Lovely Etc.

Creating home for less

  • DIY Decor
  • Furniture Flips
  • Upcycled
  • Printables
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Etc. / $100 Room Challenge: Unfinished Basement to Home Gym

Etc.

$100 Room Challenge: Unfinished Basement to Home Gym

  • Share
  • Tweet

It’s that time again!  Time for the $100 Room Challenge!

For those who don’t know, the $100 Room Challenge was dreamed up by Erin from Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry.  It’s a challenge to make over one entire room in your home in one month, using only $100.  Talk about a challenge!

Luckily I love a good challenge – especially when it involves decorating for cheap which is kind of my specialty.  Last year I completed two $100 room challenges and finished up two awesome rooms in our home – our bathroom and our family room.

board and batten with blue walls

$100 Bathroom Makeover

 

inexpensive diy family room

$100 Family Room Makeover

 

This challenge was just what I needed to get myself in gear and finally get some projects finished so I’m super excited to be taking on the challenge again.

But this time the space I’m tackling is a little different.  When you see it, you’re probably going to think I’m a little crazy.  To be totally honest, I think I’m a little crazy myself!

My husband’s birthday was a few weeks ago and for his birthday he requested that I help him fix up his home gym.  Sounds fancy right?  Well in reality, calling it a home gym might be stating things a bit too strongly.  It’s actually  just a bunch of weight benches and equipment in one corner of our big unfinished basement.  Which is just about as glamorous as it sounds.

basement home gym before

Cold cement floor covered by random carpet remnants, cinder block walls, loose insulation hanging down from the ceiling, dim lighting, a window covered by a piece of chain link fence (why?), and piles of stuff stored all around the edges.  Not exactly an inspiring spot to get fit.

basement gym before

I decided it would be the perfect project to tackle for this round of the $100 Room Challenge.  I’m not 100% sure exactly what I’m going to do here but my goal is to make this space feel less like a creepy basement and more like an actual home gym.  Bonus points if I can make it nice enough that I end up motivating myself to work out there as well!

I’ll be sharing updates every Wednesday in January with the big reveal happening January 31st.  I am super excited to see how far I can stretch $100 to make this feel like a completely difference space.

You can check out the spaces the other participants in the challenge are making over at the links below.

An InLinkz Link-up


  • Share
  • Tweet


27 Comments

« How to make a lampshade with your favorite fabric
The Best DIY Projects of the Year »

Comments

  1. Maria - House by the Preserve says

    January 3, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    I absolutely love what you did with the bathroom and family and can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve for the home gym. Looking forward to following along!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 5, 2018 at 9:32 am

      Thank you Maria! This one is a tough challenge but I’m excited to see what we can do!

      Reply
  2. Emy says

    January 4, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    My basement looks exactly like that except with less gym equipment and more dirty laundry piles. ;) I can’t wait to see how you update this space!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 5, 2018 at 9:34 am

      Thanks Emy! Whenever I see pictures of other people’s basements online, they look so nice and organized. It’s nice to know we aren’t the only ones with a dark, dreary disaster area!

      Reply
  3. Meredith @ The Palette Muse says

    January 4, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    You’re a brave woman! I can’t wait to see what you make of this space. I’m still ogling over your bathroom and living room redo’s.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 5, 2018 at 9:34 am

      Thank you Meredith!

      Reply
  4. Leigh at Little by Little Farmhouse says

    January 4, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    Wow! Can’t wait to see how you inspire me to tackle my basement! You go, girl!
    And I love your other makeovers!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 5, 2018 at 9:35 am

      Thank you Leigh!

      Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    January 4, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    GIRL!! We have a VERY similar scary area and I’m excited to see what you can do on $100!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 5, 2018 at 9:35 am

      Thanks Ashley! This is going to be a tough one for sure!

      Reply
  6. Patti says

    January 5, 2018 at 7:29 am

    Hi Carrie,

    Wow, that seems like a really tough challenge for $100, but I know you can do it and love your other makeovers. Soooo excited to see your progress!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 5, 2018 at 9:36 am

      Thanks Patti! I’m excited about this one too – but definitely nervous!

      Reply
  7. Tracy says

    January 5, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    How fun! I would love to have a home gym!

    Reply
  8. Jenny says

    January 6, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    This will be a fun one to follow along with! I can’t wait to see how you use your creativity in this space!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 23, 2018 at 1:17 pm

      Thanks so much Jenny!

      Reply
  9. Wendy Duffy says

    January 8, 2018 at 5:28 pm

    Wow! This is going to be an interesting project and I can’t wait to see what you do. I have a good friend who does bikini competitions and she just built a house, with an unfinished basement that she wants to turn into a gym. I will send her your link so she can follow too! Good luck!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 23, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      Thank you Wendy!

      Reply
  10. Deneen says

    January 10, 2018 at 1:41 am

    I’m keeping my eye on this one Carrie. Looking forward to see how it comes out

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      Thanks Deneen!

      Reply
  11. Erin- Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry says

    January 10, 2018 at 8:56 am

    Love it!!! What an awesome space to makeover! You have done amazing things for your last 2 rounds, and I’m sure this will be no exception. So excited to have you joining the challenge again!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      Thanks Erin! There’s nothing like the $100 room challenge to get me in gear!

      Reply
  12. Melissa says

    January 10, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    This is going to be such a fun one! We had a basement just like that in our last house and I miss it! Good luck and can’t wait to see how it turns out!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks Meliisa! It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have this huge basement, even if it is a bit of a mess!

      Reply
  13. Kim says

    January 10, 2018 at 2:16 pm

    I can’t wait to see what you come up with for this space! I’m ridiculous – I’ve thought of excuses for not working out just thinking of having a gym in my basement! Lol

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      You definitely made me laugh out loud! Lol.

      Reply
  14. Shelley from Roots North & South says

    February 6, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    How have I never found your blog before the $100 Room Challenge?? Everything is so lovely. I’m going to be a frequent visitor now… Congrats on the makeover!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      Thank you so much Shelley!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Looking for Something?

View my Web Stories

  • About Lovely Etc.
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

Thanks for stopping by Lovely Etc! While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the information displayed on this website, Lovely Etc. makes no guarantees as to the procedures and information contained here. The publisher will not be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with the information displayed on lovelyetc.com. This website is not intended to substitute for advice from a professional.

Lovely Etc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316