Every man who has a place they can call their own needs part of that space to be dedicated to feeding some of their primal instincts. You can expand your garage area to incorporate what will essentially function as a so-called man-cave, or you can have one constructed from the ground up.

Either way, there are some essentials which should form part of any space designated to be pimped-up and transformed into a worthy man-cave.

Big-screen

Every man cave has to have a big screen on which “the game” can be watched, strategically placed so that it can be enjoyed from pretty much any area of the man-cave. You might not always be watching sports, with the likes of some music visualisations making for some great ambience when you and the boys are engaged in some other activities. A quality surround sound system may not be a bad idea, either. You could get a whole system with universal remotes for full control from the likes of VIZIO, so that the whole set-up is complete and convenient.

An open barbecue area

The whole point of a man-cave is for it to offer a self-sufficient sanctuary, so you should be able to cook if you have to, in which case an open barbecue area is essential. The best of these would be partially covered as part of some decking, which would be kitted out with some specialised teak patio furniture.

The requisite self-sufficiency suggests that the man-cave should have its own “little boys’ room” and some space for rolling out the air-mattress to sleep in if required. Teak patio furniture is perfect as it provides both comfort whilst also being resistant to the elements.

Bar area or wine fridge

The key to completing the quintessential man-cave look resides in striking a balance between all the amenities of modern-day life and the feeling of having to “be a man” and make a plan when the need arises. It might seem pretty trivial, but you wouldn’t want to have both a wine cooler and bar. It has to be one or the other, with the wine cooler adding some really cool ambience to space.

Tool-shed corner

All of man’s tools should be readily available to just reach out and grab should they be called for, so there has to be some kind of tool-shed corner of the man-cave. You can try packing everything up neatly, but good luck maintaining that kind of neatness. Besides, if there are tools lying around everywhere then you can convince the missus that you’re not just lazing around watching sports all day when you retreat to your sanctuary. If there isn’t any space, perhaps you’d have to think about a 10×20 shed cost to see if that might be a valuable investment for a home for all your tools.

If an entire tool-shed is converted into a man-cave, this effect is given the best representation.

Old fridge

Even if you do indeed have a wine cooler or a bar area, an old fridge pretty much makes a man-cave. The fridge doesn’t even have to be functional, placed purely for cosmetic purposes. Get it air-brushed with some of that artwork that you usually see on hotrods and motorbikes for added effect.

Garden or patio furniture

If you’re ever to use garden or patio furniture indoors, it would have to be inside your man-cave. The key to it though is using different pieces and not specifically going for a matching suite. One or two teak garden chairs placed in and among make-shift furniture like old car seats is highly recommended.