Home Gym Reno

Elysia English shows how she made her basement gym better and brighter.

Elysia and her husband Philip resolved to live a healthier lifestyle. Number one on their list of priorities was to update the basement gym. They knew that if their gym was made brighter and more serviceable, they would be motivated to use it more often. The existing gym was dark, dingy and uninspiring. The lighting was poor, the ceiling was just exposed structural timber, and the floor was cold, hard concrete. Also, there was no vapour barrier behind the drywall—less than ideal for a moisture-prone basement. Finally, even though this is an adult home gym, they wanted to make it kid-friendly so their little ones can hang out, and eventually work out as well. Their gym reno included new lights, new flooring and new paint. Their local Home Hardware store was there with products, supplies and helpful advice. 

Here’s Elysia’s rundown of the products and materials they used, and the steps followed:

1. Lighting Removal: We swapped out the lights first because the new lights would allow us to better see the rest of the renovation. Before doing any hard wiring or unwiring you need to shut off the breaker, which we did. Then we removed the old, inadequate light fixtures. 

2. Lighting Installation: LED lights were a must because they draw less power and last longer. We decided to use two different kinds of lights to add some visual variety along with brightness. First up were some slim LED pot lights. These work well because even though they’re recessed into a finished ceiling they maintain a low profile. Then we installed two 1’x4’ LED panel lights. These really brightened up our space, and we can also adjust their colour temperature to different settings. 

3. Painting the Ceiling: Normally we would’ve painted first before installing new fixtures, but again, the new lights were necessary to see. For the ceiling we used a BeautiTone Designer Acrylic Latex Eggshell Paint in High Hide White. It’s a paint-and-primer-in-one formulation so application is quick and easy. It’s also resistant to mildew which makes it ideal for the basement. My handheld paint sprayer saved time on the big areas, but I used paint brushes and paint rollers around the fixtures. 

4. Upgrading the Walls: The old walls had no vapour barrier, which contributed to the damp feeling in the basement. I used a portable drill with a concrete bit to drill holes into the wall, then attached my wood studs with masonry screw anchors. Next, I used a staple gun to attach clear, thick poly-sheeting to serve as the vapour barrier. Once complete we attached our drywall, then puttied over the seams and smoothed them down with drywall sandpaper. A dust mask was essential when sanding! 

5. Painting the Walls: My favourite step is always painting! We wanted a nice, warm colour for our gym and decided on BeautiTone Designer Acrylic Latex Velvet Paint. In keeping with the gym theme, we chose a colour called Breathe, which I absolutely love. Once the paint was dry we cut our baseboards and attached them at the bottom. 

6. Installing the Floor: The exposed concrete floor was always cold and a major downer for doing yoga or stretching exercises. We decided to use interlocking vinyl plank flooring. It’s perfect for the basement because it’s 100% waterproof and can withstand any moisture and spills. The interlock system makes it super easy to install, and the floating design means no underlayment is required. 

7. Hanging the Mirrors: Adding mirrors to our gym was a no-brainer. They make the space seem bigger, and you can monitor your movements while exercising. These 1’x4’ frame mirrors did the job. They’re lightweight, easy to hang, and feature a nice, textured frame.

I’m so happy with our new home gym! Our beautiful LED lights made the space so bright and cheerful, and they’re a perfect complement to the white ceiling timber. The light-coloured flooring also really pops with the better illumination from above. Do I feel more inspired to work out? Totally! I can’t wait to hit my mats and weights and limber up for a healthier lifestyle!