7 Great Tips To Hide a Treadmill In a Room And Make It Look Good

There is no mistaking the shape of a treadmill sitting in a room. Its very design screams ‘equipment in a room full of soft, colorful furnishings. But the treadmill covers we found look like grill and outdoor furniture tarps, and there had to be another answer. 

Here are 7 tips to hide a treadmill in a room and make it look good:

1. Use a decorative folding screen.
2. Hang drapes or curtains.
3. Hide your treadmill in plain sight.
4. Treat it like a work of art.
5. Build a wall.
6. Store it in a closet or under a bed.
7. Get customized treadmill covers

If your imagination is drawing a blank trying to visualize your treadmill camouflaged as a decorative asset, read on for ideas and inspiration for how to hide a treadmill in plain sight.

1. Use a Decorative Folding Screen

It seems that a folding screen is the first answer for most people who are looking for a way to hide their treadmill and make the room look good as well. Screens are portable, and inexpensive, and they get the job done. 

Screens are best used when you have your treadmill in the largest room in your home or apartment, as they will help crowd an already crowded space.

Looking for a good spot to put your treadmill? Click here for a breakdown of the best places.

Using a privacy screen to hide your treadmill leaves open space at each end. That might not matter, depending on the location. A better solution would be an empty corner. The treadmill can be angled across the corner with the barrier in front closing off the ends; not ultimate, but better. 

If a corner does not work for you, and a wall is your only option, select a six-panel folding screen instead of the more common four-panel. Of course the size you need depends on the size of your treadmill. Read here how much space you need for a treadmill.

A folding screen to hide your treadmill is an ideal barrier if it’s away from foot traffic. Folding screens are not permanent fixtures, so you don’t want people knocking into them. When using your treadmill, it will be easy to set the screen aside or fold it flat out of your way if you want to. You may feel less claustrophobic with the screen set aside. 

It should be easy to find a folding screen that appeals to your good taste and complements the decor in the room. Amazon has many to offer in multiple styles and a variety of price ranges. 

Most are between five feet and six-feet in height. The higher the room ceilings, the better a screen will blend in. 

A decorative wood panel folding screen is a tasteful and subtle addition suitable for hiding your treadmill in any room of your home. There is a beautiful Wooden Screen Room Divider from Amazon.com that has either four or six panels. 

It’s unique in that solid wood shelves come with it and securely attach to the screen panels. With the six-panel screen and shelves, you could create a false wall behind which to hide your treadmill. 

Another favorite is a handcrafted wood screen delicately carved so the light will show through, but it will still camouflage your treadmill. This screen would be so beautiful in a bedroom or garden room.

Traditional Japanese room dividers in a classic style will make an impression. The 3-panel screen is double sided so it’s a beautiful work of art from either side. 

There are beautiful and colorful designs, woven rattan and ricepaper-like panels with bamboo, and much more from which to choose.

Do It Yourself Folding Screen Designs

Buy a folding screen with plain flat panels and create your own design.

If you have left- over wallpaper for that particular room, use it to match your folding screen to your existing room decor. Fabrics that mix, match or contrast could be fitted to the panels as well. 

Create a photo collage using the plain panel room divider. It’s a great way to enjoy your favorite snapshots instead of hiding them away.  Make it organized or random, themed or not. It will be your personal creation. 

If you have a few very special high resolution photos, you could have them made into a poster and fit it to the screen panels with a framed and matted look.  

Anytime you want to change the room where you hide your treadmill or change the decor of the room you can change the screen to suit. 

The selection of folding screens is extensive so you should have no trouble finding one to hide your treadmill and make the room look good. Most are affordably priced.  

Suggested: 12 tips for buying a second hand treadmill

Smart Interior Design With Folding Screens 

A beautiful idea for hiding your treadmill in a room and making it look good is found at Motif in an article by Maura. Maura specializes in layered interiors, and she brings that talent to hiding an elliptical behind a screen in a room that looks good.

She layers the interior designs of the space by making the screen the main focal point in a corner space. You want a beautiful, artistic design and fabric. Alongside, above, and behind the screen on the wall are photos or artwork. In front of the screen, she placed a small armless chair on either side. 

Further layering was done by adding decorative pillows to the chairs and placing a large floor plant between the chairs and in front of the screen. Your eye is drawn to the screen as the center of a vignette. It’s a beautiful example of a layered interior, and it hides your exercise machine. 

2. Hang Drapes or Curtains  

There are creative ways to use curtains as camouflage for your treadmill, such as:

• Rolling screens with curtain inserts
• Ceiling mounted curtain rods 
• Bow-shaped curtain rods that extend from the wall to create a bay

My favorite method is available from UrbanRed. They make a flexible ceiling-mounted track with hooks from which to hang curtains. 

Because it’s flexible and ceiling mounted, you can install the track in a straight line to create a wall of curtains, or you can blow it out to whatever depth you need to hide your treadmill. 

Only you’ll know that there are no windows behind those curtains. You can swing the curtains open with ease whenever you want to use your treadmill. Swing them closed when you’re finished for a room-softening hiding place for your treadmill. Here too, you can use draperies or curtains that match or coordinate with your decor. 

3. Hide Your Treadmill in Plain Sight

I found this idea in an article by Sarah Lyon in the Wall Street Journal, and it’s just brilliant. The article’s subject is about drawing attention to everything surrounding an exercise bike, so the equipment itself goes unnoticed. I think the idea will work just as well with a treadmill. 

The footprint of the treadmill is low and slim with a sizable gap and then the screen and handlebars. The upper part of the wall has a large lovely painting to draw the eye away from the treadmill. The trick is to paint the wall black so the equipment, assuming it’s black, blends into the color. 

A nearby floor plant in a colorful planter is placed near the treadmill, which again draws the eye away. 

You could do this in your own home for very little money and effort. A busy wallpapered panel might work as well. You could have a lot of fun with this while hiding your treadmill and making the room look great. 

4. Treat It Like a Work of Art 

I can envision a minimalist decor with spacious rooms and large windows. All alone, in the midst, sits a treadmill like a cookie-cutter cut-out on the landscape of white walls, glass, and light oak wood floors. Maybe add a red flowing scarf to the handlebars for a splash of color. 

The intention is not to hide the treadmill but to celebrate it for its form and function. But not only that, its presence represents your dedication and consistent efforts to the cause of good health. It’s there for all to see. It could be that modern new equipment would make a fashion statement you don’t want to hide. 

There are a few brands that make beautiful modern looking treadmills that are not an eyesore. Some brands you can check out are; Technogym, Yanko design and Sportsart. They are some of the biggest brands that make treadmills that are design focused. Technogym also builds gym equipment for commercial facilities so the quality is great as well.

5. Build a Wall

If no other solution works for you, you could build a wall for your treadmill. It could be a whole wall, but that’s not necessary. A half-wall or handlebar height would work just as well, and you wouldn’t have to close the ends.

You could make the wall from an old or new bookcase with space between it and the wall behind it for your treadmill. The original wall above the height of the bookcase will create depth if you hang a lovely piece of art, family photos, or another decorative arrangement. 

You could also frame out a slim, hollow wall, and cover it with beautiful wood paneling. Perhaps even place a finished wide shelf as the wall topper. If there is room between the walls, you might add a minifridge and shelf for drinks and glasses. 

Now you have an attractive small standing bar in your living room and a hiding place for your treadmill. 

6. Store It in a Closet

Out of sight out of mind is a risk you take when you give your treadmill a room or closet of its own. If you’re a die-hard exercise enthusiast, you’ll likely find your way to the treadmill each day, even if you have to go to the basement, the garage, a separate exercise room, or your patio. 

But not all of us are that enthusiastic, so we need to see the treadmill as a reminder throughout the day. Then, at some point, we give in to the guilt, step aboard, and do our 40 minutes. 

The problem is finding a space within the home where the treadmill can permanently reside without disrupting the visual ambiance and still be easily accessible. The bedroom is often used if there’s enough space for a treadmill. And bedrooms often have big closets.

A folding treadmill is easier to store in a closet. That could be a helpful solution for you, despite its limitations. You’ll need a big closet to pull this off though.

It might be best to set up the treadmill and leave it up unless you are expecting guests. On those occasions, fold it up and store it away. After the guest is gone and before you go to bed, set the treadmill back up again. 

To find my recommended folding treadmill, click here.

7. Get Customized Treadmill Covers 

As we mentioned earlier, treadmill covers are available for sale for all sizes, shapes, and styles of treadmills. Amazon.com has many from which to choose, and most at reasonable prices.

These covers protect treadmills from dust accumulation and dampness if stored in a basement, garage, or enclosed porch. Most are black or clear, and there is nothing attractive about them. 

Suggested: How to store your treadmill properly

However, a creative person could use one of those dust covers for a pattern and create a lovely room-enhancing cover that’s washable and matches the decor in the room. Unless you create a unique shape that will hold when placed over the treadmill, it’s still going to look like a treadmill with a cover on it. Still, it’s an option if you have the time and skill to do the work or the money to pay someone else with the skills.

Conclusion

The average home in the US has five to six rooms and 1800 sq. ft. Many urban apartment dwellers may have less than half that much space. Rather than give up your treadmill, explore some ways to hide the treadmill in a room and make it look good. 

If none of our solutions work for your unique situation, don’t give up. Keep looking at the room and the treadmill and thinking about a resolution. A treadmill wholly hidden under a pile of clothes is not an option for long. Nothing about that makes the room look good.