The term “Man Cave” obviously is derived from Cave Man days when, supposedly, man ruled over woman. Now woman has her say. She works, contributes, takes care of the family, and the home.
Modern day woman is the decision maker when it comes to fashioning the abode. The modern day man longs for a place to step away from the bright lights, and the neat and tidy hominess. He longs for the cave he can hide away in, where he can invite his friends to have his man’s club. Single guys have their own abode which most will refer to as their “Man Cave”. Men sharing abodes with their significant partners seem jealous of their single comrades so they find a niche in the home to call their own Cave.
The Man Cave is also referred to as a Mantuary, as in a sanctuary for man.
As soon as a man has the opportunity to decorate there are the common elements that attract him. Any guy will say the first items they want are the huge TV and speakers. When it comes to the furniture, for some reason, most men will go for the black lacquer and Lucite tables, and the black leather sofa and recliner thinking only these furnishings will say a man is here. Whether it is your own bachelor pad or a spot you acquired in the garage or basement there is decorating help for you to make your cave the envy of all your friends.
What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing? Are you really into cars, or sports? Do you love to fish? Your dream could be to have your own game room to play billiards and poker in. Maybe you want your own media room with all of the accruements or a stage and sound system for your band to practice. Decide how you will want to personalize your room.
The first thing to pick should be the center piece of the room. This is usually your media center or media wall. Do you want one huge TV to watch movies on? If you are really into sports you might opt for having a few flat screens on the wall to watch numerous games at once. Of course every man wants a great sound system. Just remember that you do not need huge speakers. There are some fantastic quality speaker systems that are unobtrusive.
If you do not have a fireplace but would like one or need some heating for the garage there are alternatives. Gas fireplaces are nice but need installation. As do wood burning stoves. The new electric fireplaces really look nice and offer heat.
Let’s explore the décor. It would be preferable to have easily cleanable furnishings. You do not want to have to worry about spillage when you are having fun with your brethrens. Go with a solid floor. You can paint the concrete in the garage or basement with a fun color or pattern in high gloss enamel and a polyurethane top coat. If you are into baseball, paint a baseball diamond or a race track if you are into Nascar. Tile or laminate are good flooring choices (check out my Examiner articles on flooring, http://www.examiner.com/interior-design-in-new-york/flooring-for-your-abode-part-one-tile-floors, http://www.examiner.com/interior-design-in-new-york/flooring-for-your-abode-part-two-laminate-and-wood, http://www.examiner.com/interior-design-in-new-york/flooring-for-your-abode-part-three-a-carpet-material, and http://www.examiner.com/interior-design-in-new-york/flooring-for-your-abode-part-three-b-carpet-types). Then you can place an area rug in your seating area. Rugs can easily be picked up, cleaned, or replaced when needed. For a garage, roll the rug up when you need to move the car in.
Now you will need to decide on your seating and accent pieces. There are some interesting choices that will make for great conversation pieces. If you are into cars there are sofas and chairs actually made out of car seats, or there are sofas made out of the automobile’s body. Wheels and engines can be used as table bases. You will want to polish or paint them first. Then use glass for the table top. Tool Cabinets can be repurposed for storage. Old stadium seats and barber chairs can be used for seating. Chairs can be made using baseball bats, hockey sticks, or skis. You can use diner seating if you are into the oldies. Bars can be built from old vehicles or old books. Whatever you decide you will want some plush seating pieces with comfortable upholstery.
Your fabric choices can go well beyond ordinary leather. If you are choosing leather it can be a color other than black. Make sure it is not a stiff piece and that you will be able to sink into the seat. Animal skins can be fun for benches or rugs. IKEA has an animal hide at a reasonable price. You can purchase a couple. Use one as an area rug and use the other to upholster a chair. If you want to show the alpha wolf in you, you can use fur on accent pieces or as throws. Other “manly” fabrics can be wools, tweeds and denim. You can use an Indian blanket as upholstery. Crypton fabrics are the best alternative. They come in many patterns and types of fabric. Crypton is impervious to most spills and will last through almost anything.
There is more you can do with your walls than paint or cover with your basic wood paneling. Repurposed wood can look interesting when you make your own paneling. Walls can be made to look like a log cabin. You can make your own wall covering using items that you have collected such as street signs, license plates, maps, old ticket stubs, movie posters, or album covers. Football helmets, baseball caps and sports jerseys can be hung on the wall as well as college memorabilia. All of those old CDs or records that you no longer want can be used as wall covering. Make one wall into a rock climbing activity wall. You can make your own mural using The Rasterbatorto cover a wall with a golf course, forest, race track, or casino.
Decide on the other important furnishings you will want. What kind of bar do you want. Do you have enough room for counter seating? If you do not have the space for a full bar you will definitely want a refrigerator and perhaps an ice maker. You can make it look like an old malt shop. Add a juke box for fun. Purchase a popcorn making machine for movie nights. If space allows think about a hot tub or a sauna.
Enjoy your Mantuary. Turn the TVs on and the music up and never be afraid to dance!
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What are your thoughts on mixing different brands and they’re merchandise? I think the differences can tie a man cave together. I am currently working on a 1966 Batmobile replicar for the ultimate bat cave man cave.
Of course you can mix and match, that is what makes a decor unique. Just be careful of too much going on. Clutter stresses you out. You want to have fun but also want to create a relaxing environment. Your project sounds intriguing. Would love to see photos.