Man Caves for Father’s Day
In honour of Father’s Day, I thought we’d review some of the most popular Man Cave ideas for Dad. After polling my Husband, my Dad, our staff and a few good friends, we’ve discovered there seem to be 3 main favourite types of Man Cave.
The first and favorite space is always the “workshop”. This is my Dad to a tee! Shortly after Mom and Dad bought their home, many years ago, Dad built himself a workshop in the back. Complete with a furnace, for year round use, a stereo system, and every tool a man could ever want! We gave up trying to buy him tools years ago as he has them ALL!!! This is a space he goes to when he wants a break or feels like being creative. He has been retired for many years but enjoys woodworking and is excellent at his craft! We have many beautiful pieces both at home and at the cottage courtesy of Dad’s hours in his Man Cave! On a side note, I recently staged a home in St. Clements that has the first workshop Man Cave to rival my Dads’ I have seen! Beautiful Man Cave Space complete with antique auto decals and signage from the auto industry! Also heated space and just a mechanics’ DREAM SPACE!!! I’m a lover of antique automobiles (Thanks to my Dad) so I truly appreciated all the time and work that went into creating that particular Man Cave!
My Husband, Kevin, on the other hand, has his own idea of a Man Cave! Kevin loves pool and darts. His “Games’ Room” has been his Man Cave! We are just in the process of updating it for him. It has a regulation size 6 x 12 billiard table, a dart board, stereo system and a fireplace. I’m adding a beverage/bar center complete with his own fridge, sink and microwave. We are re-finishing the fireplace and adding a TV above the fireplace mantle. Then finishing it off with some nice comfy seating for lounging and watching movies/TV. There is a nice seating area with bar stools and a table to wait your turn while playing pool or darts. He’ll be adding surround sound (which I will usually ask him to turn down lol!)!! His Man Cave is all about relaxing and enjoying the things he loves to do. Way back it also included an indoor hot tub and shower area, but I took that over for an exercise space! We hadn’t used the hot tub for years, so he didn’t mind at all! His décor is all about what he loves, our city, and some of his favorite sports team collectibles. I haven’t yet finalized where we will be putting the poker table, but plan on having one of those as well! This space is all about playing sports with TV/Music in the background.
The last Man Cave that won the most popular was the “Entertainment Man Cave”. Similar to the Games Area except it was all about watching sports! Everything was focused around a Big Screen TV. Everything was designed around watching sports and making the watching “experience” that much better! Everything from a bar or small kitchenette/bar to prepare all the necessary snacks to a fully stocked fridge and bar. A surround sound system; which MUST include all the latest electronic gadgetry! A stock of the latest video games, and of course, lots of comfy seating for lots of friends! Even multiple smaller TV screens if it’s a large space to ensure the TV game could be followed from anywhere in the room. Décor would of course be based on the favourite teams! Hockey, football, baseball, soccer and any others the home owners followed!
Finally the Number One Rule of the Man Cave: Women only allowed when asked! Yes, I know this is hard for many of us women to tolerate but we need to give our men their space. Everyone deserves a place to unwind and relax. They need a place to call their own. One that is designed around them and them alone! I know my sweet man is very thoughtful and works very hard. He is very sensitive to my likes and dislikes and what latest reno/design I want to do around the home and the cottage. He works hard to make me happy. Even surprising me with a huge new deck at the cottage for our Anniversary! He deserves a space to call his own where he can relax and kick back with some buddies! So Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful men out there who go above and beyond for their wives, children, and even their parents! The men in our lives are very special and so much loved and appreciated! Enjoy your Special Day!