3 Must-Have Elements You Need to Get the Most Out of Your Man Cave

For countless years now, man caves have been a refuge for working men from all walks of life. A man cave is the one room in the house where you can completely let down your guard, kick your feet up, and relax. Why? Because it’s yours and no one else’s.

But are you really tapping into the full potential of your man cave? You may think you’ve done everything with your cave that you can, but you’d be surprised how much more it can give.

Below, we’ll discuss three essentials that you need to make sure that your man cave is doing everything for you that it possibly can.

1. A Private Space You Call Your Own

So, the thing about man caves is that they’re meant to be reclusive. If you’ve constantly got people coming in and going out, your man cave isn’t doing its job.

The whole point of your cave is that it gives you space where you can escape from all of the other aspects of your life. When you establish your cave, the people you share a home with have to understand that it isn’t communal. They can’t just come and go as they please. Even if you’re using a spare room for your cave, that doesn’t mean that people can just start storing things in there without your permission.

When you set up your man cave, you need to:

• Establish clear rules about what you do and don’t allow in your cave
• Designate when it’s okay for people to come into the cave. You could either require knocking on the door first or only during set hours.
• Make it clear that family members need your approval before they store their personal effects in your cave.

2. The Lack of Anything Work Related

Man caves are all about relaxation, socialization, and fun. They are absolutely not about work. Often, men try to turn their cave into a man cave/home office hybrid. The result is that they end up watching TV when they should be working, and end up working when it’s time to relax.

Always keep your work and personal pursuits separate. If you need a dedicated work space, there’s always the garage or your tool shed. It should absolutely not be your cave.

3. A Theme That Speaks to Your Interests

Your man cave should be the ultimate expression of who you are as a man. If it isn’t, it’s just another room in the house. The best way to express yourself to select a theme focused on a favorite hobby or pastime of yours. There’s plenty of great themes you could explore:

A Sports Theme

There’s plenty of dudes out there who love football, baseball, basketball, and other sports. The sports theme is a classic choice for man caves across the planet, and for good reason. There’s nothing better than having your bros over to watch the game on Sunday in a space that oozes with Football fandom.

If you opt for a sports theme, you’re going to need a big screen TV, a great speaker system, and a wide sofa or sectional to enjoy the game properly. Top it off with some framed jerseys, trading cards, and other sports memorabilia, and you’ve got the ultimate gameday pad.

An Outdoors Theme

Thousands of men enjoy the outdoors. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, hiking, or biking, lots of dudes enjoy being in a natural element. You can bring that love of nature into your man cave easily.

There’s plenty of great ways to pull off an outdoor theme – it depends on what activities you enjoy most. You could decorate with stuffed animal heads or have the prized fish you caught mounted on a wall. If hunting or fishing isn’t your thing, decorate with common outdoor items, like small plants, backpacks, paddles, etc. Most of your furniture choices, including the chairs and tables, will probably be 100% wood. Couches, rugs, and other accouterments should include plenty of natural patterns and use hand-woven, natural textures.

A Nerd Theme

At one point, being a nerd was this dirty little secret that men concealed, even from some of their closest friends. Today, being a nerd is cause for celebration! Nerdy man caves feature some of the most fun and unique designs out there.

Common decorations include framed comic books, anime figures, movie and TV posters, and more. Guys who really want to step up their game will even include old-style arcade games like Galaga and Pac-Man in their nerd cave. Whatever nerdy pursuits you enjoy most, shower your cave with items that celebrate your passions.

Photo by Thom Holmes