I learned that one of the most important things to keep in mind while creating a man cave is ”make the most of the space I have”. I kept comparing my man cave to those crazy stock photos, that’s just not realistic!
When I turned a small space into my man cave, I learned a few things. Planning is vital. First, figure out what your intentions for your man cave are, do you want to use it for relaxing or for entertaining? Then figure out what your future plans are. What are the three necessary elements you want in your man cave? After you figure that out, plan the layout of your space, and decide if there are any other conversions you need to do on the space. To maximize your space, there are a few tricks to the trade.
It is completely possible to make an awesome man cave with limited space, there just needs to be a little better planning. It is important you make it your own. Especially with a smaller man cave, there is only so much room to make it our own. On that note, there are a few things that we need to consider.
A Quick Thought:
When I first started my journey, I was excited about the new space I was building the man cave. It was in an attic that had not been finished yet. So there was a little extra planning. Because the walls slope down, I had less usable space than I initially thought I would.
I had grand ideas of having a pool table and bar. I saw all those pictures of crazy man caves. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to mimic that. I realize now that this is the best thing that could have happened. In life, home design, and man cave design, we are always comparing ourselves to others.
If you are looking to copy some pictures you saw on the internet, this is not the post or site for you. If you want to make a space that is yours, only yours, and has personal meaning, read on! This space isn’t about being flashy, or showing off, or posing. It’s about expressing the authentic you.
Planning Is Important With A Small Room:
The most important part of building a man cave with a smaller room is to plan. You are going to have your priorities straight. You are probably going to have to make some choices between options, but that makes this process fun.
Every square foot of floor space matters in this room, so you bet we are going to carefully plan things out. You are starting a rewarding journey, and by the end, you will learn what is really important to you.
What Are We Trying to Accomplish?
The first question I want you to ask yourself is what are you trying to accomplish? What is your motivation for building a man cave? Are you building a space for you to relax, or are you hoping to entertain? This is the first decision you are going to want to make. With a smaller space, it’s purpose is going to want t obe pretty direct.
Are you trying to impress, or are you being authentic? If you have read any of my other posts, you may have guessed that this is a little bit of a trick question. There should be nothing in your man cave that is not “you”. One of the reasons to build this room is to make a space where you can be authentic and true to what you enjoy.
What Are Your Future Plans for the Room?
Great, now that you have an idea of what you are trying to accomplish in your room, think about what your future plans are. How do you think you’ll be entertaining or relaxing?
Will you be watching a lot of movies/TV? Will you be having people over to watch the big game? Do you want a tabletop to have the game in the background while you play cards? Is music going to be an important aspect of your man cave?
If you haven’t yet, I suggest you start writing this stuff down. Sometimes we have so many ideas swirling in our heads that we can forget them. That’s an awful feeling. Pick your top three things that you think will be happening in the future. These activities are going to play an important role in how we set up the room’s layout.
Based on Future Plans, What Elements Are a Must?
This first major obstacle of a small man cave is the lack of options for layouts. By keeping our top three activities in mind, be can make sure our layout is best suited for how we want to use the room in the future.
In my smaller man cave, I knew that I wanted to use it primarily for relaxing, but I wanted to be able to have some seating if my partner or other people wanted to join me. My top three elements I knew I wanted was a bartop, a nice sized TV, and a minifridge with storage.
With your three elements written down, you can start to visualize your space and different ways of laying out your space.
Do You Need to Do Anything to Convert the Room Over?
Great, now we are able to start visualizing our man cave’s layout. You are here because your space is a smaller one. If it is smaller, I am guessing that it is either a spare bedroom or an attic area that you are converting into your man cave.
Make The Most of the Space:
With a smaller space, I can’t say it enough, we need to make the most out of the space we have. We need to make space work for us. I write about one way to get the most out of the space by getting creative with different wiring options for your space. There are way too many people that are okay with just using surge protectors and running cables all around your man cave. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative with some of the outlets you choose, they can save a lot of space.
If you are converting a spare bedroom or an attic into a man cave, there is likely going to be a few things that need to be changed. Now is your best chance to do this stuff, so don’t settle! Does the space you are imagining have hardwood floors instead of carpet? Get those hands dirty tearing up some carpet!
You will also want to pay attention to where your outlets are in the room. If you plan on having a small bartop and minifridge in a certain corner and there is no outlet, now is your time to add one.
Is there any painting that needs to be done to convert the space into your man cave? I have also written an article on some of the things you should consider here. Is there a leftover closet? Maybe there is a way you can convert that into something useful.
Take a second to think about how the current lighting will work with the layout you have in mind. It is totally okay to just use floor lamps for lighting, but if you want overhead lighting. Now is the time to make a note of that.
Forget the Idea of a Themed Man Cave, what Do YOU Like?
Now that you have figured out your layout, and how to maximize your space, it’s time to consider the actual style of your man cave. Do you plan on it being a theme other than you-themed? Maybe it’s a music-themed bar, or movie theater, or rustic cabin?
Like I said at the beginning of this article, you aren’t doing all this work to make a man cave that someone else already made. Each choice you make for furniture, decoration, aesthetic needs to be unique to you. I think it’s awesome if you make your own theme and run with it. As long as everything you choose is authentic to you.
Because we are using a smaller room, we need to limit the amount of stuff we have up, or else it’’ be super overwhelming to all who enter. I wish I had a more concrete answer, but all I can say is be mindful of how much you have on your walls/tabletops. If we fill out space up with too much clutter and stuff, your man cave will turn into more of a storage shed.
Design Tricks to Maximize Space:
After all that, I wanted to leave you with some tips for getting the most out of your smaller space. You obviously don’t need to do every one of these, but if you are able to include a couple into your man cave, I think you will be surprised how different your space feels. I know I was.
One of the first tips I have for you is not what you may expect. Don’t shy away from using full-sized furniture. Using smaller furniture has been found to actually make the room feel smaller. One the topic of furniture, try to see if you can find any pieces that can be used for multiple purposes.
The next tip is to display your collectibles and other things you plan on hanging on the wall as high as possible. This is a sneaky trick that can make the ceiling appear higher than it actually is. Another way to trick our brains is to have a mirror or two on the walls. This gets our brains thinking there is more space than there actually is.
I hope this article is helpful to you as you begin to tackle the beginning steps of creating your new man cave. I am excited that you are starting this adventure! Remember, you can’t go wrong as long as you stay true to your authentic self, and listen to what you enjoy.
Until next time,