August 19th, 2022

You know you’ve made it in life when you finally have a space to build your man cave! If you’re looking to level up your haunt soon, our ‘must-know’ Mantuary design tips will help you design a space to accommodate all of your passions in one place. If you’re not sure if you have the perfect spot yet, stick around and get some ideas on how to build an awesome man cave!

Put Your Hobby At The Centre

What is the go-to activity for you and your mates? Make that the heart of your cave and work outwards. If your plan is to have a private place to play cards, include a poker table somewhere accessible. If you’re more of a ‘footy on a Friday night’ or even a movie/videogame fan, a comfortable seating area surrounding a HD TV is the perfect focal point of the room.

A common mistake people make when designing their man cave is adding a big feature that just doesn’t get used. These tend to be pool tables, air hockey tables or other bulky things like that. So plan around your hobby, and the rest will fall into place. A good design and budgeting principle is spending the most space and money on the spots you’ll use more often. The rest can be upgraded later.

Storage Is A Must

A lot of man caves are made as afterthoughts or with any space that’s free. Because of that, they tend to be used as storage rooms. Ideally, you have a separate storage room, but plenty of blokes know the pain of having to keep appliances, Christmas trees or tools somewhere in their man shed. Account for this early and include plenty of closed storage spots where everything can be contained without ruining the look of your space.

Don’t Skimp On Lighting

Lighting has the potential to transform your space completely! Thanks to modern smart lights, you don’t have to fully commit to one look when you buy the bulbs. Smart lights let you play with the brightness and even colour all from your mobile phone. That means changing between moody, dim lighting for poker night and clear, bright lighting for when you’re working is easy.

Good Sectioning

We have plenty of passions, so don’t limit yourself to one mancave function. If you have enough space, it’s easy enough to designate different sections for different activities. A man cave is a retreat where a bloke can access all of his passions! Just be cautious of making it too much of a hodgepodge. Every space should be accessible and comfortable to work in. You don’t want to be bumping into a sofa every time you’re tinkering at the workbench. Walking paths are a must, so consider how people flow through your cave and interact with each area.

Find Your ‘Wow’ Factor?

As soon as guests walk in, something should impress them, or at least raise a few eyebrows. This should be something that highlights your passions and just make sense to be centre stage in your cave. If you’re a gearhead, maybe this is where you store your prized car or bike; or if you’re a hobbyist brewer, showcase your concoctions in your own personal bar. Let your imagination run free here; this is where you can be a bit outlandish.

Stick To A Theme

Find an overall theme that you like and stick to it. Sure your hobbies may be varied, but make sure all the furnishings and other design elements are the same to ground the whole cave. You can still have an arcade section beside a woodworking bench, but just make sure the cave itself feels cohesive. The flooring, decorations, furniture and walls should all be the same throughout.

Show Off Your Skills

This man cave is your spot, and the best way to make it different from everyone else’s is by showing off something you do. If you’re a carpenter, you may consider designing the wood flooring yourself or making some of the features by hand. If you’re quite the artist, consider painting a mural on one of the walls. If you can leatherwork, make some custom decorations like the coasters, stool covers or display your best items in a cabinet.

Build A Bar

A bar is a staple of the man cave, and they don’t take up all that much space, making them a perfect addition. A good bar tends to be where blokes gravitate because of how convenient it is. It’s a place to sit, chat, eat and usually the closest to the fridge. Don’t drink? That’s fine. Use it as a retro milkshake bar, a coffee station, or stock non-alcoholic ingredients for a mocktail bar.

Plan For Cable Placement

Loose chords or extension cables are the quickest way to make a room look messy. Get your cable management set from the get-go, or better yet, make a floorplan with power access in mind first. Cables can be discreetly managed or hidden in corners or running along walls, but the centre of the room can be hard to reach. Consider installing some cable covers or even hiding power strips under furniture items, so there aren’t wires running all over the place.

Be Realistic With Space

A cave is a cave, no matter how big or small it is. Being low on space doesn’t mean you can’t have an awesome man cave. Even a nook can be transformed into a gaming corner or workstation. When working with a small space, your priority should be space-saving furniture than can still offer comfort and functionality. However, if you are space locked, you may need to consider removing a feature. It’s better to have a few comfortable areas instead of cramming everything into a room. Maybe your man-cave is too small for guests. That’s fine as long as you can still enjoy it.

Keep Your Man Cave In Tip-Top Shape With INOX

If you want to give your man cave the best treatment, use INOX premium lubricants for any maintenance and servicing. INOX has over 101 uses, from polishing steel and preventing rust, to protecting leather and any other lubrication purposes. Whatever you plan to use your man cave for, INOX is guaranteed to help it look and function at its best! Find your nearest retailer today.