Emma Lovewell’s Stunning Gym Renovation: Secrets for a Space That Actually Motivates You

Off the bike, Emma Lovewell is an author, a Martha’s Vineyard native, and (as longtime fans know) someone who genuinely loves a good home project, which is exactly why her new gym renovation feels so true to form. If you’ve ever taken a class with her, you know she brings that same warmth, groundedness, and heart to every ride, run, or strength session. Emma has been a full-time Peloton instructor since 2017, teaching cycling, strength, and Tread classes with a signature style built on music, movement, and a deep belief in progress over perfection.

Peloton recently shared the details of her gym renovation at the home she shares with her husband, Dave, in a YouTube video in the platform’s channel. And true to form, it’s less about flashy equipment and more about creating a space that actually makes you want to walk in and move.

Why Emma Started This Gym Renovation

The spark came from a familiar place: new equipment. After receiving the new Peloton Cross Training series, Emma felt motivated to finally reimagine her space and start a gym renovation. But the real “why” behind the project runs deeper. As Emma candidly shared, being a fitness instructor doesn’t mean she’s always raring to go. Some days it’s just as hard for her to get off the couch as it is for anyone else. That’s exactly why she believes the environment matters so much. A space that feels calm, inviting, and functional can be the nudge that gets you moving on the days motivation alone won’t cut it.

Emma wanted her gym to capture the same sense of peace she finds outdoors: natural light, fresh air, and greenery, all while still being efficient enough to handle everything from low-impact recovery days to high-intensity training.

The Vision: Function Meets Feeling

Working with a compact footprint, Emma and Dave mapped out the gym renovation in advance. They kept the bike and Tread in their original spots but cleared the surrounding area to make room for strength training. A key feature: a swiveling screen, so Emma can pivot from cardio straight into a floor workout without missing a beat. A wall-mounted mirror was added nearby for form checks (and, as Emma joked, the occasional late-night dance party or a fit check), along with a wall organizer for mats and foam rollers, and windows left open to let the outside air in.

Like most home projects, this one didn’t come together overnight. Paint swatches went up on the walls, layouts were tested, and the space stayed in a state of organized chaos for a while. Emma’s advice for anyone mid-renovation: the mess is temporary, so keep your eye on the end result.

Emma Lovewell’s Gym Renovation Tips You Can Actually Use

A few of the details that made the biggest difference in Emma’s finished space:

• Add plants. Beyond the aesthetic, Emma leaned on greenery for its emotional and mental benefits, plus the bonus of naturally cleaner indoor air.
• Build in easy access. A dedicated weight rack for dumbbells and kettlebells, plus a workout bench, means less friction between “I should work out” and actually starting.
• Let the light and air in. Opening windows during strength work was a simple way to blur the line between indoor and outdoor training.
• Personalize it. Emma added a sentimental touch: a hand-drawn sketch of her late cat, Kimchi, gifted by a Peloton member, a small reminder that a gym can still feel like home.

The Finished Space

The result is exactly what Emma set out to create: an open, functional room that feels as calming as it does energizing. With natural light, plants, and thoughtful layout choices, the space now supports everything from a gentle stretch to an all-out interval ride, and Emma says it’s already inspiring the rest of her household to use it more.

Want more from Emma’s home life? The Clip Out has covered her ongoing home projects and lifestyle moments over the years, including her house featured in Rue Magazine, her Arhaus home collaboration, and the surprise appearance of her raised bed garden design in a published gardening book.

Whether you’ve got a spare room or just a corner to work with, Emma’s approach is a good reminder: your workout space doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to make you want to be in it.

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