Man Cave Must-Haves: Does Yours Include These Essentials?
With a man cave, you can have friends over and get away and recharge. Whether you watch the big game every week or zone out playing the latest video games, having some guy time can relax and refocus you. But what are the essential elements of a well thought out man cave?
ROMA Award winning lower level by AMEK Custom Builders.
Sports
Sports are important. Between football, baseball, basketball and NCAA March Madness, all garner national attention. If you are a true sports fan, you can optimize your man cave for simultaneous game streams. Choose a satellite or cable provider that offers a picture-in-picture feature so you can watch multiple games at once.
You’ll never miss a game in a remodel like the ROMA winning basement by Finished Basement Company with a TV viewable from the bar.
Keep track of all the marque matchups of the college football season with a sports calendar, including any other big games you are interested in watching. There are even services you can use to create your own custom sports wall calendar online.
Video Games
When there aren’t any big games on, video games can help you relax and unwind. With the imminent release of “Halo 5,” an Xbox One might be in order, while sought after exclusives like “Bloodborn” make the PS4 a desirable gaming system. Play with a whole host of friends with two TVs. Have a friend bring over his video game system and have a eight person royal rumble, or play “Destiny” together on a team. While state of the art TVs can cost an arm and a leg, get last year’s model for a discounted price or take advantage of the upcoming holiday electronics sales.
Beer
The lower level bar area in the ROMA winning remodel by Bob Michels Construction is just the place to enjoy a beer with the guys.
No man cave is complete without some brews. That’s why a beer fridge or mini kegerator is a must. A beer fridge is great for keeping your bottles and cans cold, but draft beer offers a crispness not found anywhere else. Commercial kegerators cost thousands of dollars, but you can get a mini five liter kegerator for under $200. You can get some of your favorite beers in these mini kegs, such as Heineken, Newcastle Brown, Widmer Hefeweizen, and Rogue Yellow Snow IPA.
Surround Sound
Surround sound isn’t out of your reach either. If you want an immersive experience, a great sound system is essential. Get wireless surround sound, so the setup is easy with Sonos. Just connect Sonos with your Wi-Fi, link it to your Wi-Fi tuner or TV and control the sound and the experience directly from the Sonos app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Sonos has a number of options. Whether you want a six speaker set up, just one–or something in the middle, Sonos has options for every budget.
Seating
Your man cave doesn’t have to be indoors either. A ROMA winner screen porch by James Barton Design Build is the perfect place to hang with the guys.
Sectional couches are great for man caves as you can arrange them in any way you choose. Whether you have a full den, or are just by yourself, you’ll have the room and comfort for everyone. If you want your own, personal throne, check out La-Z-Boy armchair. While both these options can be costly, if you search around and don’t impulse buy, you can find reasonable sales and score a bargain.