How to build a simple home gym in a small space

Our small home gym reveal is here! I am sharing how to build a simple home gym in a small space. I can’t wait to show you how to maximize a small space and turn it into a home gym.

View when you walk into home gym with gray walls, blue ceiling .

Our small home gym has been finished for a bit now, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t been getting a lot of great use from the space.

If you remember, this space was being used as Lily’s art room. Prior to that, it was a guest room, and before that my hubby’s office when we first moved in 20 years ago. I tell myself, it’s the room that keeps on giving since it has served in many capacities over the years.

Side by side view of same room different function.

My kids enjoy working out so converting this room into something everyone could use was a no-brainer. In case you are wondering, Lily now does her artwork on the kitchen table or in my craft room.The space albeit small (approx 100 sq feet) has a generous amount of light. No wonder its a favorite room in the house. This room is downstairs in between the den and the game room.

Home gym with gray gym mat, blue exercise ball and shelves for organization.

The design/plan for our small home gym didn’t change much at all except for my plan for the ceiling. Hanging wallpaper upside is more challenging than I thought so that idea was scrapped, for now anyway. I still have the wallpaper left over from this project and may try it again one day.

So here’s what I did to my 100-square-foot space to transform it into our home gym.

Mirrors on the wall

Mirrors can do wonders in a small space. I hung two mirrors on the wall and it really opened up the space. The light just bounces off them like they were a window. You can also check out your form and posture when working out with a mirror. I found that purchasing two mirrors instead of one large mirror or piece of glass was a more budget-friendly.

Looking into a small home gym with mirrors and shelves.

Equipment suitable for small room

Since crowding this room up with stuff was not an option, we bought a small weight bench and compact weight rack. They are the perfect size for our small gym. The goal was to have enough floor space while having the things that we wanted in our gym.

Small compact weight bench in a home gym. — **Compact weight rack**

Shelves for organization

In any small space, organization and a place to put things are important. Since wall space is limited in the room, I utilized the other wall for shelves. The shelves are used for misc equipment, plants, and some artwork to add a bit of personality to the room. I basically used these shelf brackets and some old shelves from when I took down this cabinet in my kitchen.

Small home gym with a weight bench and blue exercise ball. — **Exercise Ball**/ **gym mat** (cool gray)/ **compact weight bench**

Look for ways to maximize every inch

When working with a small space you need to look for ways to maximize every inch in the room. One thing we did, was replaced the traditional french door that swung into the room. We converted it into a sliding door on the outside of the room. Although we didn’t gain a ton we did regain the corner of the room. Every inch matters in a small room, besides I love the look.

Looking into a small home gym with a sliding french door.

Room flipping like this makes me happy, especially when it’s a highly used functional space. Lately, the kids have been talking about getting some additional equipment for the gym. I will see what creative ways I can come up with to make that happen.

Home gym with gray walls and white trim with mirrored wall with shelves.

I hope some of my tips and ideas on how to build a simple home gym in a small space will come in handy if a home gym is something you design down the road. Until then, let’s work out!