The best thing about moving into your own home is having the advantage of designing your own mancave. You need to ensure that this room lives up to the expectations of the lads – it’s your duty to impress. Ever since you were a child you’ve dreamt of this opportunity and now that it’s finally here, there’s no chance that you’re missing out on creating a space just for the boys.
Whether you’re designing the mancave for yourself, or you’re the partner who is sick and tired of having to miss out on the latest episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians because the footy is on — we’ve teamed up with Oldrids & Downtown to help you deck out the pad and to tell you our top tips to make it nothing but spectacular.
The design process
You probably already have a vision in your head of how you want your mancave to look — but you need to be realistic and work with what you have. It’s important to factor in room width and length as well as the ceiling height to ensure that everything you want can fit in the space and not look out-of-place. Not only will this be beneficial when deciding on flooring, wallpapers and colours, but it will help you determine what type of gear you can kit your room out with.
To achieve the best results for any mancave, we recommend that you create a mood board to bring your visions to life. Whether you decide to go traditional and purchase a physical cork board where you can print off images and stick them on or are looking to be more social savvy and use a platform like Pinterest that allows you to ‘pin’ ideas that you see online — the opportunities when it comes to finding inspiration and designing are endless.
However, there are some must-have essentials that all mancaves should have in order to make a lasting impression on all of your friends and for those who aren’t too sure where to begin, here is our guide:
Walls & flooring
You want to make sure that your room feels exclusive — where only the finest lads in town have been granted membership. This element of class can be accomplished by using a mixture of dark and rich colours and textures for both your walls and flooring. We recommend using dark hues such as blacks and greys, creating a more intimate vibe for those who are welcome to the club.
Not only that, using dark walls and flooring can help make your lighting pop — as well as enhance the illumination of your TV screen. However, when it comes to your walls it’s all down to personal preference and there are only two viable options. If you go for paint, choose matte as this will give you a sharp finish. If you choose wallpaper, take the chance to be a little more creative with chrome — bringing hints of silver, greys and other shades of black to the room.
Pick a flooring that is easiest to clean up after a big night in the den or one that can disguise any spillage. To give your mancave that edgy look, why not go for a dark yet distressed solid oak that can be maintained with wood preserver? This will happily compliment your chosen look for the wall. If you’re more for comfort, pick a dark grey or black carpet that will be sure to make your cave cosier.
Of course, kitting out your walls and flooring doesn’t stop there. Why not add some posters to your favourite movies on the wall or some humorous rugs that will most definitely be snapped on Instagram?
Threads
You can’t complete your mancave without having threads here and there — and this is where your rich colouring comes into play. Every lad pad must have curtains, because those sun glares on the TV screen are something that you just don’t want to deal with when competing against your pals on a game of FIFA. Go for draped curtains that rest swiftly on the floor, be unique and opt for bold mustards or enticing burgundies that will be sure to set the scene for your off-limit lad land.
Throws and cushions are another element that should be introduced to your lair, and they should come in all shapes and sizes to enhance the comfort for all scenarios — movie nights, game nights and more. Don’t be afraid to opt for more decorative pieces, such as themed Star Wars cushions or an Avengers blanket!
Technology
You want to make your mancave more technologically advanced than Wakanda in Black Panther, so it’s important to decide on the best gadgets for your mancave. First of all, if you want to kill two birds with one stone you must purchase a smart television such as the LG ULTRA HD 4K TV — not only will this allow you to play your games in the highest quality, but will allow you to surf web-apps like Netflix, YouTube and iPlayer’s to watch your favourite movies and TV shows at any time.
If you’re into Blu-ray DVDs, you of course need a blue-ray DVD player which will allow you to play high-res movies on your smart television.
To accompany your new-found love, you need a soundbar to match. This will ensure that you’re delivering a cinema-esque experience for anyone who dares to enter your mancave and will be useful to create that surround-sound feeling that will be incredible for any parties that you throw with the lads.
Why not invest in an Amazon Alexa who will become your virtual assistant? It’s always a talking point when you have guests around and can be the perfect way to get the party started: “Alexa, play Eminem!”.
Before digital
You can’t have a mancave without taking a trip down memory lane — and by this, we been purchasing some of our favourite board games to play when you’re in the mood for a throwback. To reminisce in full swing, some board games to put on your shelf are:
- Monopoly (original or themed)
- Snakes and Ladders
- Battleship
- Cluedo
- Connect Four
There you have it — a fully decked out mancave. What other items will you be adding to your room? Remember, your mancave needs a name and you should even get a plaque to place on the door to celebrate its opening.
