Haven’t you thought about having your corner inside the home where you can recline and relax without worrying about anything?
That’s the point of a man cave. But don’t take it literally. A man cave isn’t some prehistoric cave resided by wild ancestors. Still, a metaphor describing a suite where one or more male family members can meet, indulge in hobbies such as games of cards and billiards, drink alcohol, and retreat.
What exactly is a man cave?
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Also known as a man space, man land, or male-only space, it’s a dedicated place designed inside the home or sometimes in a secluded corner like an underground room and garages for a retreat. It’s usually fitted with entertainment features like media and games and an alcohol bar.
You’d ask what differentiates a mancave from the rest of the house? The husband designs a man cave in oppose to the entire house’s design and decor that is usually conceived in agreement with husband and wife.
With changing times, the man cave’s features and accessories have been improving as well. You can find state-of-the-art sitting features, improved lighting, custom furniture and shelves, and sporting equipment.
LaughingSquid.com in 2013 reported that,
A Delaware-based Batman fanatic Chris Weir spent two years creating a real-life Batcave instead of a man cave that cost $120,000 and contained an impressive display of Batman collectibles.
But you need not spend so much time and money designing your man cave.
You can still have an impressive man cave on a budget. The key is to use available space such as a garage and repurpose old furniture and decor items.
Building a man cave in the garage helps to save the limited space inside the house. Moreover, all the noise will stay inside the garage.
5 Steps to Convert Garage into a Man Cave
You can quickly transform your garage into a man cave and still set it up to be a garage again in the future.
Get crafty with the items you have and gradually fill your garage with items you want. Here are a few key ingredients to spice up your garage man cave ideas.
Change the Flooring
Start with redoing your garage flooring. A cold, concrete floor isn’t suitable to become a comfy man cave. Here are some ways you can turn your garage floor into something unique.
- Clear the space and clean the floor of oil stains. Use dish soap and water or a cleaning agent to give your floor a thorough wash.
- Repair the garage floor for any cracks.
- Avoid paying for additional carpeting and padding that will rip out within a short period. Instead, invest in stone epoxy flooring.
- Epoxy is a durable material made from gluing marbles, pebbles, or slates together. It’s instrumental in hiding the flaws on a concrete floor while providing a more visually vibrant and impressive floor option.
- Stone epoxy is very durable, scratch, and heat resistant. It’s also easy to clean and far more affordable than plush carpeting.
- Consider cabin-grade flooring for some impressive hardwood floors for your cave. It costs significantly less than consumer-grade and adds style to your personal space.
Finish the Entire Wall
After completing the garage floor, move on to improving your garage wall and ceiling.
- Paint your garage drywall in a light shade of blue, green, or brown. Avoid darker hues as these colors make space seem smaller. Instead, use darker colors for accents on wooden trim and borders.
- Stick with light, neutral colors that complement your garage.
- Consider adding wall mirrors to make your man cave look more extensive and more vibrant. Place the mirror opposite a light source or window to maximize its ability to reflect light into the room.
- Use hanging shelves on the wall to display sports memorabilia, action figures, books, etc. The hanging shelves allow you to free up virtual floor space.
- As an option, consider using Fiberglass reinforced panels (FRP) or plastic panels on the wall that offers the ultimate low-maintenance wall finishes for garages.
Get New Lighting
Most garages are poorly lit. The chances are that all you have is a single light bulb in your garage, in addition to the light coming from the garage door opener. However, here are some ways to improve your garage lighting
- Try making your man cave brighter by enhancing light with a simple light fixture.
- Consider installing multiple bulbs with 3,000 lumens or more.
- Add LED bulbs or halogen bulbs as opposed to incandescent bulbs that help to save electricity costs.
- Add additional lighting options in the room, including a floor lamp, table lamp, or wall-mounted light fixtures.
- Incorporate mirrors on the wall to help reflect more light.
- Paint garage wall and ceiling with lighter hues.
Add Custom Shelves
Build a custom set of shelves for your man cave that doubles as extra storage space for garage items, tools, and accessories. These customer shelves will be appropriate in the future when you decide to turn your man cave back into a garage.
- Depending on the man cave size, consider fitting multiple shelves that will be used to hold decorative items, memorabilia, a television set, lamps, electronics, and other accessories.
- Wooden shelves will add to the decor. If you’re short on budget, consider metal shelves over wooden shelves.
- Install wall-mounted shelves to keep the items stored on them clean and dry.
Bring in Furniture and Accessories
Furniture and accessories are the last fixtures in a man cave. Choose furniture that enhances your man cave in terms of décor and accessibility.
- Decorate the room with one large piece of furniture, such as a sofa or a couch.
- Bring in two to three small furniture pieces, including a bookcase, end table, or other small tables for drinks and snacks.
- Avoid cluttering the room with larger pieces of furniture such as closets and cupboards.
- Choose multi-purpose furniture to cut down on unnecessary items and save space.
- Add a game table for a pool if you frequently indulge in games.
- When it comes to accessories, finish off your man cave with some essential items such as a TV, air conditioning, Man Cave Bar or fridge, dartboard or poker table, gaming consoles, movie posters, etc. you can keep adding accessories depending on your need and preference.
10 Must-Have Items in Your Man Cave
- Recliner – A man cave is a place to relax, and what better to relax on than a recliner. Enjoy your ball games, soccer, or any other sports reclining on a comfortable recliner.
- TV – A television with cable is a must in a man cave. Catch games with your pals inside the man cave while your drink.
- Bar and Fridge –Avoid walking to the kitchen every time you need a drink or a cold beer. Add a minibar and a portable fridge to enjoy drinks on the go.
- Pool table –If you enjoy games with your friends, consider adding a pool table.
- Dartboard or poker table –Dartboard or poker table is an excellent addition to the man cave. These items are beneficial during parties or get-togethers.
- Personal Touches –Decorate your man cave with some exciting items from your life, your high-school musical instrument, sports gear, trophies, etc.
- Sports Memorabilia – Decorating man cave with sports merchandise is an excellent idea if you’d like to boast about your sports collection.
- Extra seating –Consider adding seatings other than a big sofa so you can accommodate additional members.
- Movie posters –Hanging movie posters on the wall or ceiling is entirely optional.
- Books – Add books in your garage man cave so you can often retreat to your man cave to indulge in some serious reading.
Conclusion
An unused garage is a perfect place to set up a custom man cave, providing a place for you to relax after a long day of work. Use the guide given above to turn your simple garage into a versatile man cave.