In a world where our schedules are busier than ever and the concept of “me time” often takes a backseat, having a dedicated space for personal wellness has become a necessity. A home gym offers the perfect solution, giving you the freedom to work out on your own terms, at your own pace, and within the comfort of your own surroundings. But I wanted my parent’s home gym to be more than just a collection of exercise equipment—I wanted to make it a organized, clean sanctuary for them to ensure they would WANT to use it!
This was the before of this side of the home gym and it was basically a drop zone for extra things and it also housed the central vac system.
The plan was to build a modern, clean line weight storage system and create a “hydration station” across this wall. I also had to develop a plan to enclose the central vac so that it would still be accessible but not visible! I got my basic plan for this build from Ana White DIY.
This was the wall after I cleared everything out. The plan was to build the console a third the length of the wall making two equal sections for the weights to be stored. I would add an additional enclosure on the far left to provide symmetry across the wall and house a mini fridge and hamper their.
First you want to have all of your plywood ripped down into 17.5″ wide pieces, which will give you a total of 6 strips and 3 left over strips that will be 13″ wide.
From one of the 17.5″ wide panels of plywood, cut two pieces to 36″ long. These will be your side pieces for the console.
You will also need to cut down (12) 1x2s to 17.5″ long and (4) of these will be attached at the top and bottoms of the side panels using wood glue and 1.5″ brad nails shown to the left.
Once those are secure you will attach a full 17.5″ 8ft long panel of plywood to the top of the 1x2s (this will be the top of the console) and one to the tops of the bottom 1x2s, leaving a 1.5″ gap on the ground.
Add (4) more 1x2s under the long bottom piece of plywood to add support and prevent bow in the plywood.
Next you will start adding the 1x3s to the face frame. Add them across the entire border making sure they are flush and even with the top, sides and top of the bottom shelf. Secure with wood glue and brad nails.
Next cut (2) 33″ long piece of the 17.5″ strip of plywood to secure to the middle with a 1″ gap between them.
Next you will add a 1×3 to cover the middle gap to make it appear bulky. After that is secure, flip it onto the other side and repeat the process with trimming out the back side with 1x3s the same as you did to the front.
After that is complete, stand it up and cut (2) more 33″ pieces of the 17.5″ wide plywood that will be secured to the inside of the outer panels, making sure they stay flush with the 1×3 face trim. This will give the outside pieces the same bulky look as the middle.
I moved it into place from here and started building an enclosure that would connect to this console on the left which will house a hamper and mini fridge.
I used my Kreg Jig to make pocket holes in order to attach the left side box directly to the console table structure.
Added the same 1×3 face framing to the front so that it appeared to be one unit. I added a 1×3 divider to separate this box into two sections, one for the mini fridge and the other for a hamper.
Next I took (2) of the 13″ left over strips of plywood and cut them 5ft long to create the sides of my faux cabinet up above the console that would disguise the central vac system.
I secured the 2 sides together using 1x2s and pocket holes along the back and front to keep it square and secured it to the studs in the wall so it was essentially a floating cabinet.
I added all purpose bondo to all of the seams throughout the entire unit so that it would appear as one piece. I also caulked all the 90 degree joints.
Next I started on the door. Using my Kreg jig to make pocket holes, I secured 1x3s together to create a frame with a dividing 1×3 across the middle.
Next I cut 1x2s the length of both the top and bottom sections. I wanted small gaps for a slat look in order to allow air flow for when the central vac was in use. I secured these with only wood glue.
I attached the door with two full overlay hinges by using my Kreg concealed hinge jig. These will allow the doors to lay flush inside my face frame.
After everything was built and in place I was ready to sand the entire structure. I started with a 80 grit on all the bondo seams just to knock down all of the rough ridges at first. Next I used a 150 grit on everything followed by a 220 grit using my orbital sander until everything was smooth to touch.
Use a tack cloth to get all the dust and particles off and you are ready to prime. Since this plywood has a ton of variation and knots, you want to use a good stain blocking primer like Kilz or Zinsser.
Once primed, you want to use a light colored paint to get this look. I found some left over paint at my parents from Sherwin Williams called Cancun Sand, a creamy light beige color. Paint everything with 2 coats.
Next is the glaze technique from Rustoleum in Java Brown. Best practice was to paint an entire section with a paint brush just like staining, and wipe it off with a paper towel or rag. Then with the same brush lightly brush in one way to mimic grain.
You cannot really mess this up, because you can always just wipe it off and start over. Just keep playing around with different pressure and amounts of stain on your brush until you get the look you desire!
It was my first time using this product and I love the faux wood look! Once you have everything to the desired look let it dry for 24 hours.
Apply a polyurethane over the top to protect your masterpiece! Depending on what your use is for this furniture you may want to do multiple coats. Since this was for weight storage in a home gym I did three coats with a light 400 grit sanding in between.
Lastly I applied a peel and stick wallpaper from Tempaper across the top just because I had some left over from another project! This is not necessary and probably wont hold up but if it is in a low traffic area it was a beautiful touch!
Last is the fun part, DECORATING! The moment when your vision comes to life. I added all of the kettlebells, dumb bells, slam balls and towels to the shelves. Slid in the mini fridge which fit absolutely perfectly along with the hamper! You would think it’s a custom piece of furniture right?!
Next up I will be making the step down portion of the wall behind the mini fridge plumb with the rest of the back wall in order to tile the entire thing! It is going to look amazing and I can’t wait to show you how I complete it!
Be sure to follow along on my socials for real time updates and if you would like more visual directions on how I completed this build checkout my Youtube here!
