Cottage Exercise Room

Simple and welcoming are words that I  often hear used to describe what I love most about cottage style. So it was obvious I needed to use those two words to guide my design of the new exercise room. Foremost, I wanted it to be a space I looked forward to going into. It had to be inviting as well as motivating. Most importantly however, it had to be a room that would not only look good but that I would use!

Small May Be More
No need for lots of intimidating equipment here. Just enough space for one major piece of equipment and enough floor space to  stretch and do some yoga. This room is tiny, only five feet by nine but thats perfectly fine. Fitness expert, Jessica Smith in article at  Better Homes and Gardens  says, "Some of the most effective workouts come from simplicity- simple equipment and minimal space can help you create a regular, effective workout routine."

To keep workout routines for becoming monotonous, there are a few extra exercise tools I incorporated to use for variety- resistance cords, an exercise ball, weights.

Color
I chose colors that would create a comfortable yet invigorating atmosphere. The lime green and turquoise wake me up and make me want to get moving.

This canvas I painted with my color scheme and then decoupaged on images of simple stretch  and ball exercises for easy reference plus a light-hearted reminder.

Storage
The lime cabinet adds a punch of color but also neatly stores all the exercise videos and dvds, weights, yoga blocks and towels.

Inspiration
Being surrounded by inspirational images and words is critical in a space like this. A memo board hangs above the cabinet- a place where I can tack up motivating quotes and pictures and easily change them as often as I like.

Instead of an all out beach theme, the starfish and shells are the subtle reminders I need that bathing suit season is just around the corner. The yearly planner I purchased to track my progress also features palm trees and beach scenes.

The mirrors I etched  with the words- aspire, believe, energize and achieve.

Waking the Senses
Any well decorated room will please all the senses including your nose. Keeping the room smelling nice is key especially in a room where there will be lots of sweat. This reed diffuser decorated with shells accomplishs just that. The plants help give the room a fresh look and also help clean and purify the air.

With a simple, motivating space like this I am well on my way to a healthier me.


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