A Look Inside a First-Rate Home Gym in Goodrich
Hour Detroit - June 2023Norm and Kim’s home gym is truly working out.
After an extensive three-year renovation process, Norm and Kim’s home, located on 80 acres on serene Shinanguag Lake in Goodrich, has everything they dreamed of: a theater, a new second garage, a mother-in-law suite, a negative-edge pool, and the piece de resistance — an exercise room with all the bells and whistles.
After an extensive three-year renovation process, Norm and Kim’s home, located on 80 acres on serene Shinanguag Lake in Goodrich, has everything they dreamed of: a theater, a new second garage, a mother-in-law suite, a negative-edge pool, and the piece de resistance — an exercise room with all the bells and whistles.
The couple, who describe their line of work as “we both own businesses,” worked with DesRosiers Architects of Bloomfield Hills and Royal Oak-based Derocher Inc. on the renovation.
“Lou [DesRosiers] decided where the exercise room would be; he said you want it to be in the best spot possible, with a view of the lake,” Kim says. “Most people put gyms in their basement or in a room with no windows; we’re fortunate and very close to the water.”
DesRosiers says his No. 1 goal was to create a pleasant, well-lit area for his clients’ exercise room that had ample space for all their favorite equipment.
“We were very fortunate to have two walls of the room in floor-to-ceiling glass with expansive views of the pool and lake beyond,” the architect says.
Kim says the space provides plenty of motivation; she uses the exercise room daily, working with free weights and a StairMaster. Her husband focuses on completing Peloton challenges regularly, as well as on resistance weights. The punching bag is also one of his favorite elements.
Here, Kim and architect DesRosiers give us a tour of the space where reps, sets, and pumps are de rigueur.
Prep work
“Before we built this space, we made sure to list all the sizes of the equipment that would be in the room,” DesRosiers says. “The companies that sell the equipment can often provide the measurements.”
Tuned in
The Barmans listen to music from their sound system from AudioVision in Garden City.
Soft landing
Vulcanized rubber gym flooring was installed by Derocher and is just the ticket for cushy comfort and exercise safety.
Glass act
Yes, there’s lots of glass here, Barman concedes. The fixed windows feature aluminum frames and bronze-tinted glass.
“And you can open the sliding door [from Acadia Windows & Doors],” she says. Adds DesRosiers: “It’s one expansive sliding glass door so screens do not block or interfere with the view. The very large door allows for exhilarating fresh air to fill the space.”
Feel good
Barman says the gym never gets hot, thanks to a superb air system.
“We specified that the room should have its own climate control, and so that was engineered into the system,” DesRosiers says.
See the light
Recessed lighting peppers the ceiling. “In addition, there’s cool strip lighting, which was Lou’s idea,” Barman says. Explains DesRosiers:
“The dimmable strip lighting creates the perfect level of light, and they’re out of the way, above the equipment. Plus, they feature an interesting effect when viewing from inside or outside.”
A-head of the game
“Whenever designing a home gym, try to include adequate headroom,” DesRosiers says. Nine to 10 feet is preferred.
Plugged in
DesRosiers recommends plenty of outlets for equipment; in this space, there are eight.
