ONE ROOM CHALLENGE FITNESS ROOM
My One Room Challenge makeover is being completed on a very tight budget. Creativity will be key when contemplating the furniture and accessories that will go into the space.
The number one furniture piece that I wanted for this space was a fireplace. My workout space will be in the basement after all and I want to be able to warm up the space during any season. I just so happened to have a fireplace that wasn’t being used. It use to be in my old salon but got traded in for a smaller sleeker version.
The only problem was that it was dark ebony, almost black, exactly like this other fireplace we owned at our old house (see above). A far cry from the white fireplace I envisioned for this space. So, I kew a quick makeover was in order. I simply coated my fireplace in a few coats of white chalk paint and it immediately lost it’s visual heaviness.
I have used chalk paint on just about every surface imaginable. So, I was shocked to find that the chalk paint wouldn’t cover the backs of my fireplace cabinets. I tried with three coats of paint. I’m still trying to figure out what to cover the backs of the fireplace cabinets with but I am thinking about wallpapering the back in paintable bead board paper we have left over from our old house. What would you do?
Next up, I decided to utilize the curb side beauty I found a couple of years ago. I had scooped it up, cleaned it up and had spray painted it with gorgeous Krylon gold spray paint. To give it some dimension and to tone down the bright metallic hue, I simply buffed the piece with some brown acrylic paint. Swipe on swipe off. Easy peasy. I added on some glittery hardware and stepped back to see the curb side castoff in all it’s pretty glory.
This made over piece will end up being the prefect little beverage centre. Yes, I did say beverage center. Because fitness is hard and I like to refuel with coffee any chance I can get. 😉
Every fitness room needs an oversized mirror but the ones I loved from various stores were way out of the budget for this small financial friendly space. I pondered buying a giant mirror for a couple of hundred dollars but I knew I had to prove to you guys that a made over space can be done by rethinking items you already own. So, I shopped my house!
Truth be told I love including mirrors into design. I love their reflective quality and I love that they immediately enlarge a space.
See what I mean? Here is the set I designed with Leon’s furniture. You can find this gorgeous Empire mirror HERE if you are as smitten with this beauty as I am. (HINT: You’ll be smitten with its budget too!)
As you can see from my last one room challenge, I used three mirrors to expand my space and to fill an empty wall. To see where they are from go HERE.
For a fitness room though, a mirror would be completely practical too. After all, I need to make sure I don’t lose my form when doing squat jumps and it is encouraging to see physical changes happen before your very eyes. 😉
I looked and scoured our bedrooms but reasoned that our bedroom mirrors were needed to make sure we were in fact reaching from the clean laundry pile and not the dirty laundry pile. 😉 I happened upon a mirror in my daughter’s bedroom that had been through it’s fair share of physical transformations. I bought it when it was on sale for $30 dollars at Lowes –it was a steal. It wasn’t the colour I wanted but that didn’t matter to me since I paint everything the colour I like at the moment.
Years ago it lived in our tiny dining room to visually expand the space. Then it got painted a blue to match the tone in my daughter’s room but most recently I painted it white (of course!) to match my new bright space!
Lastly, I decided I wanted to add some greenery to the space. Some low maintenance greenery. So, I dug up two oversized canvases I had laying around awaiting a makeover and covered them with faux boxwood tiles.
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To attach the faux greenery to the canvas I just used my trusty glue gun and trimmed up the sides. I stepped back to survey them and was pretty pleased. They will add the perfect bit of texture and colour to my mostly all white space. Cant wait to hang them and share with you!
This week I also considered lighting for my space but I’m looking for an affordable option and am giving myself a goal of $300 to makeover this whole space.
However I am thinking I want something geometric and gold to be hung above my new dresser turned beverage station.
So far I have kept my imaginary budget.
If you are wondering, so far I have spent:
Demo $0 (Did it)
Paint $0
Fireplace $0 (had it)
Dresser $0 (curb side treasure)
Spry paint for dresser $6
Acrylic paint $1
Knobs $3 each x 6 = $18
Canvases $0 (had them)
Greenery $2 a piece 10 on each = $44
Next week I am hoping to nail down two sets of curtains for my windows. A carpet for extra support when I’m doing my sit ups, a hanging light and accessories.
I still need to add trim around my windows, and fill in parts of the ceiling above the ceiling beams. This is typically where I would ask my handy hubby for his help, but I’m going to proceed with gumption, caution and determination to finish this space single handedly. Did I mention I have to fill in the space where the closet was with flooring all by my lonesome too?
If you need me I will be on YouTube searching “easiest way to lay flooring” and things like that. 😉 Wish me luck! I’m pooped, my nails are still awful but after this space is done I will have a small place to escape too. Perhaps I should add. Door lock to my list of items to buy too?
Have you guys ever made over pieces of furniture? Did you use chalk paint or regular paint or did you make up your own variety of mineral paint?? I have done all of the above and really need to round up a post about all the things I have learned while using each. For now, heres a post about how I painted my piano with homemade chalk paint.
GET THE RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE CHALK PAINT HERE.
