Sometimes in life you just need to have a small bubble to escape to when you feel like steering clear of the world. You might think that your home is such a “bubble” but what happens if you share it with other people?
As you can imagine, it feels like sometimes there isn’t anywhere to escape to now! But, all is not lost! If you’ve got an unused garage or basement, or plenty of space in your garden, you could build a man cave!
In case you wondered, a “man cave” is, in essence, a place for the guys to hang out and chill. It’s a bit like going to a bar, except that you don’t have to leave the confines of your home. As I had some space in my garden, I decided to build a man cave for myself there. Here is what I did:
Gutting the interior
In my case, I had to build myself a new man cave from scratch. But, if you’re using an existing room in your home, you will need to gut the interior. That means getting rid of any junk, old carpets, and dated light fittings!
You might need to throw away some stuff, so get prepared to make a few trips to your local dump. Otherwise, you could pay someone to haul your stuff away for you.
If there are any signs of mold in your soon-to-be man cave, you’ll need to locate the source. For instance, rising damp is often caused by water saturation from leaking gutters. Get any problems like that fixed first, and then clean the mold away from your walls and ceilings. The idea is to start off with a clean, blank canvas.
Choose a nice color combination for your interior
Next, you will need to do some painting! It’s crucial that you choose a good color combination for your man cave. Some folks might stick with white paint while others might choose different tones.
Despite it being your man cave, feel free to be as flamboyant as you wish when it comes to paint colors. If hot pink is your thing, go for it! After all; the person that will usually be in there is you, so it has to be a color scheme that you love.
For some painting work, it could make sense to hire a handyman to do the job for you. If you’re anything like me and messy when it comes to painting, it’s even more of a good idea!
When you weigh up the cost of a handyman and DIY painting in those situations, I know which option I’d go for!
Get some new flooring installed
In its former life, your man cave might have had some lackluster carpets installed. Now is your chance to dictate the style of flooring you want!
When I built my man cave, I went for underfloor heating and oak floorboards. I also stained the oak to protect it and make it easier to clean. If you decide to stick with carpets, ensure that the underlay you use is of high quality. Don’t go for the cheap and cheerful stuff as it’ll damage your carpet after a short period.
Choose a comfy sofa
Sometimes you might want to stretch out in your man cave with a beer in your hand watching the game on your TV. The last thing you want is a sofa that’s uncomfortable or isn’t long enough for your body height!
That’s why you need to put some thought into the sofa that you choose for your man cave. I have a habit of working from my man cave when I need peace and quiet, so I decided to buy a sofa bed. It works well for me because it means I can open it up and use it as a bed if I’m working late.
Of course, if you won’t be working from your man cave, save your money and just buy a standard sofa instead. Whatever you decide, consider if it will fit well. The last thing you want is to buy a sofa that dominates your man cave and makes it look cramped!
Get a pool table
I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite pastimes is playing pool. I usually do that away from home, but there are times where I wanted to play pool that at home.
Getting a pool table for your man cave is a brilliant idea. Especially if you enjoy inviting your buddies around for a few beers on a Saturday night!
The one in my man cave works well with my oak flooring. But, there’s nothing stopping you from getting one if you’ve got carpet. Make sure you buy the right accessories for your pool table (i.e. cues, cue racks, chalk and so forth).
Spend some cash on an audio-visual system
The centerpiece of any man cave is, without a doubt, the AV setup! First of all, you are going to want a large flat-screen LCD television. I recommend getting a pro to wall-mount it for you and hide the cords inside the wall. That way, you’ll end up with a neat installation. It also means the likelihood of damage to your TV is low!
Anyone with an ounce of AV knowledge will know that the sound output from a TV is mediocre at best. To remedy that problem, set up an AV system that includes a decent DSP (digital sound processor) amp.
You can get models that allow for wireless inputs. That’s handy if you want to stream some tunes from your iPhone, for example.
Next, you need to think about your speaker configuration. It’s a good idea to have a surround sound system in your man cave. If you’ve got enough space, go for floor standing speakers. Otherwise, bookshelf ones will have to do.
I hope you have enjoyed reading today’s article on how to build the ultimate man cave! The only thing left to do after you’ve built it is to put a “no girls allowed” sign on the door!
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