How To Design The Perfect Man Cave

A man cave is traditionally a husband-only area where sports gets watched, beers get sipped and dishes don’t get done. It’s an oasis of sorts that is exempt from traditional house rules and has probably never had a vacuum cleaner across the threshold in its lifetime. Many believe man caves to be an archaic concept, while others (mostly men) simply call it ‘fair’. Either way, we know how to design a great one.

Here’s everything you need for the perfect man cave:

A space

First things first, all man caves require the perfect space. Rumpus rooms, attics, basements and garages make excellent man caves as they’re typically away from the heart of the home and provide a level of privacy.

A recliner

A man cave isn’t a man cave without the perfect place to rest your caboose. The traditional throne of choice is an old La-Z-Boy like this one that adds the right tone of comfort to the room. Unlike the rest of the house, a man cave isn’t so much about impressing people as it just being an ultra comfortable refuge. Everyone likes to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to watch TV, read a book or just take a break, and it’s especially important to do it in comfort. Depending on the number of men who inhabit the cave, you may also want to splash out on a second or third recliner.

A TV

A lot of men demand a man cave so they can host sports viewing sessions on the weekend, and also so they can choose what they get to watch full stop. Having control over the remote in any house where you’re not the sole occupant is a challenge in itself, so it can be nice to have the option to skip cartoons on the weekends.

A bar fridge

Almost as important as the furniture itself is the bar fridge. Having one will mean you won’t have to keep running to the kitchen for a beer, which is very much a first world problem, but so is having an entire room in your house just to watch sports. You’ll want a fridge like this one that can hold a variety of different chilled drinks. If you like to entertain or host regular poker nights, it might also be worth investing in an island bench top and a few bar stools so your visitors have a place to sit.

A pool table

For as long as man caves have been around, they’ve featured pool tables. They’re a healthy source of competition for a group of friends, as well as a great excuse to take a break from watching TV.

A poker table

Another form of entertainment to host in the man cave is poker. Poker’s a great casual game to play among friends (as long as you don’t have too many beers and bet your house on red) and can be a relaxing way to wind down after a hard week at work. A poker table doesn’t have to be expensive, you can pick up a simple one like this for less than $400.

An extensive display of sporting memorabilia

One of the main motivations for making a man cave is, like we said earlier, to watch sports whenever you like and without disruption. And if you’ve got the extra cash to splash on a man cave, then you’ve no doubt got a few pieces of sports memorabilia floating around the rest of the house. It’s time to retire them to the cave.

A few personal touches

The man cave is after all yours. So, make it your own. Before you start printing off pictures of the kids, remember that this is your sanctuary. Your man cave is where you’ll go to get away. Fill it with all the luxuries you wouldn’t be caught dead displaying in the rest of the house. Like the stag head you picked up at a garage sale last year, and that photo of you holding a ten kilo snapper. You’re probably doing the rest of your family a favour by moving them behind closed doors.

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