If 'Working Out Is the New Going Out', What Happens to Your Home Gym?
These interior designers give us the 411 on the evolution of workout rooms into performative, aesthetic-led spaces
Wellness is having a social reckoning. You can't escape the run clubs, Strava stories, Pilates parties, and group sauna sessions — they're replacing pubs, clubs, even coffee shops as the place to meet new people and hang out with friends.
But when wellness trends declare that 'working out is the new going out', what does that mean for the home gym? Does anybody even want to give up a corner of their home to a couple of dumbbells and a treadmill anymore when there's a world out there ready to make their workout part of their social calendar?
I spoke to contemporary designers about what home gyms will look like in 2027 and how they've evolved from the simplistic, function-driven spaces they once were.
Are Home Gyms Still in Demand?
"At our Pavilion House project in Avalon, the gym overlooks the pool and garden through expansive glazing, with walnut and white leather equipment. That connection to the outdoors gives the room a wonderful sense of openness."
Image credit: Felix Forrest. Design: Nina Maya Interiors
Who needs to spend a little fortune on virtually uncancellable gym memberships when investing in a well-designed workout hub is an option?
Image credit: Sharyn Cairns. Design: Mckimm
As someone who often replaces time at my apartment gym with a bookable slot at a more design-forward, workout-diverse studio set against an Instagrammable backdrop, I wondered whether home gyms are still in demand in houses with the space.
"Yes, absolutely," says interior designer Nina Maya. "Home gyms remain an important part of the luxury residential brief in modern homes, and the appetite for more comprehensive wellness spaces has grown. What has changed most noticeably is the ambition behind them."
She explains that people are thinking about how their homes can support movement, recovery, and time to themselves within a busy life. "The gym is increasingly considered from the earliest architectural conversations, with proper thought given to its location, outlook, and relationship to other spaces. That represents a significant shift in how much importance people place on it."
Nina Maya is the founder and principal of Sydney-based Nina Maya Interiors, a boutique studio creating bespoke residential and commercial interiors in Australia and internationally. Her work brings together natural materials, custom detailing and craftsmanship, with a particular interest in the relationship between beautiful spaces, everyday living and wellbeing.
"For this historic home, we designed a bespoke gym that combines Scandi-inspired simplicity with the warmth and character of the property’s original timber beams."
Image credit: Astrid Templier. Design_ Rebecca Hughes Interiors
"It’s a contemporary wellness space with a boutique hotel feel, rooted firmly in its heritage. The intention was to create a space that feels both elevated and authentic, where modern wellbeing sits comfortably alongside the home’s history, rather than competing with it."
Image credit: Astrid Templier. Design: Rebecca Hughes Interiors
Interior designer Rebecca Hughes also finds that home gyms continue to be an important consideration in contemporary homes. "In a world that is increasingly fast-paced and digitally driven, creating space for wellbeing has never felt more important," she notes.
"We’re certainly still seeing strong demand for home gyms, although the focus has evolved over the past few years. What was once often a purely functional space is now being considered an integral part of the home’s overall design and lifestyle offering."
Rebecca Hughes is a multi-award-winning British interior designer and founder of Rebecca Hughes Interiors. Known for her collaborative approach and holistic, end-to-end design service, Rebecca creates thoughtful, characterful interiors that balance timeless elegance with contemporary living. Her portfolio spans residential projects across the UK and internationally, with a particular focus on bespoke details, layered textures, and spaces that reflect the individuality of each client.
How Have Home Gyms Changed?
Even workout gear designers are breathing a refreshed look into what used to be eyesore equipment locked behind closed cabinets.
Image credit: Alama Studio
The likes of Dior dipping its toes into designing wellness gear is more proof that home gyms are alive and well.
Image credit: Dior
Co-founder of Alama Studio, Gabriele Zanni, explains that the home gym is no longer simply a room where you put a treadmill, a bench, and a few dumbbells. "People are investing more in dedicated fitness spaces, but they are also asking for these spaces to feel like an actual part of the home," he shares.
"We are seeing this particularly in highbrow residential projects, where the gym is planned in tandem with the architecture and interiors from the very beginning. It is becoming less about 'having a gym at home' and more about 'having a space at home that happens to be a gym'."
Nina points out that the biggest evolution is towards a complete wellness environment. "A gym might sit alongside a sauna, steam room or cold plunge, with space for stretching and quieter activities. The design needs to make moving between those experiences feel natural," she notes.
"There is also a much greater emphasis on atmosphere. Natural light, garden views, warm materials, thoughtful lighting, and beautifully integrated storage all contribute to a space you enjoy spending time in. Aesthetic weights and all-around equipment have become part of that design language, with timber and leather finishes allowing it to sit comfortably within a considered interior."
Gabriele Zanni is the co-founder of Alama Studio, an Italian design brand rethinking the relationship between fitness equipment and the spaces around it. Founded with the idea that gym equipment should be treated with the same attention as any other element of an interior, Alama Studio creates pieces that combine precision engineering, Italian craftsmanship, and carefully selected materials.
Are Home Gyms Performative?
An al fresco gym is a level beyond, offering up a dedicated space for outdoor offline rituals to digitally detox and reconnect with your body and mind.
In the era of the performed home and working out in third spaces becoming a status symbol, this trend of performative design extends to a home gym without skipping a beat. However, that's not all bad.
"Social media has also made these spaces more visible. Rooms that were once tucked away are now being designed with the same attention as the principal living spaces, and standalone gym pavilions can become beautiful architectural features in their own right," says Nina.
"However, I would be careful about assuming that visibility tells us why someone created the space. A separate pavilion can offer a valuable psychological transition, giving you somewhere to step away from work and domestic distractions. For me, the real luxury is having a space that makes looking after yourself an easy, enjoyable part of everyday life. Its lasting value is in how often you use it."
Gabriele has also picked up on a certain performativity in home gyms, saying, "Fitness has become much more visible culturally, and social media has obviously played a role in that. A beautifully designed gym can be as much part of someone's lifestyle and identity as a kitchen, a car, or a piece of furniture.
"But I think there is a more interesting shift happening underneath that. People are no longer choosing between performance and aesthetics. They expect both."
Get the Look
If you don't have the space for a full-blown home gym, then a wellness room might be the best thing you can do for your home. And be sure to subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter for more trend reports.
