Let’s be honest we are all spending a lot more time inside these days. If you are needing a little bit of personal space then it’s time to dust off your man cave and give it a serious upgrade.
Man caves have been popular since the mid 90’s; Think Tim the toolman Taylor’s Home Improvements garage, but they have certainly come a long way since then. A dusty and draughty garage has nothing on the modern day interpretation of the classic man cave. These days tool benches are more likely to have been replaced with wide screen tvs and lazyboys.
Whether your own particular man cave is in your garage, basement or even up a tree, there are a whole lot of simple fixes you can do to make it a retreat from the hustle and bustle of family life. Read on for our top tips to give it a new lease of life
Get the lighting right.
Nothing is quite as unappealing as bare fluorescent tubes or naked bulbs dangling from a wire. Lampshades are an easy fix to make a room seem more welcoming but they are not your only options. If you like the industrial look consider Edison bulbs in a cage like geometric shade. Ditching the overhead light entirely and instead relying on floor and table lamps is a perfect work around for making a basement seem cozier and more relaxing.
Quench your thirst
If you are planning on spending more time than normal in your man cave then you will need to think about some serious sustenance. Adding a bar to your cave can be as simple as kitting out a mini fridge with your favorite brewskis, or if spirits are more your style why not make them a feature? Use LED strip lights to illuminate some shelves- either pointing up or down, to really highlight that delicious bottle of scotch and one of a kind tequila you picked up in Mexico.
Make something
I know I said at the beginning of this article that you’re less likely to find a tool bench in a modern man cave but it could actually be the perfect addition. Use this time to indulge in an old hobby or turn your hand to something completely new with a purpose built project space. A man cave doesn’t need to be a place to sit down and switch off. Get working. Whether you build PC’s in your spare turn or want to turn your hand to wood whittling, this is the time to make space for whatever sparks your creative side. Just Imagine having everything you need within arms reach or a table that is at the perfect height to work at.
Take inspiration from your favorite places
If your man cave is a bit of a blank canvas the thought of what to do with it can seem overwhelming. A perfect starting point is modelling your cave off of the places you love. Are sports bars your go to spot? Then embrace your team’s colours. Perhaps the race track is more your style in which case, consider some amazingly detailed model cars as statement pieces (hey you could even use your newly created workspace to build them).
Now that you are primed with ways to make your man cave more habitable I’m willing to take full responsibility if your family finds that they just can’t seem to pry you out of it.
