How One Family Transformed Their Outdated Pool House into a Luxury Self-Care Center

It’s not every day that interior designers stumble into clients who have their own Ammortal Chamber—a performance-enhancing, healing cocoon that combines red and near infra-red light technology, molecular hydrogen therapy, multi-wave pulsed electromagnetic fields, and vibroacoustic-assisted meditation settings—parked in the backyard. But that rare opportunity presented itself in Rancho Santa Fe, where Studio Mesa partners Jill Norman and Cameron Shepherd have spent the last several years transforming a property for a fitness-focused married couple with young children.

“It’s a Mediterranean-style property, with many spaces for entertaining and play. There was a separate outbuilding that had an enclosed pool and a steam shower, but it was not at all the clients’ style,” Shepherd says. “At first, they didn’t know what to do with it. Then it occurred to them what their priority was, and that was wellness. The husband specifically is focused on the space where technology and wellness intersect.”

Jake Kin

While the subject “biohacking” is controversial, and unproven therapies abound, there’s no denying that people are devoting serious resources to longevity medicine and practices that optimize health. And serious square footage is being designated for at-home workouts and relaxation.

“They have everything they need. There are treatment rooms, a UV therapy room, hot and cold plunge pools controlled remotely, a Himalayan salt sauna. There are infrared heaters in the yoga room,” Norman says. “They brought the full experience home.”

Jake Kin

All of the finishes and surfaces in the home and the spa, like cork flooring in the yoga studio, Italian ceramic tile, and hand-troweled plaster walls, are free of harsh chemicals. The meditation deck is made from Brazilian ipe wood.

“We were walking a lot of lines considering form, function, and low-toxicity,” Shepherd says. “Anything that would make the space seem too synthetic or toxic would be at odds with the purpose of this center. All of these elements needed to align. We were very careful and specific in our choices.”

The gym equipment was chosen with help from San Diego company Out-Fit, which specializes in luxury home gyms.

Jake Kin

While they are not anticipating another home-spa project of this scale in the near future, the Studio Mesa team came away with a couple of essential lessons from the experience that could apply to a home fitness space of any size to make self-care easier to prioritize.

Jake Kin

“Personally, I need some separation. I can’t work out in the same space where I live,” Norman says. “Having a nice designated space for that is a luxury, but you don’t need much. If you can allocate a little section to put down some comfortable flooring and paint the walls, and keep everything organized and neat, it’s fairly easy to create a small retreat.”

Home Gym Gems

Want to build your own at-home gym? We’ve curated a few of our favorite, design-forward products to make your space look as good those endorphins make you feel.

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