KX Gym in Chelsea (pronounced ‘kicks’) is a well known uber luxe temple of refined, restrained yet extravagant opulence. Good interior design can make ones experience transcend the ordinary, this is part of why I love it, it affects everyone everyday, it affects whether or not we are comfortable somewhere, if we will return and if we recommend it, so it makes good business sense to make commercial premises as gorgeous as you can afford. Lets take a nail salon for example, which salon do you choose, the brightly lit one with dirty lino floor and plastic seats and pay £20, or the one with natural wood floors, lit by candlelight and deep leather seats and pay £25? If you’re anything like me, you’ll choose the latter.
The decor here is redolent of a business class lounge or corporate retreat but I love it, it’s clean, luxurious, glamorous and refined. I want my gym to be calm, no blaring soundtracks, no grunting of weightlifters and I want it to be really clean and pleasant – it’s rumoured that you leave your workout wear in your personal locker and return to find it the next day freshly washed and pressed.
The use of natural woods is what really makes this place, combined with soft , flattering lighting, comfortable seating and luxurious textures, Thorp Design won Best Contemporary Commercial Project in 2003 in the D&D Awards for their design of KX.
Oh how the other half live! It is gorgeous but I kinda like a few grunting sweaty men and blaring music to provide me with entertainment! No, seriously it does make a real difference to an experience – more upmarket gyms provide such tranquility but I found that I seldom made use of all of the facilities and ended up just running in for my class and back out again. x
Yeah, I’d always pay the extra for the nicer envrioment. This place looks goooood.