice thing to have when you relax after a workout, depending on the message you want.
18) Corners
One reason many people don't decorate gyms is the simple fact that decorations seem to get in the way, but they don't have to be a hindrance. You can find places to put any wort of decorations where they're not likely to be bumped into or knocked down during the course of your workout. We suggest taking advantage of corners between two walls or even using the corner created by a wall and a piece of furniture. These are secure places where things are less likely to fall, and you can still make a lovely gym like this one.
19) Recessed Lighting
Lighting can be tough to pick in a gym because a lot of light sources are fragile, and you don't want to take out a lightbulb with a jump rope or weight. Recessed lighting is ideal because there's nothing sticking out that you could hit by accident, and we liked the idea of getting a set of recessed lights so that you can put one light over each workout station or decoration. This can create a beautiful effect while also making sure you have enough light where you need it. You can get packs of recessed lights from Amazon here.
20) Ceilings
Don't forget about your ceilings! When you're looking up at the ceiling counting crunches, you won't be able to enjoy the motivational poster of funny decals you have up on the wall; you'll be looking at the ceiling instead. You can see in this article how you can decorate your ceiling so that you'll have something to look at no matter what exercise you're doing. Try painting it a cool color, adding posters, and even wallpapering it with fun patterns.
21) Goals
Why're you working out? Is it for health reasons? Are you trying to get a better body to look more attractive? Make sure your gym decorations are tied to your reasons for being in that gym. If you're trying to get a good body, we found this funny and motivating poster for you. It reminds you to "be a bad ass with a good ass." Whether you look at this and laugh or look at it and feel motivated, it works as an excellent destresser or motivator during your workout.
22) Colorful Lights
Imagine how cool it'd be to have colored LED lights wrapped around your gym ceiling to create a colorful glow. People often forget that lighting can be such a good decorating technique, and since most of your gym space will have equipment instead of decorations, it's ideal for a space like your gym. You can get a string of lights like these from Amazon that can be a single color you like, multicolored, or even change colors every so often throughout your workout.
23) Pegboard Decor Wall
You can build a large pegboard that you can include in your workout, but that takes some time and tools that you might not have. That's perfectly okay! Instead of building your own pegboard from scratch, you can buy one and design it as a decor and storage wall like the one Meg Ortiz shows in this article. We liked how she put decor closer to the ceiling and corner and put gym equipment in more accessible places to make her workouts go smoother in a prettier place.
24) Vintage Artwork
A gym doesn't have to be a modern place and look like something from a commercial. One of the advantages of a home gym is that you can make it fit your style, even if that means straying from the more popular gym styles. You can create a vintage look by using wood benches instead of metal ones, hanging equipment on decorative wood shelves, and getting vintage gym-themed prints like this dumbbell print set from Amazon.
25) Rugs
You might not have thought to put a rug in your gym before, but a rug can be a comfortable place to do stretches, and area rugs are a lovely way to define space while beautifying the space. Area rugs work in any room, even a gym, as you can see in this HGTV video. Bright colors might work well for you, or you might prefer a darker color that'll hide dirt if part of your workout happens outside in dirt or mud.
26) Woman Power
Women are often told that they're not as strong as men and aren't capable of physical work. If you're determined to prove that women are capable, then decals like this one from Amazon will be motivating for you. This is a reminder that women can do anything men can do if they put in the work. If you want to be strong, you've got to work out like the woman in the decal and don't take "I can't do it" for an answer.
27) Large Clock Wall
Workouts are often about timing. You may have planned 5 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes of cardio, and 10 minutes of lifting, but you'll need some way to keep track of that. While you're probably using a timer or phone to do so, you can make your room look like a throwback and give yourself a hands-free way to check on your progress by getting a giant decal clock like this that's big enough to see from across the gym.
28) Open Concept or Closed?
Do you avoid working out because you prefer company and don't have a workout buddy, or maybe because you feel like there's not enough entertainment in your gym? You can make the room more attractive with decorations, but you can also create an open concept to take advantage of decorations in other rooms. Think about adding windows if your gym is in a basement room or adjacent to a living room like this Home With B home gym. Even a small window can make you feel like you're not alone if somebody is watching TV in the other room.
29) Heartbeat
Exercise is all about getting your heart rate up and working your muscles, and this decal from Amazon encompasses all of that, making it a clever decoration for a home gym. The decal has a heart with a heartbeat going through it and a dumbbell image woven through it. It's a neat reminder that cardio and strength training are both important, and the clean-cut image looks good on your wall. We'd probably put this at the dumbbell station, but you can put it anywhere in the gym.
30) Frameless Mirror Tiles
Gym mirrors are a sign of a dedicated and well-thought-out gym. They add light and give you a place to check your posture during exercises, and if you have a large enough mirror, it makes the gym look larger. A mirror wall is one of the best decorations you can have in a gym, but it's also expensive! Mirror tiles like these are a less expensive alternative since you can piece together a mirror wall with them.
31) Happy Space
We couldn't stop smiling as we read this Nesting With Grace article because the designers are so excited about their home gym. To make a happy place that you'll want to actually use, you want to get excited and get creative when you're designing the space. You can do things like change up the direction of wood on your accent wall, which was one of our favorite things in this Nesting With Grace home gym. If you enjoy building the gym, you're more likely to enjoy using it!
How're you designing your happy space? Have you used your gym in the past? Tell us about your gym decor, and let us know if these ideas helped in the comments below!