Man Caves: Tips From The Professionals
So, you’re thinking about putting a man cave in your house? Great, but have you decided what you need for your personal space?
Here are some hints and guidance from the pros about what to put into the room so that it suits your needs:
What kind of man cave do you want?
There are really four kinds of man caves: social, personal, theater, and library.
- The social man cave is designed around a wet bar and a television. It’s used for informal gatherings, often to watch sports or movies. It’s an open space that allows everyone to move around, eat, drink, and have a great time.
- The personal man cave is designed to accommodate a specific hobby or interest. Often, this is a nostalgic space that most of us didn’t get when we were boys. A room for model trains, model cars, or even a comic book collection is something every man, and boy, wants.
- A theater man cave is exactly as it sounds; it’s a home theater. Usually the seats are fixed and comfortable. You can kick back and watch television or movies in style, without the sticky floors and annoying moviegoers.
- The library man cave is a classic. Before it was called a ‘man cave,’ it was simply the library. This room is often dedicated to books, a desk, and enough room to sit comfortably and read. It’s calm and quiet. For the man of the house, it’s where the door can be closed and he can be alone with his man cave-caveman thoughts.
The Standard Man Cave Items
Lights (please, do not forget the lights!)
If there is one mistake most people make when designing a man cave for themselves it’s that they don’t put enough lights in the room. You might never turn them all on at the same time, but lights should be all over the room. A room with all your model trains but only a few lights isn’t a man cave; it’s a storage closet. Use many kinds of light, such as recessed lighting, spot lights, chandeliers, and even table lamps. Put in more light than you think you might ever need. You’ll be much happier down the road.
Heat (seriously, don’t forget to heat it)
You would be amazed the number times a professional gets called in to help fix a man cave just because it’s cold – really cold. Often the man cave is relegated to the basement or a converted garage. That’s fine, but make sure to put adequate heating and air conditioning in there. The usual spaces that man caves are built in were rarely designed for extended use, like a 14-hour Humphrey Bogart movie marathon or reading the 50 Shades of Grey series in one sitting.
Entertainment Essentials
Most man caves are designed to watch and play sports, and there are some items that should be in every sports man cave:
- Flat screen TV
- Wet bar with a fridge and a microwave
- Barstools
- Recliners
- Memorabilia
- Pool table
- Dartboard
Get started on your man cave by choosing what you want to use it for. The rest will fall into place quickly. Most of all, have fun putting it together!