Home decorating styles may come and go, but a true sports lover's devotion will never waver. There are golfing regulars, tennis lovers, and and never-say-die runners. Soccer fanatics and cricket worshippers. Yoga devotees. You might love your sport of choice so much that its effects spill out into your home décor--in fact you might prefer it that way, so that anyone who steps into your home has no doubt of your affiliations.
But how much of a sportsman or sportswoman are you? Are you a casual exerciser, a devoted follower, or a Black Belt fitness fanatic? With a little decorating effort, your home will reveal your interests!
First level: The casual exerciser
You go for the simple, low-maintenance activities: a game of soccer with friends, pounding the pavement in your pricey jogging shoes, or perhaps a game of golf on the weekend. Or perhaps you prefer more upmarket activities, such as working out at a gym, or attending classes in yoga. You feel smug at the glow of fitness on yourself.
Your home: Go for a streamlined, non-fussy décor. Hang your jogging shoes by the shoelaces for a rugged look. Set aside a corner as your personal fitness spot: this is where you can devote your time doing simple exercises, or where you can meditate.
Next level: Devoted follower
This is when things start to get exciting. You love all kinds of sports, and model yourself after well known athletes. You are known as 'the sporty one' in conversations. You are eager to spread your love of fitness to one and all, and your home, of course, must reflect this.
Your home: Golf lovers may find themselves buying miniature golf sets. Basketball lovers want to fix a basketball net to a convenient spot at home. You have turned an entire room into your personal gym or meditation room. You might even have a pool table. Instead of a simple T-shirts and shorts, you have a small collection of sportswear.
Highest level: Black Belt fitness fanatic
In many ways, this is the best level of all. You are allowed to give your imagination full reign. You train everyday as though you are slated to take part in the Olympics, and in fact, you have entered, and won competitions in your sport of choice. 'No pain, no gain' is your life philosophy. You probably consult a sports doctor regularly. You terrify the inactive with your devotion to fitness, and you are self-assured about your buff physique.
Your home: Your sporting awards are kept in a locked display cabinet, which has pride of place in your living room. In fact, your entire home is your shrine to fitness. You do not baulk at remodeling your entire home, if necessary, in order to reflect these beliefs.
Fans of games such as televised games such as soccer, golf, tennis, hockey: You follow your favourite team with devotion and may have travel overseas in order to catch them in action. You have customized display cabinets for your sports apparatus, such as for golf clubs. You have framed your favourite player's jersey on the wall. You painted your home in team colours.
Fans of extreme or uncommon sports: Your surfboard, your diving gear, or your archery apparatus are prominently displayed, so that guests may admire them, as well as your competence in them. Divers have photographs of undersea scenes, as well as souvenirs from far-off lands. Rock climbers have a miniature fake wall where they can practise hanging from a rope.
All-round fitness nut: Your weight-training apparatus is in the centre of the living room. In such cases, be sure to coordinate your furniture and wall colours so that they will harmonise with the amount of hardware in your home. White, industrial grey, or black are all suitable. A black leather sofa adds to the ruggedness of the surroundings. Be sure to install full-length mirrors in order to duplicate the gym atmosphere, and to ensure that you can always check your form wherever you are.
The yoga disciples: Practitioners of yoga and other activities such as martial arts, while seldom as loud as the other sports lovers, can be just as highly devoted to their sport. Your home is decorated in natural materials, such as wood, and you pay strict attention to the placement of your exercise mat, the incense pot, and the flowers. You prefer white in most things: furniture, drapes, floors, and walls. Again, full-length mirrors are useful to check your posture while holding those difficult positions. In other areas of your home, include details such as aromatherapy lamps, flower arrangements, and bonsai to enhance the feeling of spirituality.
Your home is not just a place to rest your head at night; it is a place where your individuality can be fully expressed, and what can be healthier than the love of sports and physical activity? If you love sports, let it show in your home décor. Not only will you be able to indulge in your favourite activity, the atmosphere of sportiness in your home will surely spur you to keep exercising and working out. Here's to continued fitness!
