After a long, stressful day, we all need somewhere to collect our thoughts and unwind. While women might relax in the bath or curl up with a nice film in front of the TV, many men retreat to their ‘man cave’ – a room within the home such as a specially-equipped garage, spare room, den or basement that is essentially a guy-only zone.
This tends to be the only space in the house where a man can do as he pleases without female input, so if you’re already itching to order paints from the likes of Rawlins and create a testosterone-fuelled haven, here’s how to go about it.
Choose your own décor
When discussing the subject of a man cave with your partner or the other people you live with, make it clear that you want to decorate your part of the house in any way you choose. This might mean painting the walls black and red or it might mean sticking up posters of your favourite retro cars or motorbikes. You could even cover an entire wall in bar mats, mirrors, bottle tops, road signs, postcards, sports memorabilia or anything you can think of; just make sure you get the green light from your fellow residents to avoid upsetting anyone.
Got the thumbs up? Then don’t be afraid to unleash your creative side and do all you can to put your own personal stamp on this room. You’ll find plenty of inspiration via sites like Pinterest, or you could quite literally do your own thing from start to finish.
Think accessories
Every man cave needs some swanky accessories, but before you get overexcited and start ordering left, right and centre, be sure to know the dimensions of your room. That way, you’ll buy items that’ll actually fit and won’t have to stress yourself with cramming everything in or returning half-opened products. Not very good with a tape measure? Then fear not, as there are many apps that’ll make a floor plan for you! Pretty cool, huh?
Now the sensible bit is out the way, here are some must-have man cave items:
A wide-screen, HD TV complete with internet access
What would a male-only sanctuary be without a wide-screen, HD TV? It might sound stereotypical (and if you don’t like lounging in front of the TV with a beer, then apologies), but many men do which is why a decent television set is an essential. And, if you want to watch all the latest films, access social media, play interactive games on your favourite console (which is also a must-have), then make sure you can connect to the internet.
Home theatre seating
If your man cave is big enough, you could also invest in some home theatre seating complete with arm/footrests and a drink hole. This would be great for when the lads come over and if no one is around one night, you could simply pretend you’ve got the whole cinema to yourself as you tuck into popcorn and press play on your favourite film. Bit over the top? Then your average recliner will do, just make sure you have somewhere to sit that’s super comfortable and will happily support your weight for hours on end as you chill out to the max.
A fridge
The whole point of a man cave is that you can skulk away and not have to see anyone for a little while and so it must be well-facilitated. A fridge is therefore a much-needed accessory as not only will it keep your drinks nice and cold, but place it near to your man chair and you won’t even have to stand up to get another beverage. Genius.
Games equipment
The man cave can also be used for boy’s nights, so how about getting yourself a top-notch pool table? You’ll need adequate room to play this properly, but if you’re pushed for space try getting hold of a darts board, poker table, roulette wheel or anything else that’ll keep the lads entertained.
Women are highly suspicious of the man cave, but seeing as you’ve got free rein over this part of the house it’s your chance to let your imagination flow (within reason, of course.)