Naomi Howard
We love the idea of man caves and have grown to appreciate them further, as the concept has evolved into more ambitious rec room designs. In the past, the idea of a man cave conjured images of a smoky paradise, rife with beer cans and pizza, echoing with shouts over a football game. With that evolving definition in mind, we wanted to focus on ways that you can transform two crucial areas of your own home into a spectacular man cave. With just a few simple additions of furniture and decoration, plus an eye for curating the best layout possible, you can have a fully formed man cave in the lowest level of your house in no time. We’ve got some handy infographics as well as loads of description to make sure that you get the full picture (see more photos of man caves here). A basement often offers this in spades: it’s on a separate floor, and likely won’t have to share foot traffic with a kitchen, dining room, or anywhere else the family regularly congregates.
Sitting deep within the earth, it will have moderate temperatures year-round that won’t fluctuate with daily weather changes. If you have a full-size basement, the best feature will be the fact that it gives you a the square footage to really play with, mirroring the size of the main floor itself.
As we mentioned above, the garage can only be a perfect man cave spot if it’s not already doing its primary function; that is, housing your cars.
We doubt we’re alone in thinking that you might want to consult with your better half before converting a perfectly utilitarian spot for car storage into a fun and relaxing man cave, especially if it’s in regular use.
We say, instead of letting it fill to the brim with boxes, backyard equipment, and balls, why not transform that open area into a space you’ll truly use? This means that you’ve got a transformative man cave on your hands, a place to relax and socialize that becomes a pseudo-outdoors location once the weather heats up.
This means that, in addition to the bar top where food and drinks are served, you have a fully plumbed area with water and sink, plus electrical outlets for a mini fridge and blenders or other appliances. Starting from scratch will mean that, unless you’re adequately handy with plumbing and electrical systems, you will be calling in professionals for an important stage of the job. If you’re going it alone, you’ll need to find sources of electricity, water, and drainage; the latter two are often best found via nearby bathrooms, utilizing the existing piping.
We love the idea of crafting a wet bar out of a vanity unit, as it’s both practical and effective.
You can purchase an inexpensive bathroom vanity unit instead of building one from scratch, saving you a ton of time and likely money as well. With six feet of countertop space, a unit like this is perfect for your man cave bar, leaving about 5 inches of overhang on each end.
The process can be as intensive or hands-off as your home and budget allows, and the configuration options are vast and wide. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of choosing either the basement or garage as a man cave location, hopefully giving you some insight as to where you’ll carve out your own space.
We all know how complex and versatile the world of home remodeling can be, so it helps to stay simple and grow from there. How to Tile a Kitchen Backsplash (DIY Illustrated Guide) | DIY: How To Build A Rustic, “Factory Salvage” Desk | 5 Best Herbs for an Indoor Kitchen Herb Garden | 101 Smart Home Remodeling Ideas on a Budget
