Man Cave Essentials – How to Design a Man Cave Part II
First published in the Sunday, January 26th edition of The Sun News As with designing any room, the spatial elements for a man cave are equally as important, with the difference being that there are pretty standard “go-to’s” as far as what a man wants in his lair. From leather to lighting, with a little finesse, our guys are pretty easy to please. Men love leather. It is practical, masculine and comfortable. I always recommend at least one piece of leather for a man cave. If he does not like the cold feel sometimes given off by leather, it can always be warmed-up with a chenille or textured fabric on the seat cushions. This also adds pleasant interest to the room. Restoration Hardware is a great resource for your man cave staples. They do “masculine” really, really well and their leather sofas, well…. one of those would probably end up in my own woman cave, should I ever need one. Classic, clean, sophisticated… love it. Leather chairs, leather sofa – as long as it’s comfy – leather is an important staple in any man cave. You might find me and my kids curled up on this AH-mazing leather sofa if Roger had this in his man cave! Need to soften up your guys man space? A super comfy throw or blanket will do the trick! Found these at Pottery Barn!
Lighting
Men love good lighting. Be sure to include an overhead light in the room, if possible. I prefer can spot lights, as they enable light to be strategically positioned for a well-lit space. For reading purposes, I like to include a floor or apothecary lamp next to the sofa or an arm chair. If the man cave is used as an office, a desk or decorative lamp placed directly above the work surface is helpful. Cool lighting for a man cave by Restoration Hardware Love these antique fencing mask sconces! Found these on Etsy! For your sailor! Also found on Etsy!
Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are often requested by men to help with air circulation. I usually install the most un-obstructive ones I can find. This way it doesn’t have to function as a focal point, but rather a utilitarian purpose. Restoration Hardware Houzz.com is absolutely fabulous site to virtually design the home of your dreams! It’s like Pinterest for design lovers!
Double Vision
Many men request at least two TV’s to be installed in their man cave, so they can watch multiple sports games at one time. I say, concede, ladies, and give them what they want. Keep in mind, there are some general guidelines about the viewing distance in conjunction with TV size for eye safety purposes. Conveniently, a formula has been developed to help determine the ideal viewing distance from seat to screen: Screen Diagonal (inches) / 0.84 = Recommended Viewing Distance (inches). For example, a 55-inch-diagonal screen has an ideal viewing distance of 65 inches, or 5.4 feet. Pool table, wet bar, FOUR tv’s – what else could a guy want? Sometimes a “man cave” will also double as a media room or family game room. I love these old barn doors to use to cover up the gigantic flat screen when you want to sit and play a board game with your kids! For help with your home or room design please contact us atKimberly@knottinghillinteriors.com and visit our website. Follow Knotting Hill on Pinterest and Facebook.
