Since October 2018 my husband and I have been loyal Peloton riders and fans. Over the past couple of years we have found the more you Peloton (in our household, it’s often a verb), the more you crave to Peloton, whether that is work on the bike, meditation, walking or even simply stretching. The community and the support of those you follow only amplifies that craving. And at a time when we are sheltering in place, the Peloton bike and the app’s content has been our saving grace.
Just a couple weeks into this sheltering in place mandate, Peloton began having their instructors stream live rides from their homes. As an interior designer, part of the fun in showing up to live rides was to see where some of my favorite instructors lived—what’s their environment like? What color are their walls painted? Is their interior style traditional or contemporary?
Come to find out, whether the instructor was streaming from New York City, Brooklyn or even London, they all had a similar interior. White or light gray walls, sleek and simple finishes, a large source of natural light, green potted plants, a couple pieces of art and two recognizable books and/or accessories. After designing homes for over 25 years, I had to ask myself, are they all in a hotel? Were they all sent a paint palette and a box of plants and accessories with a merchandising guide like they do for a grocery store or retail shop?
The need for branding, especially for a brand like Peloton, is immense. I would love to see the directive or the memo that was sent out from Peloton HQ to their instructors, as there is obviously an interior designer behind their streaming spaces. Even if it was just one room that was quickly converted to reflect the Peloton brand, it was done swiftly and done well. And if you doubt this theory, just look at the Peloton riders’ spaces from across the country that take these classes. You can see images all over Facebook and Instagram—none of which hold a candle to the streaming instructors’ spaces. So bravo to the designer that pulled off this initiative—and if you have the HQ memo or the details to how our beloved Peloton pulled this off, I’d love to know the designer scoop.
