– Alanai, how much sports equipment do you have at home and how do you manage to find space for everything?
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– Sports is my biggest hobby. Besides, I am a sports coach and conduct training sessions at home, so I must be equipped with equipment from head to toe (laughs). Part of it – a stationary outdoor calisthenics playground with a weightlifting zone, barbell, rings, punching bag, bars – found a place in the yard and on the terrace. Smaller items: dumbbells, jump ropes, balls, mats, resistance bands I keep on the terrace under the canopy, on holders, racks, and some in a simple outdoor box. I have especially many weights – it’s a personal passion, I train professionally with them. Everything is neatly arranged, but not hidden, so it certainly does not contribute to the terrace aesthetics nurtured by my wife – the sports equipment does not quite match the outdoor furniture and relaxation area.
– Is order important to you at home and how does it affect your and your whole family’s emotional well-being?
– Order is extremely important to me. I like when things have their place and return there immediately after use. Putting an item back takes 15 seconds, but when many accumulate, tidying up can take up to 45 minutes. The mood at home is definitely better when everything has its place. But with sports equipment, it’s not always that simple. When it’s cold or bad weather outside, I bring the weights into the living room. My wife and kids watch a movie, and I train next to the TV. Afterwards, I’m tired, sometimes postpone tidying up, and the weights remain out of place. Then I get remarks from my wife. Although I think they look quite nice by the TV and even inspire me to work out, the family likes it less (laughs).
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– If an IKEA interior designer could solve one storage challenge, what would you want to change first in your home?
– Currently, the outdoor playground is separated from the terrace area, where we drink coffee, have lunch, dinner, or just relax, only by a transparent curtain. I would like to isolate that sports zone more, arrange the equipment more beautifully and conveniently. Now it’s tidy but still visible, so I would like to find a way to nicely “wrap” this whole zone so that the sports equipment remains easily accessible but also blends more elegantly into the terrace relaxation area.
Weights, mats, and interior: how to coordinate everything?
Today, many homes have sports equipment because exercising at home has become common and very convenient. And although it’s not easy to match sports items to home interiors, especially if it’s not urban style, it is definitely possible. IKEA interior designer Toma Laucienė shares easily applicable tips on how to store balls, dumbbells, or mats at home so that they are always at hand but do not annoy or stand out when not in use.
- When sports is a constant hobby, it’s worth designating a permanent place for it at home. This can be a smaller room or part of a room, terrace, or balcony. If only part of the space is allocated for this, it is recommended to choose closed cabinets for storing sports equipment. On the balcony or terrace, KOLBJÖRN cabinets and shelves, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, are perfect for this. They are made of steel, so they are durable and, importantly, suitable for storing heavier items.
- Items that are used less often when exercising at home are worth keeping further away, for example, in a closet or under the bed. “However, to ensure that the equipment is not lost or forgotten at home, I would recommend putting it in transparent plastic boxes SAMLA: every time you open the closet, the equipment will remind you of itself and will likely be used more often,” advises T. Laucienė.
- If you still want the sports equipment to become part of the interior and be convenient to access, a wall display can be a great solution. For example, from lighter dumbbells, bands, or jump ropes, you can create a kind of gallery and keep it on the SKADIS board mounted on the wall. If the sports items are of similar or repeating colors, from the same manufacturer or style, it can become a beautiful home accent reflecting the lifestyle of the people living here.
