Every guy needs a man cave where he can put up his feet and his tacky posters without offending any delicate female sensibilities. Whatever you want to happen in your man cave is completely up to you, whether it’s playing video games, hanging out with mates, watching sports or simply fixing the car in peace and quiet.
For many guys any space will do, a garage, a spare room or a garden shed, as long it’s firmly a male domain with strictly ‘no girls allowed’ policy. We’ve put together a step by step guide on how to make your own man cave!
Step 1 – Preparation
Your man cave will most likely not be the prettiest room in the house. It will probably be in the basement, garage or attic, a room that no one uses or wants to have anything to do with. In fact it may not even be in the house at all. Many a man cave can be found in the garden shed at the bottom of the garden.
Once you’ve chosen your manspace then you need to set about getting it ready to inhabit. Of course ‘inhabit’, can mean different things to different people. If you’re happy to hang out with spiders and bare beams cool, but trust us, it will be much warmer with insulation, and soundproofing will keep people from hammering on the door telling you to keep the noise down.
Step 2 – Decor
This step is optional, after all you get to make the decisions here, but if your man cave is dingy and small, then a fresh coat of bright paint will liven it up and make it look bigger. If you’re after more of a grungy nightclub setup then stick to dark colours. Lighting (and therefore electricity) is probably a necessity, especially if you don’t have windows, so jack this up if you don’t have it.
Personalise the walls with signs, posters, artwork – basically anything that you love that’s not allowed in the main part of the house. This is also a good time to display any collections of weird gadgets, trophies of your sporting achievements, board games mens magazines and action/adventure books.
Step 3 – Must-have items
Whether you go for a full on bar or a just a beer fridge, a place to keep drinks is a necessity if you’re having the boys round to watch the game, as is comfortable seating. On that note, a big TV is also a must, with surround sound if you want to splash out. A pool table could be on the agenda if you have the space, and good internet connection is essential if you’re planning on gaming.
You’re also going to need some kind of security to keep all that equipment safe from burglars, neighbours and curious family members.
Step 4 – Additional boys toys
Now you’ve got your man cave looking cosy, or at least inhabitable, you may want to customise it a little more. Install sports equipment so you can work out in private or a workbench for tinkering on your home projects. Car maintenance is a popular hobby for guys with a garage- sized man cave, then there’s pinball machines, miniature sports and musical instruments just to make hanging out there even more fun. Set up a cool man cave and we guarantee your mates won’t say no whenever you invite them over.