While building my man cave, the most exciting part was choosing how I wanted to decorate it. I ended up going with a sports bar theme with some rustic features. While searching, I found all kinds of cool ideas. I found so many awesome themes, that I wanted to pass them along to you. This article will talk about the different themes that can be done, give examples of things that one may expect to find in that type of man cave, and explain why you should consider it.
When building a themed man cave, there are all kinds of options available. Two of the more commonly built themed man caves are sports/sports bar man caves and movie theaters. There are so many more options out there! After scouring the internet, some of the other themes you should consider are a music lounge man cave, a luxurious contemporary man cave, a rustic log cabin man cave, an industrial garage man cave, and a super nerd man cave.
The Sports/Sports Bar:
What Is A Sports/ Sports Bar Man Cave?
The first theme we are going to look at is probably one of the most common. A sports/ sports bar man cave is that safe, go-to option for a lot of man cave enthusiasts.
A sports/ sports bar man cave is going to focus on two things: the love of sports and the love of beer or other spirits. This type of man cave is at its best when it is enjoyed with others. Like other themes of man caves, it is best enjoyed with others.
If you are planning on building this type of man cave, you are going to want to spend a lot of time figuring out what you want to use to decorate your space. Do you want to go with displayed jerseys? Collectables? Other types of memorabilia? It is totally up to you.
There a few common choices for entertaining guests in a sports/ sports bar man cave. The popular choices are a pool table, dartboard, or just an awesome TV/sound system.
Why You Should Consider A Sports/ Sports Bar Man Cave:
You should consider using this theme for your man cave if you have a passion for sports. This man cave is also a great option for those of you who enjoy bringing people together.
It’s like I keep saying, your man cave should show and display what is important to you. If you love to watch sports and love to share a drink with a friend, I can’t think of a better theme for your man cave. This is also a great starting idea for a man cave because you can make it your own when you plan it.
Sure there are some things people will expect you have in it. But other than those essentials, you can turn the space into whatever you want. Another awesome thing about a sports bar man cave is it is going to feel completely different than any other room in your house. This is an awesome feeling!
The Home Theater:
What Is A Home Theater Man Cave?
The next theme is another popular option for people creating a man cave. A home theater man cave is one of those man caves that can be enjoyed by the whole family when you and your buds aren’t using it. For a family man, this is a really attractive option.
A home theater man cave is going to focus on your screen and the viewing experience. This type of man cave is awesome because it can be enjoyed by yourself, with family, or with your buds. Even though you can be selfish and enjoy it all by yourself, you will get the most enjoyment by sharing it with others.
If you are planning on building this type of man cave, you are going to want to spend the majority of your budget on your screen and sound system. You are going to want to figure out if you want a TV or a projector. If you need help figuring out which is right for you, take a look at this article I wrote on that exact topic. You will also want to take some time and figure out what sound system you want to use.
There are a lot of dos and don’ts to consider while building a home theater man cave. This article is meant to be a general overview of the different themes. But if you want an in-depth look at this theme and the dos and don’ts for it, take a look at this article I have written.
Why You Should Consider A Home Theater Man Cave:
You should consider using the home theater theme for your man cave because it will be a room that you and your whole family can enjoy. One of the biggest criticisms man caves get is that they are selfish or lead to us isolating. A home theater is something that can bring the whole family together.
You should also consider this type of man cave because of the wow factor and pride that comes with it. It is an awesome feeling having friends come over and seeing their faces the first time they experience what you have created.
With how expensive the movies are, you may be saving your friend group money if you can build an authentic theater experience. With some of the technological advances of projectors, it’s more affordable than ever. Heck, charge your friends 5 bucks for a movie showing and recoup some of your investment! You do you.
The Music Lounge:
What Is A Music Lounge Man Cave?
Another theme to consider is a less common option for people creating a man cave. A music lounge man cave is another one of those man caves that can be enjoyed either by yourself or with others. It can also serve multiple purposes. It can be a hangout spot, a jam spot, or a recording studio.
A music lounge man cave is going to focus on your passion for music. Because of this, the acoustic characteristics of this room is its most important aspect. This type of man cave is awesome because it can be enjoyed by yourself while practicing or listening to music, with your jam buds, or enjoyed while recording a new song. Even though you can be selfish and enjoy it all by yourself, you will get the most enjoyment by sharing it with others.
If you are planning on building this type of man cave, you are going to want to spend the majority of your budget on your sound system and wall decorations. You will want to take some time and figure out what sound system you want to use.
There are all kinds of sound systems out there with different purposes and uses. All I can say is be sure to avoid the cheaper options if you decide to go with the music lounge man cave. That’d be like going with a small screen for a home theater…
There are a lot of other dos and don’ts to consider while building a music lounge man cave. I am just trying to scratch the surface of things to consider in the article. If you want a more in-depth look at this what goes into a music lounge man cave, take a look at this article I have written. It goes over everything you should and shouldn’t do while designing a music lounge man cave and offers some suggestions to consider.
Why You Should Consider A Music Lounge Man Cave:
You should consider using this theme in your man cave if music is important to you. I’m not saying you need to be a professional musician either. If you enjoy listening to music, I think this is an awesome theme to think about. You could even combine it with some sports bar elements. That’d be a sweet combination if you ask me.
Another reason why you should think about this theme is that it lets you show your true colors! Like I mention in my other article, this is your chance to proudly show off what bands you are in to. What you are putting on your walls is super important.
I don’t care if you listen to Taylor Swift, Slayer, Blink-182, or August Burns Red. If you are into it, display and surround yourself with it. If you play an instrument, displaying it on your wall will get you playing more. Who doesn’t want that?
If you decide to use this theme, you are creating a room that is a place you can retreat to. It’s a place you can relax, while surrounded by the things you enjoy. Then when you feel like it, you can invite others to enjoy your work as well.
The Luxurious Contemporary Loft:
What Is A Luxurious Contemporary Man Cave?
The next theme isn’t so much a theme as it is a design style. I am talking about using a luxurious contemporary design feel for your man cave. This is a much different feel than the other themes in this article. Let’s get into it.
In contemporary design, the focus is drawn to the room itself. This is almost the opposite of other themes I have talked about. Instead of decorating your space with all kinds to cool memorabilia, less is more in this style of a man cave. The cool thing about building a contemporary man cave is that there is not going to be any contemporary man cave design police telling you did it wrong. There isn’t a right or wrong way to entertain the space.
That being said, there are some suggestions that you are going to need to follow for it to be a “contemporary” man cave. You are going to want to use minimal decorations, natural colors, and include things with texture. If you want a more in-depth look, take a look at the article I wrote on how to design a contemporary man cave. Long story short, less is more.
I say luxurious because if you can pull off this type of design in your man cave, it’s going to have an awesome high-class, suave feel. This is the mature, classy man’s man cave design. I don’t have anything you would expect to find in a contemporary man cave. Besides the sparse decorations, natural wall colors, and bright textile furniture, the world is your oyster. You can truly go in any direction with this one.
Why You Should Consider A Luxurious Contemporary Man Cave:
You should consider building a contemporary man cave because it is so unique. It needs a little more planning and focus to execute this type of design though. For that reason, it’s not going to be for everyone.
But if you usually look at man caves and think “ugh, that looks like my old frat house man cave”, I think this is for you. Because of the design features involved, the final room will feel more a part of the surrounding house. So it is probably likely that your partner will feel more welcomed in the space. Knowing that they may be more likely to be on board with the idea.
So to recap, this type of man cave is for you if you enjoy a fine scotch rather than a bottom shelf whiskey blend. If you enjoy the finer things, and the rewards that come from hard work, you have found your next project. Your man cave will be uniquely you, and no one else will be able to compare to your creation.
The Rustic Log Cabin:
What Is Is A Rustic Log Cabin Man Cave?
The rustic log cabin themed man cave is probably one of the most popular man cave options. I would be shocked if you didn’t already know what it is. But regardless, let’s take a quick look at what a rustic cabin man cave is.
This themed man cave is characterized by its focus on the natural beauty of raw materials. You are probably going to want to include a lot of raw wood in your man cave. In this way, it’s pretty similar to what you may expect to find in a sports bar man cave.
What makes it unique is the integration of outdoor materials. Your decorations are probably going to include things like rocks, antlers, or other outdoorsy stuff. You could expect to see fishing, hunting, or trapping gear displayed. There are also some awesome rustic light fixtures available for a cabin man cave. They use things like dark metals, natural woods, and antlers or rocks.
Personally, this is the type of man cave I tend to favor. I can’t help but love the look of natural woods and leather with earthy colors. There is some awesome looking rustic furniture out there. This is one of the benefits of going with a more popular theme.
Why You Should Consider A Rustic Log Cabin Man Cave:
A rustic theme is for you if you appreciate the simple things. If you don’t care about having the latest, newest thing, but care more about the peaceful quiet, natural beauty of nature, look no further.
If you and your buds enjoy hunting and fishing, this type of man cave could be a great hang out spot for you all. This type of man cave is great because it is the perfect excuse to display the things you are proud of. It could be your prized fish you had mounted, or that buck’s rack you have, or that picture from the peak of your tallest mountain you’ve hiked. These are all the perfect addition to a rustic man cave.
The other nice thing about this themed man cave is that it has the potential to also be a great room to share with your family. Because you probably aren’t going to have a focus on technology in your rustic cabin man cave (although you totally could), it’s the perfect room to relax and lounge out with the family.
The Industrial Garage:
What Is An Industrial Garage Man Cave?
Unlike the other featured options, this one is outside of your home. An Industrial garage man cave is pretty much what it sounds like. You use industrial design to turn your garage into a man cave.
If you have never looked into interior design (trust me, I don’t blame you) let’s take a second to talk about what industrial design is. I’ve done the digging, that way you don’t have to go through that torture.
Industrial design follows the idea that we are displaying things that are usually hidden. We almost turn these things that are normally hidden into elements of the overall decoration. You could expect to see a lot of wood paneling, chrome, and exposed metal and piping. It seems to share many of the rustic design qualities. If you want an in-depth look at the typical features of industrial design, take a look at the article I wrote that that breaks it down for you.
This works well with a garage because there is usually an abundance of these industrial features all around. A lot of top-notch designers will spend a bunch of money to add these elements for decoration, you will be using a space that already has them!
Industrial design is a lot like the contemporary man cave I talked about earlier. This is more of an overall design direction instead of a theme. You are going to be able to do whatever you want with space.
Why You Should Consider An Industrial Garage Man Cave:
If you are looking to make a man cave that is completely separate from your house, using your garage is a great place to start. You probably already have a workshop set up out there, why not take it to the next level? If you plan on using your garage for a man cave, it makes a lot of sense to just roll with an industrial design scheme because it already has most of those qualities to start with.
You should consider this option because it makes it okay to have a fully finished man cave. Instead of having a full-fledged floor installed in your garage, just paint and seal the cement with polyurethane, and it’s done.
Of every option in this list, an industrial garage man cave is going to require the least work, and it will probably have the smallest budget. Personally, those are two appealing qualities.
I do want to mention that this may not be a year-long option depending on the environment you live in. I live in a cold environment, so this wasn’t a great option for me. If I am going to be putting this much time, effort, and money into a project, I want to be able to use it year-round.
The Super Nerd Game Room:
What Is A Super Nerd Man Cave?
The last theme that you may want to consider for your man cave is a Super Nerd theme. Being a nerd myself, I am using that term in the most endearing way possible. As you should have guessed by now, not all man caves are created equal. Your super-nerd man cave is going to completely different than mine would be.
If you are considering this theme, my guess s that you play a few different “nerd” games. If you do, that’s awesome. If they are games like Magic the Gathering or Dungeon’s and Dragon’s, they require other people to play. So the idea here is that you are creating the ultimate room to play these games with your buds.
In this themed man cave, you can expect to find a nice table, comfortable seating, and a plethora of collectibles or memorabilia from your games of choice. You can expect to find a unique table and abundant seating. I have seen some awesome DND tables that are somewhat reminiscent of poker tables in this type of man cave. It’s these types of cool factor inclusions you are going to want to look for. These types of inclusions are going to make your man cave look more impressive, and enhance the gameplay of your guests.
Why You Should Consider A Super Nerd Man Cave:
If you enjoy some of the games I mentioned or other games that require your buds gathering together, a super nerd man cave is a great idea. There seems to be this idea that these types of games need to be played in a basement. Nope.
You are reading this because you are an adult, with a job, and a house. It’s time you play and enjoy your games like an adult, with a job, and a house. You can design it however you want, and display whatever you want in it. A lot of the games you are playing, the possibilities are endless. Ounce you begin your journey of building this man cave, you are sure to become the MVP of your playgroup.
You have probably spent a lot of time in these types of games in the past, this is an awesome way to level up that experience. The cool thing about this type of man cave is its focus on the group. Most other man caves are just as enjoyable on your own. But the super nerd man cave is best enjoyed with others, whether it’s your party or a bunch of people tossing cardboard around.
Final Thoughts:
Even after going over these seven potential man cave themes, we have only begun to scratch the surface of what is out there. Because there are so many options, figuring out what type of man cave to build can seem pretty overwhelming.
But I hope this article gives you some potential ideas. I hope hope it starts you thinking about what is important to you. What are you looking to get out of a man cave, and what do you enjoy doing?
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to build your man cave. The important thing is to go with what you authentically enjoy. I hope this article helped you on your quest to build an awesome man cave.
Until next time,