On pointe

With our schedules busier than ever, it can be difficult to find the time to commit to regularly attending a gym.

Working out at home doesn’t require a big, expensive equipment like a treadmill or elliptical trainer to get the job done. Not only do these items take up a lot of room, they can also take more maintenance to keep them running smoothly than you might realise.

A simple set-up with the right equipment, storage and lighting are really all you need to pull your very own home workout space together. A good quality set of weights or kettlebells will last a lifetime and are the best choice for building strong bones and muscle – plus, they’re easy to tuck away in a niche when they’re not in use. There are even fold down wall-mounted weight bench options which, not unlike a Murphy bed, can keep what is often an unwieldly piece of equipment out of the way. If you’ve got a load bearing wall and the right hardware, this and other small home gym items like a jumping rope – an excellent cardio activity for small space – and resistance bands can be hung to keep them up off the floor.

Those interested in Barre – a fitness movement focused on building long, lean muscles through a fusion of ballet and strength conditioning – won’t need much floor space to get toned. Most of these exercises depend only upon the availability of a wall-mounted bar to hang on to and a mirror to keep an eye on your poise and technique, which means a nook in your hallway veranda, or even a walk-in closet or dressing room might fit the bill.

The benefits of a home workout space go far beyond its convenience. The ability to add personalisation to make it your own means you know you’re going to feel comfortable and at ease when you’re using it. Since colour has long been shown through many studies to have a significant psychological impact, one of the easiest and most affordable ways to create the right vibe is with paint. Choosing the right colours to decorate with all boils down the mood you’re after. If you’re looking to feel energised, even just a few pops of vibrant hues like red, orange and yellow such as Resene Whizz Bang, Resene Adrenalin or Resene Turbo can bring a sense of vim and vigour. Those seeking a more zen-like zone will find it in soft and dusty blues, greys or greens such as Resene Half Inside Back, Resene Geyser or Resene Pumice. Once you’ve settled on the atmosphere you’re trying to create, it’ll be easier to narrow down Resene’s extensive colour collection to three to five shades that you love the look of together. From there, your imagination is the limit to how you use those hues to design your ideal space.

If you’re building a Barre corner within a greater multi-purpose space, start with a wall colour in a flexible and liveable grey like Resene Geyser and timber flooring finished in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash as a neutral base. Adding a subtle block of colour in Resene Cest La Vie, a delicate slipper pink, is a simple way to make your setup a focal point while grounding the bar visually. To create repetition, use this hero accent colour in at least two other places, such as on the bar itself and a pendant lamp.

For privacy while you practice, make a simple folding screen or partition using pre-cut sheets of timber or MDF panels held together with hinges. This screen is painted in Resene Geyser to match with the walls trimmed with ‘frames’ in Resene Regent Grey. A simple herringbone detail has been added using a testpot in Resene Quarter Iron. Drum tables in a creative combination of Resene Martini with stripes in Resene Quarter Iron (small) and Resene Regent Grey with bottom and stripe in Resene Gunmetal (large) are the perfect place to set down your drink bottle and set up your portable speakers while adding visual interest to the space.

Top tip: Paint outlines around your home fitness items in Resene testpots by using a few favourite colours so that you – or less tidy family members – remember to put things back where they belong when they’re done with them.

Accessories — Mirror by Made for Tomorrow, runner and rug from The Ivy House, Merging Faces artwork by Holly Schroder from endemicworld, bag from Zara, ballet slippers from Devonport School of Dance.

Project by Kate Alexander. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021