About 30 percent of new single-family homes built later than 2013 have at least a partial basement.
Other than being the area of the house people don’t see, (and, therefore, usually the place you’re allows to leave blankets strewn about,) what are people doing with that area?
The “man cave” or basement rec room has become a critical area for many families. Whether or not it is the men in the family who use it to get away, or it is a space that everyone can enjoy, having a man cave allows you to create a spot that is perfect for YOU—without worry that it fits in with the rest of the house or impresses guests.
However, just because it is a relaxing getaway does not mean that you can only furnish it with old couches and tin gas station signs. We’ve put together five ways that you can take the man cave concept to the next level.
1. Add a Multipurpose Table
You want to be able to do more than just sit and watch TV in this space, right? Consider a convertible table and chairs.
Having the ability to sit at the table for a small meal is awesome, but if you could flip the tabletop or add a cover and use the same area to play poker or board games, you’ll have a true winner on your hands.
Also, having the extra table in place can come in handy when your household has additional guests for another occasion (such as a holiday dinner). Like Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.” Just don’t forget that those frequent friends need some comfortable seating too!
2. A Smart TV
Just because this is a “man cave” doesn’t mean that you should be relegated to using that old, outdated television.
Consider a smart TV or adding a device like a Chromecast or Roku. With a Smart TV, you can watch Netflix, Amazon Prime and the streaming services available from your cable TV company (if you have cable—since around one in five families is cutting the cord.)
Now, you won’t be tied to watching whatever happens to be on TV at the time. That makes this space very appealing to the whole family. Also, it gives you a great space to watch the reality TV shows or controversial team sports that you don’t want guests to see in your queue.
3. Personal Touches
Don’t let this space become boring and unfriendly. Adding a few personal touches, like photographs or memorabilia from your college days gives everyone who visits a peek into what makes you, you.
You may consider having old photos turned into canvas décor at a photo shop or using matching frames to give the room a finished look.
4. A Refrigerator
While you may not be lucky enough to have a full-size fridge in your man cave, picking up a mini version is not that expensive. When you install this simple piece into your space, it becomes more than just another room—it becomes a real getaway.
With your refrigerator, you can keep soda, beer or other drinks close at hand and be able to enjoy serving your friends and family a quick snack from your space. Because who wants to walk upstairs for something as trivial as thirst?
5. Something for the Kids
If you have children, you know that the man cave will be a family cave. That’s okay! However, if you design a kid-friendly area in the space, you may be able to keep this somewhat under control. Think about a Lego table or a couple of kid-sized recliners to finish off the room.
As you can see, there are a lot of great concepts that can be used to make your man cave a truly beautiful space.
One final thing you may need to consider is storage. If you would like to reclaim some of that space for household storage, but don’t want to ruin the look of your space, why not consider a Murphy Door? Our easy-to-install bookshelf door allows you to add extra storage anywhere, and still keep a clean, attractive design.
Check out our website for more information. We can’t wait to help you finish that man cave project so you can relax and enjoy this special room in your home!
About Murphy Door
What is a Murphy Door? It’s a functional bookshelf that is also a door, giving you multiple uses for your space, like: hiding notoriously messy rooms, providing an additional level of security for safes and panic rooms, or just making an otherwise boring doorway into an exciting design element for your home or office.
Our products are available for purchase online, and we can ship anywhere in the world. We feature ready-to-ship, custom, and do-it-yourself door models like, Flush Mount and Bifolding Surface Mount), and even French Style or Barn doors, with a bunch of options available for each. You can find a complete outline of our products and currently-available options here.