Yes. They’re still around. For all the rumors going around for the last few years, it turns out all of them have been greatly exaggerated when it comes to the death of the Man Cave.
Not only are they surviving, but according to Tristan Bridges, assistant professor of sociology at SUNY Brockport, they’ve managed to find a way to evolve into something beyond a glorious homage to one or more favored sports team with large flat screen televisions and framed autographed (usually over priced) jerseys .
According to his research one of the keys to their longevity is variety.
There are now “man caves” for everything from puzzle solvers, to art studios, to music factories, amateur labs, and tinkering spaces. It’s allowed the idea of a stylized to be more appealing to a wider version of men, and surprisingly the occasional woman as well.
Quiet time, stress avoidance, hobby maintenance, fortress of solitude, and yes the stereotypical home bar for watching the big game with your best drinking buddies – if any of this sounds the kind of getaway safe space that would fit nicely in your life as well as you can imagine it fitting in that underused garage, then this is the guide for you.
Step 1: Repair & Clean
There may be one or more reasons that garage has been underused until now. Things like unfinished wiring, old, degraded, flooring, poor lighting, and depending on the ultimate vision you have in mind, you may need plumbing thrown in to boot.
Make a complete list of any contractors you may need for any of the higher end construction needs you know you’re going to need. Then go ahead and add another 15% for incidentals, miscellaneous, and the unavoidable “unforeseen”.
Step 2: Budget
The good news is this is the last of the non-fun adult steps needed before you get to the good stuff. You might even consider this as part of “security” already addressed, but every Man Cave master who shares a roof with a woman, partner, or committed “other” knows the value of coming up with a sound financial plan before jumping into any significant home improvement project.
As exciting as shopping without a budget can be, you don’t want to go the irresponsible route that finds you using your new lair as a substitute for the room you used to be able to sleep in every night.
Step 3: Stylize, Personalize, & Strategize
Here comes the good stuff. This is the time for you to whittle down your favorite things in life to a single theme, vibe, or “aura” as some people refer to it. The point is to get your feng shui on until you have a solid vision in mind to help you narrow down the stores you’ll need to visit to start putting the pieces together
It’s usually a good idea to take some time and look at some of the best examples of what can be done. Some beautiful rooms of “men zen” are already out there so you won’t need to completely reinvent the wheel to put some of your own spin on it.
Step 4: Shop
Read that part again. Shopping may not be the kind of thing traditional males are known for, especially those who dwell in caves, but let’s be honest a credit card trip to Best Buy can be close to thrilling at this stage. By now, the cave is starting to get easier to visualize, and you can see yourself sitting on that new leather (possibly pleather) sofa, sipping your favorite drink out of one of your new beer goblets (do they still make those?) kicked back and watching the latest pay-per-view on your new 65 inch monitor.
Throw in the additional items that reinforce what you already have in place. Posters, action figures, street signs, championship pennants, neon signs, whatever adds that certain final touch, and you’re close enough to smell the chicken nachos.
Step 5: Recruit & Reward
Hopefully you already considered this when you were putting together the budget in step 2, because a great way to make your dollar go a lot further being carried on the back of your stronger, more bribable friends.
Manual labor now in exchange for a few cold ones and guaranteed life long pass for Super Bowls, PGA Masters, online gaming session, or re-watching of the Godfather Parts I and II (nobody intentionally watches Part III – they just lose the remote)
Step 6: Secure
After all the work and resources invested to make your dream room a reality, you won’t want to risk someone else highjacking the more expensive items for their own use.
If one of the items on your to-do-list happens to be repairing a non working garage door, then you might want to consider moving that one to the top of the list.
It may not have seemed worth the effort before now, but considering you just drastically increased the total dollar value for everything behind that thin layer of metal it’s worth reinforcing now.
The good news is, often it involves something as simple as a phone call, along with a price tag which according to according to A1 Garage Door Repair Glendale is usually no more than $150 to $250, A price well worth it for the extra jump in protection you’ll want to have for peace of mind, and knowing the newest addition to your humble abode stays not so humble.
