It doesn’t matter what you call it: a hubbyhole, man room, man den, king’s lair, male sanctuary, mantuary, or man cave. Every man needs his own space where he can relax and unwind, watch sports, pursue his hobbies, or hang out with his guy friends. Often a man cave is in the basement, but a den, spare bedroom, attic, media room, or extra garage can also make good male retreats.
But just having a dedicated space set aside does not make a room a “man cave.” You’re going to need to do a little “remodeling” of the space. First, you need to come up with a theme for your man cave: Do you want a place where you can watch sports? Play table games? Have poker parties? Or just chill out and drink a beer? Then you will need to choose the furniture, accessories, décor, and other furnishings that fit in with your theme.
We think you should go all out. Make your man cave a place you’re really proud of. After all, you work hard. You probably have a busy job and a lot of family and household responsibilities too. A man cave is your reward for all that you do.
But where do you even begin finding everything you need for the perfect man cave? You probably already have one of the main items: a big-screen TV. You need one so you can watch your favorite sporting events, binge-watch a TV series, or play video games.
But what about all the other essentials for your man retreat? That’s where we come in. Greater Southern Home Recreation has everything you need to transform a basement, spare room, or other space into the most decked-out, unbelievably cool man cave you’ve ever seen. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of the most important items to include in any man cave:
- Pool/billiard table
Every man cave should have a pool or billiards table. Obviously, men don’t sit around having heart-to-heart conversations as women do, and a lot of the time, they can be happy hanging out together, just staring at a TV screen and occasionally grunting. But truth be told, even the most manly men like to have some interaction with each other. What better way to interact with the guys than around a pool table?!! Whether the game is 8-ball in the side pocket or 5-ball in the corner pocket, it’d be hard to find a guy who doesn’t like playing pool. We recommend choosing the best quality table you can afford; the better the quality, the happier you will be and the longer your table will last. While you’re shopping, don’t forget to buy a rack for your pool cues and some spectator chairs. - Game table and chairs
Another great male bonding activity is poker. Chances are, you’re going to want to host some poker parties in your man cave. You could choose a simple folding poker table, a poker table top to place over a traditional folding card table, or a more elaborate, solid wood Texas Holdem poker table. While you’re shopping, you might also want to buy a poker chip set and an automatic card shuffler. - Comfy lounge seating
At the very minimum, you’re going to want a super-comfy reclining chair in your man cave where you can sit down, kick up your feet, and snooze if you want to. Of course, man caves aren’t usually designed for solitary chillin’. Usually, they’re meant to be gathering places where a group of guys can hang out together. This means you need seating for several people. Choose furniture that is comfortable, spacious, and durable. We suggest having at least one recliner with a cup holder (which may be your personal “throne”) and then at least one sofa or sectional (ideally two) for your guests. If you can swing it, buy ottomans to go with the sofa so your guests can have a place to rest their feet. - Full bar
There’s something about playing cards or watching football that makes you thirsty for a cold one! This is exactly why you should have a full bar in your man cave. We think a 60-inch wide bar unit is ideal, so you have a place to store all your glassware and beverage mixers, along with snacks like pretzels and peanuts. Having all your bartender supplies and munchies inside your man cave saves you from having to leave the area to go get food when you’re in the middle of a big game. - Jukebox
When you’re not watching a sporting event or the Three Stooges on TV, you’re going to want to have some music playing in the background. We recommend a vintage jukebox. Not only do these jukeboxes put out a lot of sounds, but they also look good too. You can go with either a totally retro jukebox where you can see the actual record being played or a modern jukebox that you can plug your mp3 player into. - Table Games
Every guy loves the thrill of table games, so you should have at least one in your man cave. Air hockey, foosball, ping pong, and shuffleboard tables are all great choices. If you’d like several different game tables but you’re short on cash or don’t have that much space, you might go with a combination table or a ping pong conversion top. - Pinball machine
You may already have an Xbox or PlayStation 3, and those can definitely be good to have in your man cave. But for some more classic fun, we suggest adding a pinball machine. Choose your favorite childhood game or perhaps a newer favorite, like Game of Thrones or Ghostbusters. There’s something about all the clanging bells, clacking flippers, and other sound effects that helps a guy really unwind after a hectic day. - Dart board
Probably every guy enjoys a friendly game of darts. Dart boards don’t take up any room and they’re relatively inexpensive, which makes them a nice addition to any man cave. Not only that, their typical black, red, and green color scheme adds a classy, decorative touch to your man-space. You can opt for a traditional bristle dartboard with steel-tipped darts or a modern electronic dartboard. Be sure to place your dart board away from the main walking areas in your man cave. - Popcorn Machine
When the guys come over to watch the game or play poker, you’re going to want to be able to offer them some really good snacks. Sometimes you may just open some bags of chips. Other times, a better idea is a batch of freshly-popped popcorn. We suggest having a popcorn machine in your man cave to always be able to make a big batch of theater-style popcorn. Not only do these machines make great-tasting popcorn, but the machine itself can also add to your man cave décor. - Wall decor
Every man cave needs some wall décor to add to the mood. Depending on what theme you’ve chosen for your space, you might hang a few sports pennants or framed jerseys from your favorite team (Go Falcons!), a mounted deer head from your last hunting trip, or some Star Wars memorabilia. No matter what your theme, we think a couple of pubs or beer signs also look really cool, or a “Welcome to the Man Cave” sign. It just gets you in the mood for kickin’ back and having some manly fun.
Another great male bonding activity is poker. Chances are, you’re going to want to host some poker parties in your man cave. You could choose a simple folding poker table, a poker table top to place over a traditional folding card table, or a more elaborate, solid wood Texas Holdem poker table. While you’re shopping, you might also want to buy a poker chip set and an automatic card shuffler.
At the very minimum, you’re going to want a super-comfy reclining chair in your man cave where you can sit down, kick up your feet, and snooze if you want to. Of course, man caves aren’t usually designed for solitary chillin’. Usually, they’re meant to be gathering places where a group of guys can hang out together. This means you need seating for several people. Choose furniture that is comfortable, spacious, and durable. We suggest having at least one recliner with a cup holder (which may be your personal “throne”) and then at least one sofa or sectional (ideally two) for your guests. If you can swing it, buy ottomans to go with the sofa so your guests can have a place to rest their feet.
There’s something about playing cards or watching football that makes you thirsty for a cold one! This is exactly why you should have a full bar in your man cave. We think a 60-inch wide bar unit is ideal, so you have a place to store all your glassware and beverage mixers, along with snacks like pretzels and peanuts. Having all your bartender supplies and munchies inside your man cave saves you from having to leave the area to go get food when you’re in the middle of a big game.
When you’re not watching a sporting event or the Three Stooges on TV, you’re going to want to have some music playing in the background. We recommend a vintage jukebox. Not only do these jukeboxes put out a lot of sounds, but they also look good too. You can go with either a totally retro jukebox where you can see the actual record being played or a modern jukebox that you can plug your mp3 player into.
Every guy loves the thrill of table games, so you should have at least one in your man cave. Air hockey, foosball, ping pong, and shuffleboard tables are all great choices. If you’d like several different game tables but you’re short on cash or don’t have that much space, you might go with a combination table or a ping pong conversion top.
You may already have an Xbox or PlayStation 3, and those can definitely be good to have in your man cave. But for some more classic fun, we suggest adding a pinball machine. Choose your favorite childhood game or perhaps a newer favorite, like Game of Thrones or Ghostbusters. There’s something about all the clanging bells, clacking flippers, and other sound effects that helps a guy really unwind after a hectic day.
Probably every guy enjoys a friendly game of darts. Dart boards don’t take up any room and they’re relatively inexpensive, which makes them a nice addition to any man cave. Not only that, their typical black, red, and green color scheme adds a classy, decorative touch to your man-space. You can opt for a traditional bristle dartboard with steel-tipped darts or a modern electronic dartboard. Be sure to place your dart board away from the main walking areas in your man cave.
When the guys come over to watch the game or play poker, you’re going to want to be able to offer them some really good snacks. Sometimes you may just open some bags of chips. Other times, a better idea is a batch of freshly-popped popcorn. We suggest having a popcorn machine in your man cave to always be able to make a big batch of theater-style popcorn. Not only do these machines make great-tasting popcorn, but the machine itself can also add to your man cave décor.
Every man cave needs some wall décor to add to the mood. Depending on what theme you’ve chosen for your space, you might hang a few sports pennants or framed jerseys from your favorite team (Go Falcons!), a mounted deer head from your last hunting trip, or some Star Wars memorabilia. No matter what your theme, we think a couple of pubs or beer signs also look really cool, or a “Welcome to the Man Cave” sign. It just gets you in the mood for kickin’ back and having some manly fun.Ready to start building your man cave? Or do you already have one, but it just needs some upgrading? If so, be sure to visit either our Atlanta or Alpharetta store. You’ll find everything you need to furnish your man cave, including all the items we’ve included in the above list. We also sell chess sets, video games, billiard lamps, pub tables, bar stools, and other man cave essentials. We’re your one-stop-shop for turning any basement or spare room into the most guy-friendly habitat…ever!
