How to make a great man cave (and 81 ideas to get you started) (2024)

In years gone by, the man cave has been a divisive concept - seen by many as childish and misogynistic. But now, in a time in society where we are more aware of the mental health benefits of your own space and freedom to take time for yourself, the man cave has found its place again.

It is perhaps more important than ever before, especially for dads who find it hard to find personal time between taking care of the kids, work, their partner and all the stresses of daily life.

Over the course of this guide, we’ll take a more in-depth look at what a man cave is, some of the key things you need to think about before making one. We’ve also scoured the internet for more than 80 ideas and pieces of inspiration for everything from a book-lovers man cave to something for sports-mad dads.

Much to my surprise, the term ‘man cave’ is actually in the Oxford dictionary and the definition perfectly summarises what a man cave is.

“A room or other part of a home used by a man as a place to relax and pursue hobbies away from the rest of the family.”

Man caves come in all shapes and sizes, with varying purposes. Some are designed purely for relaxation, while others are geared towards hobbies and activities. Some are entirely personal spaces, while others are social spaces to hang out with friends. And as more and more dads work from home, man caves can also be used for home offices, giving you a dedicated space to work from and fully separate work and home life.

Interestingly, if you spend enough time reading forums and Reddit pages, more and more men are sharing their man cave with their partners, they just might not call them a ‘man cave’. They will share the design and use of the space when the partner doesn’t have a natural personal space available to them in the house.

Some men on these forums and threads will argue that ‘the man gets the man cave because the woman gets the house’. However, the house is primarily a shared space, especially when you have children. And so it is important for mums to have a space to get away, too.

This Redditor explains how he and his wife share their ‘man cave’.

“I think the focus on the terminology is stupid. My ‘man cave’ is a basem*nt with a bar, a theater (sic), my office and our instrument space. My wife and I both use it. We refer to it jokingly as a man cave but it’s space we both use. It’s only messed up if it’s space for only you and not your wife, and that’s not the result of a discussion about who needs what space. Living with someone is a negotiation, we all need our private space and our shared spaces.”

You’ve decided you want a man cave. But how on earth do you start? Here are some key man cave ideas you need to think about before you start work on yours.

Talk to your partner

It’s definitely a good idea to have a conversation with your partner about your ideas and plans first - especially if it’s likely to involve a big renovation. Just going right ahead and starting work on your man cave could come across a bit passive aggressive. Talk about why you want to make your own space, but also consider her needs, too. Does she have her own personal space in the house? Does she need or want one?

How much space do you have?

Space is the very first thing you need for a man cave. No space, no man cave, unfortunately. Naturally, the more space you have, the more you can do with it. But the good news is that even the smallest of spaces can become a workable man cave.

Man caves tend to be found in a spare bedroom, a garden shed, or a garage.

Decide its purpose

Once you’ve identified the space you want (or are allowed) to use, the next step is to consider what you want to use your man cave for.

Do you want a man cave bar with a pool table to entertain and hang out with friends? Do you want a retro man cave to relive and recapture your youth? Do you want somewhere to host movie nights? Do you want somewhere purely to relax? Do you want to exercise?

Naturally, the size of the space might dictate what you can use your man cave for, but it’s important to have a clear focus.

Plan the ‘must-haves’

Now you know what you want to use it for, it’s time to think about the things you need to have in your man cave in order for it to serve its purpose.

Budget

You could have the grandest plans possible for your man cave, but they’ll never come to fruition if you don’t have the budget or have to save money.

You may already have some of the most important items in your possession - instruments, perhaps, a gaming console or exercise equipment. But if you’re starting from scratch, it can be costly. There are always marketplaces where you could source things from second hand.

Renovating a space to create your man cave is often the biggest expense, if you’re not using a spare room in the house. Converting a garage is usually the most expensive, as you’ll have to think about insulation, flooring, electricity and ventilation.

Rope your friends in to help

Depending on the size of your man cave, and how much work needs to be done, you could ask your friends to help with any DIY.

This is an especially great idea if you’re hoping to use your man cave to hang out with your mates, and it provides you with a great opportunity to talk about why you want a man cave - maybe open up about some of the stresses and struggles you’ve been going through lately.

Make it personal

Once you’ve decorated and got the essentials in, it’s time to implement your man cave theme. This is where you add all the personal touches, the ‘cool stuff’. The art work, your framed favourite sports top, your favourite vinyl records - all the cool things that you’ve never had somewhere to put before.

Enjoy

That’s it. You’re done! Now it’s time to enjoy your man cave and take some time for yourself!

A brilliant man cave doesn’t have to be all singing, all dancing and decked out from top to bottom. You can still get somewhere to escape and relax and save money in the process.

Here are some things to consider if you're looking for a cheap man cave.

Focus on furniture and function

If you’re on a tight budget, big renovations for a garage man cave probably aren’t the best way to go. So we’re talking about using a spare room in the house that is ready to go. Tight budgets mean that decoration isn’t the most important thing to get your man cave off the ground. You can always decorate later down the line. Focus on the furniture and the essentials you need for your man cave to serve its purpose.

What have you already got?

Maybe you have a favourite chair that your partner has always hated. Perfect. You can move it to the man cave and save a couple hundred pounds/dollars. Maybe you’ve got an old TV stand that’s been sitting in the garage. Take stock of what you’ve already got lying around the house that you could use straight away.

Repurpose and upcycle

Similarly to the point above, plenty of people will have stuff lying around that could be used with a bit of work. An old palette could be made into a shelving unit, or an old chair that needs reupholstering in. Upcycling will always save you money compared to buying brand new.

Buy second hand

If you're looking for man cave ideas on a budget, check out things like thrift stores, eBay and Facebook Marketplace for secondhand items. Some may be ready to use, while others will need a bit of repurposing and upcycling.

Colin Furze’s underground bunker

If you’re not already familiar with Colin Furze, he’s a YouTuber. He’s a bit like Tony Stark, if Tony Stark was from Lincolnshire in England. He relies on his plumbing and engineering skills to create (and recreate) all manner of contraptions from flamethrower guitars to Wolverine claws and everything in between.

Most notably, in 2015, Furze embarked on the creation of an underground bunker in his back garden. No really, his man cave cost tens of thousands of pounds to make and you’d never even know it was there.

Check out the video here!

Music themed man caves

I immediately think of two things when I hear 'garage man cave' or 'basem*nt man cave'; the first of which is music. Garages and basem*nts are the ideal places for a home music studio, whether you just want somewhere to practice and hone your skills or somewhere to set up a mini recording studio. You may even just want somewhere with comfortable seating to chill out and listen to your favourite tunes. Just remember to soundproof it first!

Check out these brilliant music-themed man cave ideas, including:

• A clean and crisp, modern way of displaying your guitars
• A vinyl-packed, relaxing listening room
• A great space to chill out and jam with friends
• A brilliant way to pay homage to your favourite album covers with a framed grid

Man cave ideas for a sports fan

A sport themed man cave is usually one of two things, an emulation of the traditional US sports bar, or a shrine to your favourite sports team. Think plenty of sports jerseys and memorabilia hung as wall decor, a pool table, large screen TV and plenty of sports equipment like baseball bats, or American football helmets. Maybe a mini fridge nearby so you can grab a drink without taking your eyes off the action.

Here some awesome man cave ideas with a sports theme, including:

• How to base your man cave on your favourite team
• An indoor golf putting green and digital driving screen
• A vintage boxing saloon
• A customised, interactive league leaderboard

Man cave ideas for gamers

A man cave is a great place to play video games in peace. We're talking a high quality TV or computer screen, good gaming chair, a great gaming setup, and - while we're not condoning or recommending this - probably a mini fridge stocked with energy drinks.

We've got some great man cave ideas for gamers right here, including:

• Some great LED lighting effects
• A creative way to store your consoles on the wall
• A trip down memory lane with retro consoles on display
• Controller storage that looks like it's straight out of a James Bond film

Man cave ideas for film & TV fanatics

For a lot of people, the cinema represents the ultimate way to watch movies. Sometimes it's easy to get distracted watching or our favourite TV show at home. A glance at the phone, someone who's not really watching getting up to make a cup of coffee or trying to chat to you. One of our favourite man cave ideas is to make your own home cinema.

Don't worry, a home cinema is definitely one of the more achievable man cave ideas on a budget. You don't have to have the big screen TV or the top of the line surround sound system to enjoy a brilliant movie night. You can get some budget friendly surround sound systems, as well as cheap cloth and a projector. Just make sure you have some comfortable seating and plenty of snacks.

Let's take a look at some home cinema man cave ideas, including:

• A home theatre inspired by a cinema lobby
• Proof you don't need a big budget for a home cinema
• A simple but effective setup consisting of huge screen, comfortable sofa and surround sound
• How to theme your home cinema around your favourite film franchise

Exercise lover’s man cave

A home gym is the other thing that springs to mind when I think of garage man cave ideas. Sure, it's going to cost a lot of money to transform your garage into a fully-fledged gym, but you can definitely create a space to exercise without breaking the bank.

Here are some exercise-themed man cave ideas, including:

• A cycling workshop that professional teams would be proud of
• Making the most of your space for a home gym
• Making art out of your favourite bike
• Converting your shed into a home gym

Awesome man cave ideas for dads who love to read

Some guys will just want to use their man cave to sit and read in peace. The great news is that you can get really creative when creating a book-themed man cave. There are two really important things you need to think about - comfortable seating and a cozy atmosphere. Vintage furniture and book shelves make for the perfect book-themed man cave decor, while things like string lights and lamps will definitely help with the atmosphere.

Here are some great man cave ideas for book lovers:

• A cozy window bench with bags of natural light and just as much book storage
• A dark and mysterious reading room that brings tonnes of atmosphere
• The classic wingback chair on an old rug, next to an open fireplace
• How to get as many books into a room as possible

Man cave bar ideas

One of the most common man cave ideas is to have your own bar area; somewhere to hang out with friends. We're talking plenty of drink choices sitting behind a bar with bar stools, definitely a pool table or a ping pong table. Maybe even a poker table for the evening!

Here are some brilliant man cave bar ideas:

• Converting old beer kegs into bar stools (genius)
• An ultra modern man cave bar/home cinema
• A small corner bar giving you plenty of room for things like a pool table
• A cozy man cave bar with bags of personality inside a shed

Home office man caves

It might not be as exciting as a man cave bar or a home cinema, but such is the way of the working world that the modern man cave is often incorporating an office into itself. More of us are working from home than ever before, but it can be tough to separate the work and home life - especially if you're working at the kitchen table.

Transforming your man cave (or at least part of your man cave) into a home office is a great idea to make a clear distinction.

Here are some of our favourite home office man cave ideas:

• A modern, clean, white home office perfect for a graphic designer
• A quirky design making the most of the room to offer two workspaces
• An all-out traditional home office
• A futuristic setup that could easily double as a gaming room

If you scroll the internet, it’s easy to believe you need a huge space to have a man cave. But the reality is that not everyone has that sort of space.

Don’t worry, you can still have a great man cave if it’s in the small spare bedroom, or in the shed at the bottom of the garden.

Here are some ways to make the most of a small space for your man cave.

Space-saving furniture

If you’re tight on space, clever space-saving furniture is a must.

Maybe you’re desperate for a bar - perhaps storing bottles on shelves on the wall would be a better use of space. Better still, maybe it’s a cabinet where the door folds out to create a small table. Add a couple of folding stools or chairs and you’ve got the perfect space-saving bar.

Use every bit of space

We can sometimes be overly obsessed with how something looks, rather than how functional it is. When it comes to a man cave in a small space, we need to be more concerned with functionality.

That’s why it’s important to make the best use of the space as possible. If you want your man cave to be somewhere to watch sports in peace, occasionally with a friend, it’s easy for us to position the TV in the centre of the room. But would you be just as comfortable with the TV in the corner of the room, sat up against the wall? Probably. And that might free up some space for something else in the room - maybe a small bar area, or a dart board, or perhaps a gaming setup.

Try to use the walls and ceilings for anything that will save you floor space, too.

Be selective

We often use our man caves for all the ‘cool’ things that don’t fit the decor of the house. But when space is limited, you need to be really selective about what goes in your man cave. While you may have hopes and dreams of hanging all your favourite sports jerseys or movie posters, maybe it’s just the favourite.

Think carefully about what you really need in order to make this your space.

How much does it cost to make a man cave?

I'm sorry to break it to you, but this is one of those 'how long is a piece of string?' questions.

Man caves can cost tens of thousands of pounds/dollars if you want to go all out. However, it's certainly possible to make a man cave on a very tight budget if you make use of what you already have, visit thrift stores and marketplaces or upcycle items that have seen better days.

Where is the best place to have a man cave?

This depends on the space you already have. If you have a large house with a spare room, there's nothing wrong with using that. Others prefer to use their garage, the basem*nt, or the garden shed.

It all depends on what you want to use it for.

Can women go in a man cave?

In years gone by, man caves were viewed as a bit misogynistic because they were seen as selfish, 'man only' zones.

Now, in a world where we are much more aware of the need for space and time to yourself, they are seen as a useful places for men and dads to relax and enjoy some personal time. It's important to recognise that women and mums also need these sorts of spaces, and the argument that 'women have the rest of the house' isn't applicable because these are so often shared spaces.

In situations where there isn't enough spare space for the women to have her own personal space, more and more men are sharing this type of space with their partners and even designing it together.

Do I have to have a big space for a man cave?

Not at all. Depending on what you want to use it for, it's definitely feasible to have a man cave in a small space.

You may not be able to haveeverything you want in there. But you can certainly get yourself a cozy space to relax, unwind and enjoy some time to yourself.