How to create a traditional man cave

When moving into a new home or apartment, everyone has a general idea of what each room will be used for. We all plan out where the sofa and TV will go and how we will decorate the bedroom. It’s not uncommon for there to be that one room in your home that you’re unsure what to do with. In some families, it could be a spare bedroom or perhaps the basement or garage. Finding these spaces may seem like an issue at first as you’re struggling to think of what to use it for, but it’s a significant problem to have.  The perfect solution is to create a traditional man cave  

Creating a man cave is a great use of space for a spare room. No matter who you live with, either a significant other or friends, we all have those items that we love that they don’t or don’t quite fit in with the rest of the house. Having one room for all your things like this is a great way of keeping everyone happy.  

Modern man caves are often made up of high-tech equipment such as game consoles, flat-screen TVs, and mini-fridges, but what key elements do you need if you’re looking to create a more traditional man cave?  

Traditional leather sofa

A must-have for any traditional man cave is a high-quality leather sofa or chair. One of the main functions of a man cave is to have space where you can relax, and to do that; you need some comfortable furniture. If we look at photos of classic members clubs or military clubs, one item of furniture we see repeatedly is Chesterfield sofas.  

These sofas are a classic furniture design piece, with their iconic deep button finish and rolled arms. They are believed to have been designed after the fourth Earl of Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope, commissioned a sofa resembling this design. Considering the Earl’s sofa was designed in the mid-18th century, and the Chesterfield remains a highly popular style today, the design has stood the test of time.  

If you’re working with a specialist Chesterfield manufacturer to design your sofa, you can have real input into the materials used and understand the design and manufacturing process. Even if you’re buying a Chesterfield sofa from a larger furniture retailer, you should still customize the leather to your taste.  

You can accessorize your Chesterfield with rugs or the floor and blankets draped over the sofa’s back for those cold winters evening in your man cave. For that traditional feel, you can use tweed or classic wool.  

Classy bar cabinet

If you like to have a drink and socialize in your man cave, having somewhere to store bottles and glasses is a good idea. For a really traditional feel, you can use a drinks globe, or if you have more space available, you can install a bar and cabinet area.  

Using glass cabinets or open shelves allow you to display your favorite drinks bottles or other objects while keeping the area clean and tidy. To enhance the traditional feel, you can explore different wood options. Darker woods give a lovely warm feel when paired with the right lighting. This also works well with sofas which may be trimmed in rich brown leather or fabric.  

Having a bar area in your man cave can be a fantastic space to entertain guests or just provide you with space where you can relax in the comfort of your own home without feeling the need to go out to bars or restaurants.   

Wall displays

Using the walls as display space is a good idea for any part of your home, but you can get creative with what you display in a man cave. For a traditional feel, there are two popular options. The first is using your wall space for displaying books to create your personal library section in your man cave. Having all the books you love in one place and nicely organized can look fantastic. It also allows you to have easy access and a relaxed, calm environment to enjoy reading them in.  

The second option is to display art on your walls. Traditional man caves often feature classic paintings, again evoking members and military clubs’ style, which would have a painting of historical figures on the walls. If paintings aren’t your style, you can still have a traditional feel by using photographs. Landscape photos and ones printed in black and white can work well.  

There are other small features you can add to your man cave to give it a traditional feel. While traditional man caves often work best in older buildings, there is nothing to stop them from working just as well in modern buildings. It all comes down to have you design the room and make the best use of the space. Hopefully, this article gave you some ideas to help you think about creating your own traditional man cave.