The term “man cave” has been around for a while, but recently the “she-shed” movement has prompted husbands and fathers all over the country to rethink their personal spaces. The mental image of a man cave is pretty cave-y; we usually think of basements or garages “converted” to TV watching spaces. Dark rooms with a lazyboy, a TV and a mini-fridge. Often, they’re not exactly a place you’d want to entertain guests. And while having your own space is important for self-care, optimizing that space is just as important. Here’s a few tips on how to make your man cave into a welcoming, multi-use media and rec room so you can invite your buddies over for sports watching the rest of your household might not be interested in.
Think About Finishes and Lighting
Just because your man cave is in a basement or a converted garage doesn’t mean it has to be dark and closed-in. Make purposeful choices about the finishes in the space. You can still create light without windows. Choose lighter flooring colors, light paint colors and plenty of canned overhead lights. Recessed lights don’t take up overhead space, so they can make lower ceilings seem higher, and they leave you all the room you need to lean over a pool table or foosball game. Adding plants to a space as well always makes it feel brighter and more active. Choose low-maintenance, hardy plants that don’t need much light or water, like succulents or cacti.
Choose the Best Home Theater Seating
As far as media room furniture goes, black leather theater seating isn’t your only choice anymore – create a light and updated look with new basement seating ideas like two tone leather seats with a pop of color in the piping, or light grey theater seats that are neutral without being dark. Masculine styles don’t have to be dark and oppressive – clean lines and solid colors are just as good but updated and inviting. If you have the room and want your media space to act as a separate space from, say, your wet bar or your table game area, think about a riser platform made for home theaters. Or, if you want your media space to feel more like a living room, home theater love seats or sectionals can give you the best of both worlds. Nowadays, there are also solutions for smaller spaces, like wall hugger theater seating, so you don’t need a huge space in order to DIY your own home theater.
Make the Space Yours
There are tons of choices, small and big, that can make the media space in your man cave something special. Some of the most comfortable home theater seating are leather media room recliners. Customize them with different colors and finishes, or throw a blanket or pillow on it for a cozier look. Have a lot of friends? Or kids who love movies? Make it feel as if you are out at an event with stadium seating for your home theater. If you do go bold and choose something like red theater seating, try a red accent wall to tie the room together. There are countless ways to design your man cave into much more than a typical TV room.