We all need our space — whether to unwind, pursue a hobby, or just spend some time alone. Men are no exception; throughout history, the home was the woman’s domain, so men sought refuge outside. But since the outside world is gender-balanced, men reclaimed their place in the home with the man cave.
What is a man cave? The man cave is his personal place to relax, spend time with friends, and even have a few drinks. Very different than a security shack, where a man is at work and on guard.
Are you creating or revamping a man cave or a backyard man cave shed? Here are 11 tips for creating the ultimate man cave.
1. Have Plenty of Electricity and Space
First things first, you’ll want to identify your basic needs, such as electricity. Certain rooms have electrical code requirements and you’ll want to know how much power you expect to use as well as other materials you’ll need.
For example, if you plan on watching lots of TV, you’ll need plenty of power as well as outlets for your entertainment set.
These needs become more complex if you’re transforming a shed or prefabricated building into a man cave. It’s recommended you invest in a prefab shed that includes professionally installed electricity and breaker panel boxes to always stay connected.
Space is also a major necessity that many men don’t consider. If your man cave includes lots of furniture and accessories, you’ll want to choose a larger room or shed. If you can, make some measurements and create a floor plan.
To avoid lengthy and expensive renovations, you can customize a larger shed or booth to accommodate your needs.
2. Make Sure Your Man Cave Has AC and Heat
Are you choosing a man cave that’s away from the home, such as a backyard man cave shed? If so, you need to make sure your man cave has central air and plenty of ventilation.
The best sheds have a built-in AC unit. This AC unit should be powerful enough to where you don’t need an extra fan. You’ll also want to opt for tinted windows so UV rays don’t enter your shed.
For cold days, built-in baseboard heaters keep the booth warm and you don’t need to carry a portable heater.
3. Plumbing Is Also Vital
Not all man caves need their own bathroom, especially if it’s in the home. But if you’re using a backyard man cave shed and the bathroom is a long way away, restroom and plumbing planning will be required.
To ease the process, you can choose a shed with a built-in restroom. In addition, your man cave should have running water and water filtration if you don’t have drinking water close by. This way, you don’t need to go far to stay comfortable.
4. Choose Your Games
The man cave is the ultimate spot for fun. Whether you’re spending time alone in the man cave or with friends, you’ll want to have plenty of games available.
The best man caves have a video game set up — whether that includes a game console connected to a TV or a gaming computer/laptop. Larger man caves may be able to accommodate a pool or foosball table. And some guys want nothing more than a deck of cards to play poker with friends.
No matter what game you’re playing, make sure there’s plenty of visibility. Your man cave should have excellent lighting, which may include lots of windows to let sunlight in. You should also look for a man cave shed for sale that has plenty of space but should also be comfortable, especially if you’re inviting friends over.
Speaking of lighting…
5. Use the Best Lighting
Lighting makes a huge difference to your man cave design; certain lights affect your mood and heighten your visibility.
Ceiling lights are the most popular choice — they’re ideal for every space, illuminate your man cave perfectly, are customizable, and easy to turn off and on.
You can also get creative with your lighting. For example, you can use string lighting for a cool effect. You may also want to choose colored lights to make your space more unique.
If you choose these creative options, be sure to have traditional lighting such as a ceiling light or lamp. In case you need to have more visibility, you’ll want some powerful lights available.
You’ll also want some LED spotlights for more visibility at night for your backyard man cave shed. Your shed should also have plenty of windows to let in natural light.
6. Decorate With Specific Materials
Not all men are interior designers, but your man cave should look presentable and have at least some style. The materials of your furniture and decor piece affect the look and quality of your man cave.
Metal is a popular material. Buy tables, chairs, desks, and other furniture and décor pieces made of metal. Wood is also a great option if you want to make your man cave more comforting.
These materials are flexible enough to use in man cave sheds of all sizes. Wood and metal are also perfect materials because they’re durable — as opposed to other materials such as glass, that can break with the smallest impact.
You also want to pay attention to the backyard man cave shed’s exterior. You can customize your man cave shed with your choice of vinyl colors, favorite team logs, and other ideas that hit your fancy.
7. Keep Seating Arrangements Open
This is important if you plan on having friends over. Open seating thrives on interaction and can make you feel closer to your friends.
Seating in the middle of your man cave also wastes space. If you devote your man cave to a passion or interest that takes up a lot of your area, rearranging your seating can make the world of a difference.
Place your seats against walls. If you insist on sitting in the middle of your room, restrict your options to small gaming chairs and similar. Ideally, you’ll want to keep this middle space for tables, your hobbies, and other décor pieces.
8. Find the Best TV
Whether or not you’re using your man cave for entertainment purposes, you’ll want to have a nice TV for the evenings you want to relax. But there are specific considerations when choosing a TV.
First, you’ll want the best TV size for your man cave. Those in bigger man caves can invest in a larger TV. Larger TVs offer better picture quality, ideal for gamers and film enthusiasts. However, you need to sit farther away from larger screens to fill your field of view.
But 4K TVs are becoming popular. You can sit closer to 4K TVs because of the higher resolution. This means you can get away with buying a smaller 4K TV.
TV quality isn’t your only consideration. You need proper electrical requirements and wiring to make your TV come to life. If you’re choosing a shed instead of a room, make sure the shed you’re buying has pre-installed electricity.
9. Install a Powerful Sound System
Keep in mind, if your man cave is a room inside of a home, you’ll want to tone down the volume of your movies and music. But if your man cave is in a shed far away from everyone else, take this opportunity to invest in an amazing sound system.
If you have a spacious shed, you can take advantage of the best speaker positioning. Your speakers should be on opposite sides of the wall, but facing toward you. If you don’t have wireless speakers, you’ll have to run your speaker wires to get the best positioning.
