Design your Own Man Cave On a Budget

Everyone needs some space to retreat to and spend a little time with friends or family. Women often take the lead in home interior design, and many men go along with their ideas and colour schemes because they just don’t have the time or inclination to get designing themselves. If however you are lucky enough to have a space in the house designated as a “man cave” where you can spend some time with friends, watch football or play video games, then you can let your creative urges run free without spending huge sums of money.      

Planning the Man Cave

Surfing the internet for ideas or making lists of what would be in your ideal man cave costs nothing, and time spent in planning will pay off in the long run. Costly mistakes can be made if you rush into the first interiors shop you see and start buying, so focus on what you really want and need rather than getting bogged down in having to buy the latest cinema system or fancy gaming chair. Let friends and family know what you are planning and they may have old items of furniture or other accessories which they will let you have free of charge.

One Man’s Trash…

Once you have decided what the essential elements of your man cave are, get online and see what you can pick up at bargain prices. Websites such as Gumtree and Ebay are great places to search for second hand pool tables, dart boards, sofas and decorative items at a fraction of the cost of new. If you are on a fixed budget, savings you can make here means more money to spend elsewhere in your room. Remember that tables can be painted, sofas covered with a blanket or a throw, and everything can look better after a good clean with soapy water. Car boot sales, charity shops and websites like Freegle or Freecycle can also help you get great items for next to nothing. Be discerning though; just because something is cheap or free doesn’t mean you have to have it.

Décor

Choosing a colour scheme for your man cave is the easy part of the process, and if the walls are in reasonably good condition then the cheapest option is emulsion paint. You won’t need much paint for the average sized room, and if you are still on the lookout for a bargain, check out the reduced to clear section of your local DIY store to see what end of range paints or bashed cans they have as this should save you a few pounds. Blinds or curtains can also be picked up in the sales, as can other accessories. Many man caves are designed along sporting lines, and they make the best display places for your sporting trophies, posters of your favourite football team and other memorabilia such as signed shirts.

Flooring

If you are using a garage, basement or attic to convert into your man cave, think about what sort of flooring you are going to have. Hard flooring like laminate or vinyl flooring is the best choice as it is easy to maintain and keep clean. Save on the cost of your flooring by installing it yourself. Laminate planks and vinyl sheets or tiles can be laid with basic DIY skills and are far better for your man cave than carpet. Keep the colour and pattern of the flooring fairly neutral so that If you want to change the colour of the walls you won’t be forced to change the flooring as well.

Gadgets and Gizmos

A man cave wouldn’t be the same without some high tech gadgets, and the price of these is coming down all of the time. Look out for lighting which can be controlled via an app on your smartphone, coffee machines which will make coffee-shop style coffee rather than instant, cool looking iPod docks and small sized fridges where you can keep your beer cool. If you’ve saved money on the decorating and furnishing, there should be plenty left in the budget to splash out on some innovative gadgets to impress your friends and make your man cave the favourite room in the house.

Of course letting people know it's your domain is always a wise move and we love the look of this sign that can go on the door.

Image credit: What is the man cave