How do you organize a man cave?

Turning a spare room or basement into a man cave is the dream for many guys. A man cave is a space to relax, watch sports, hang out with friends, and indulge hobbies. But how do you turn a bland, empty room into an awesome personalized space? Read on for tips on how to organize and design the ultimate man cave.

Plan the Layout

The first step in organizing a man cave is deciding on the layout. Consider how you want to use the space. Here are some common man cave features to think about including:

• TV/entertainment area – This is often the central focus, with seating arranged around a large TV for sports, movies, and gaming.
• Bar – Having a small bar with bar stools provides a place to enjoy a drink.
• Seating – Comfortable chairs and couches allow friends to hang out and relax. Sectionals work well to define spaces.
• Games – Space for a pool table, dart board, poker table, or video game station.
• Desk – A desk allows working on hobbies or other projects.
• Memorabilia – Shelves, cabinets, and wall space to display favorite memorabilia like sports trophies, autographed items, and photos.

Decide which features are most important for your man cave and sketch out a floor plan. Make sure to allow open spaces for traffic flow and doorways are accessible.

Select a Theme

Most man caves have a unifying theme that influences the decor. Sports themes like favorite sports teams are popular. Here are some other fun man cave theme ideas:

• Music – Decorate with vintage concert posters, records, musical instruments, and music memorabilia.
• Cars – Ideal for auto enthusiasts with decor like license plates, signs, gas pumps, and automobile parts used as art.
• Brewery or pub – Use bar decor, beer signs, and other accessories to mimic an English pub environment.
• Game room – Embrace arcade and retro video game style with neon signs and memorabilia.
• Man cave humor – Funny signs and posters poke gentle fun at the concept of a man cave itself.
• Rustic or hunting lodge – Plaid fabrics, antler chandeliers, and faux taxidermy create a rugged, outdoorsy feel.

Select a theme that fits your personality and interests. The theme will guide your decor choices as you put the room together.

Lighting

Proper lighting is key to making a man cave functional and inviting. Here are some man cave lighting tips:

• Layer lighting – Include overhead lights, lamps, and accent lighting for flexibility.
• Use dimmers – Dimmers allow controlling the lighting mood and work well on overhead lights.
• Task lighting – Add task lighting like desk lamps or under-cabinet lighting near work areas.
• Accent lighting – Use track lighting or directional spotlights to highlight displays, art, and memorabilia.
• Bar lighting – Illuminate the bar area with pendant lights, mini-pendants, or LED strips.
• TV lighting – Position floor and table lamps to create a theater-like ambient glow.

The right lighting setup allows tailoring the man cave’s atmosphere as needed whether watching the big game or working on projects.

Furniture

Furnish the man cave with comfortable, durable furniture suitable for relaxation and entertainment. Goal with man cave furniture is maximizing function and comfort over decorative appeal.

Seating – Sectional couches make great man cave seating because of abundant space for lounging. Overstuffed recliners or theater seats also work well. Upholstery like leather wears well. Have seating face the TV and space additional seats around any games or the bar.

Tables – Include a variety of table styles like coffee tables, end tables, pub tables, and gaming tables. Opt for simple, sturdy wood tables in dark finishes.

Display shelving – Wall shelves and illuminated cabinets are ideal displaying memorabilia and collections while keeping them dust-free. Floating shelves create a modern look.

Bar stools – Opt for durable, industrial-style counter stools around the bar area. Vinyl or leather upholstery withstands messes.

Rugs – Use large area rugs to define spaces, anchor furniture arrangements, and add color/pattern.

The furniture should facilitate the intended man cave activities. Arrange into separate activity zones like media area, game area, and bar instead of rigid furniture groupings.

Wall Decor

Wall decor brings visual interest and personality to the man cave. Here are wall decorating ideas on theme:

• Sports theme – Jersey frames, autographed memorabilia, ticket stubs, pennants, fathead decals
• Music theme – Vintage posters, album cover art, framed gold/platinum records, concert/festival posters, signed items
• Car theme – Framed photos of dream cars, license plates, gas signs
• Pub theme – Vintage beer advertisements, neon bar signs, pub mirrors
• Gaming theme – Framed classic video game box art, character posters, arcade marquees, neon signs
• Humor theme – Funny posters with man cave slogans, jokes
• Rustic theme – Faux taxidermy like deer heads, antler chandeliers, old painted signs

Also use wall art to accentuate displays. For example, mount autographed jerseys on sports-themed graphic wallpaper or display beer bottles on a backlit wall display.

Display Collections

A major part of designing a man cave is displaying your hobbies and passions. Here are ideas for showcasing collections and memorabilia:

Collection	Display Ideas
Sports memorabilia	Shadow boxes, shelving withlights, trading card frames, trophy cases
Comics	Comic book frames, wall-mounted shelves
Movies/music	Media storage cabinets, wall-mount CD displays
Alcohol bottles	Bar top display rails, custom shelves, freestanding bottle towers
Cars	Wall shelves for model cars, license plate frames

Display collections grouped together for impact, like framing music posters over media storage. Light collections using track lighting. Rotate displays seasonally to highlight new additions.

Finishing Touches

Finish the man cave with accessories and final details:

• Barware – Stock the bar with glassware, cocktail tools, coolers, and napkins.
• Refrigerator – A mini fridge keeps drinks chilled.
• Snacks – Fill canisters and jars with pretzels, nuts, and other game day munchies.
• Coasters – Protect tabletops with leather drink coasters.
• Clocks – Vintage pub clocks complement many man cave themes.
• Games – Equip the room with a poker set, chess board, and popular video game systems.
• Mini-fridge – A compact refrigerator keeps cold drinks on hand.
• Audio – Install speakers to play music.

These accessories encourage guests to grab a drink, have a seat, and feel at home. Add final personalizing touches like photos, autographs, trophies to give the man cave an authentic lived-in feel.

Maintenance

A man cave sees lots of use, so plan for ongoing maintenance:

• Use mats at entrances to limit dirt.
• Clean bar spillages promptly to avoid staining.
• Dust and clean displays regularly.
• Schedule time yearly to deep clean carpets, upholstery.
• Repair damage to walls immediately.
• Re-stain wood surfaces like game tables as needed.

Establish cleaning schedules for barware, fridge cleanup, trash removal, etc. to stay organized. Keeping the man cave clean makes it more enjoyable to use.