Shaun
Most of us lead busy and hectic lives. While we love our families and we love our lives, sometimes we need a break from it all. Modern living is often riddled with stressful situations, work commitments, and demanding family obligations that can get in the way of just simply enjoying life.
This is why having a personal haven, a place to only be, has become so important. Man caves are just that. A refuge where you can find a little respite from our daily obligations and just enjoy being a man.
Having this personal space is of paramount importance but even more so, is having this space reflect your identity.
If you are into trophy hunting, then your man cave is the place to display some mounted antlers boldly. If you are into fishing, post some pictures of your proudest catch. If sports are your passion, then your man cave should reflect that. Highlight your accomplishments and give center stage to your desires.
The possibilities are endless and only bound by your imagination. Your man cave is probably the only room in the house over which you have complete control, so revel in that fact and make it entirely your own.
Having said all this, I feel that several items simply cannot be missing from a proper man cave. I’ll try to keep it simple and stick to the basics; whether your man cave is in your garage, attic, basement, or even a shed outside of the house, these man cave essentials will ensure that you get all the relaxation you need!
Table of Contents
1. A Comfortable Place To Sit
Inside your man cave, you are king and every king needs a throne. If you plan to entertain often, a large couch for your friends is a necessity, but you are the boss, and you deserve your spot from which to rule.
Your best bet is to go for something that will permit you to sit back and watch the game as well as comfortably catch some Zzzzz without fear of waking up with a painful and stiff neck. There is no shortage of options in this category.
I particularly like leather recliners; these things are a breeze to clean, always stylish, and plenty comfortable. Whether you choose to go for some space-age stainless steel captain’s chair, or something with faux-leather upholstery straight out of the ’70s, make sure it feels like home
2. A Television
A list of man cave essentials would not be complete without mentioning a television set. We bond by sitting around our bright rectangular screen.
Speaking of screens; this is one of those topics where the larger, the better. A large screen TV will let you be closer to the action; whether it’s a movie, your favorite TV show, or a match of your favorite sport, long gone are the days of the small 19-inch box.
Nowadays you can get 4K Ultra High Definition 65 inch screens for less than a thousand bucks. That’s over 5 feet of immersive screen real estate in which to get lost in some good old-fashioned escapism.
I recommend opting for SMART TV models since these internet-ready devices will allow you plug-and-play access to streaming services and painless channel surfing through the magic that is voice-search! Never again will you miss an episode of your favorite series or lose touch with your favorite sports team. Without a doubt, your man cave’s pièce de résistance is the television set.
3. Audio
A High Definition is only about half of the package. If you are serious about entertainment, you have to supplement the super crisp image on your TV screen with some truly mind-blowing audio.
If you can afford the extra cost, go for full immersion with state of the art, 7.2 surround sound system with dual subwoofers. With a setup like that, you will swear that your favorite movie poured out of the TV and into your man cave.
If you are pressed for space, as is often the case, I recommend you opt for bar speakers. Modern soundbars offer incredibly high-quality sound and are compact enough that you can comfortably fit them under your TV or fix them to a wall with minimum fuzz.
4. Refrigeration
We already have you sitting down comfortably and enjoying some quality entertainment on your shiny HD TV, so the next item on this list of essential man cave necessities is a fridge.
I know you already have a nice one in your kitchen, so why would you need another one? Remember that your man cave is the one place to get away from the stresses of daily life; if you have to walk upstairs or across the hall every single time you feel like having a cold one or snack, you will be defeating the purpose of having your space, to begin with.
If you have friends coming over often, then you might want to consider paying for a full-sized unit, but in our experience, a mini-fridge works just fine in most circumstances.
5. Proper Lighting
Man caves have not earned that moniker for free. For whatever reason, our man caves are usually relegated to the darkest corners of the house. But do not let the fact that your man cave is in a dark basement or an attic condemn you to live for hours in perpetual darkness and shadow.
You most definitely should not settle for a single bright light bulb hung from a fixture in the middle of the room. These days there are myriad ways for you to light up your space; the different lighting options available will allow you to find the fixtures that are just right for you.
Consider hanging some Neon signs; these are highly customizable, and many shops offer them in shapes as varied as your tastes, favorite movies and catchphrases are popular, as well as professional and college sports team logos so you can represent with pride. Imagine a bright and colorful NOW OPEN sign above your bar.
You should also consider adopting LED strip lighting. Strip lighting or ribbon lighting as it is also known is highly flexible and comes backed with adhesives for painless application anywhere you can think of.
These products are known for their soft ambient light and are perfect for setting any mood. Set them up under cabinets, all your shelving, or around any mirrors for the best look. LEDs are also environment-friendly and extremely long-lasting; I am talking over a hundred thousand hours of continuous use, so once you set them up you can forget about them.
6. Music
If you are passionate about music, then consider a Jukebox or a turntable for your priced vinyl record collection. These one-of-a-kind items are great conversation starters and offer a great way to relive the glory days and hear classic tunes you won’t otherwise have a chance to listen to.
If you are worried about making too much noise, there are countless options in the headphone market. From cheap models that go for less than ten bucks to high-end professional devices that go for more than five grand, you can find something that fits your needs.
If you are not worried about making too much noise but instead fret about noise from the rest of your household seeping into your sanctuary, consider headphone models with noise cancellation technology. Whatever your audio concerns, the market has an answer for you.
7. Personal Passion
This next category is a little broad but for a good reason. No two people in the world are exactly alike, so I want you to do a little bit of soul searching and identify what it is that makes you, you.
If you are passionate about sports, then consider a nice trophy case where you can proudly display any sports memorabilia or any trophies from your glory days. Perhaps next to that, you can hang some posters, hang a jersey, or your fencing sword especially if your wife or significant other is none too happy to have them displayed around the house.
If you are more of the reading type, then a nice bookshelf is most certainly needed. Get creative here; there are a million different shelving and storage units for you to choose from. If you like playing board games, then get yourself a felt-topped board game table.
If cards are your poison get a poker table kit. If you are really into drinks and have space for it, why not invest in a full-sized wet bar? Stock it with some high-end liquor, spirits, and some quality glasses.
You might even want to consider installing a beer tap; although you should be cautious if you do this because your friends will not want to leave.
The whole point of having a man cave is to have a space that reflects who you are, an area where you can relax, forget about the world, let go of any pretensions, and enjoy the company of your closest friends or perhaps the solitude that you so desire. Just make sure that when someone enters your man cave, they can immediately recognize it as yours.
