9 Steps for Building the Ultimate Man Cave

Game rooms and man caves are the perfect excuses to renovate your home and gain extra value from an unused part of the house.

There are hundreds of ways to build the ultimate game room, with options ranging from basement game rooms to garage man caves.

Most importantly, you don’t need a huge budget to create a personal game room; you only need a little creativity. To help you create the ultimate man cave, we’ve provided an easy 9-step guide on how to make a man cave at home. 

1. Choose a Space

First, find an unutilized place in your home with enough room to accommodate your vision. Generally, the space you choose will impact the design and theme of your game room.

Here are a few settings below that serve as the ultimate man cave space:

• Basement/Attic: The perfect setting with enough space for a bar, game room, or place to watch the game. 
• Spare Bedroom: Spare bedrooms offer a comfortable space to host music jams, watch movies, or play video games with friends. 
• Shed: Sheds are the ultimate DIY game room space for men on a budget. This small space gives you enough room to customize the space as your own and retreat to a private space at your own home. 
• Outdoor Patio: Outdoor patio areas and tiki bars can be another private space to install a flat screen, an outdoor pool table, a grill, and host your next party. 
• Garage: The garage is the quintessential man cave space with large amounts of room to exercise, watch the game with the boys, and even install your own ping pong table.

2. Select a Theme

The theme of your man cave will ultimately be influenced by the decor you put up and the room's purpose.

For example, you could go with a general recreation space complete with a professional pool table and large flat screen or a Vegas theme complete with your own poker table and casino-style decor.

Here are a few common man cave setups and themes:

• Sports theme
• Movie theme
• Jam room
• Recreation space
• Vegas theme
• Hunter/fisherman theme
• Workout studio
• Tiki Bar
• Gamer room

3. Make it Livable

Once you have a room and vision in mind, it’s time to renovate the space and make it livable. At the very least, you want a space with an electrical hookup and preferably a bathroom, though the latter is not absolutely necessary.

Here are some tips to help make your man cave more livable:

• Apply fresh paint to make the room look nice.
• Soundproof the walls to make the room more private. 
• Install carpet to fully soundproof the room and make it comfortable.
• Keep the room clean and tidy for its best appearance.

4. Put Up Decor

Now that your room is set up and ready for use, it’s time to install some decor. Generally, you have the freedom to do whatever you want in this area.

Some awesome decor ideas that add to your man cave setup include any themed signs, prints, or memorabilia, whether you’re a sports fan, music fan, outdoorsman, etc.

LED lights and chandeliers also add something, especially if you place lights strategically around things like dart boards or game tables.

Of course, you can also expand your decor with other ideas, such as wall mounts for the outdoorsmen, a record cabinet for the music nerd, or something like this Playcraft Premium Hardwood Billiard Wall Rack if you have a pool table.

5. Purchase an Entertainment System

After decorating your room, you have to start adding entertainment options. Generally, no man cave is complete without an entertainment system, including a flat-screen TV, projector, surround sound, or computer setup.

You can also include various other items, such as video game consoles, a record player, or anything else that gives you and your guests something to do. Even if your man cave is just a quiet place to read and retreat, installing a bookcase, kindle stand, or a comfortable computer gaming setup will help you reap the most out of your room.

Install fun recreational entertainment options that make your man cave somewhere everyone wants to hang out, whether for the game or just a movie night.

6. Furnish Your Space

Next, you have to furnish your space to make it comfortable for you and your guests. Most men love to choose a lazy boy or something comfortable they can sit in to watch a game or a movie.

We’d also recommend installing a comfortable couch if you’re hosting get-togethers, comfortable bar stools if you have a bar, and enough furniture so people always have a place to sit.

7. Install Recreation Games or Equipment

Foosball tables, billiards, and darts are a great way to elevate your man cave to the next level and add some additional recreation options when you just want to kick it with some friends.

There are literally hundreds of options, from indoor golf simulators to indoor bowling alleys, that will make your man cave the envy of everyone you know. 

8. Install a Bar or Minifridge

Another piece of important furniture we can't forget is the bar. You can almost get away with forgoing many of these options if you install your own bar set and chairs where people can sit and socialize.

Equally important is the minifridge, especially for game day when you don’t want to travel across the house for a cold beer and miss a moment of the game.

There are several space-saving options for those dealing with a tight man cave setup, from this Hathaway Ridgeline 60" Home Bar Set with Storage to this Hathaway Seville Back Bar Mirror that converts small spaces into fully stocked bars. 

9. Make Your Mancave Your Own

Finally, just have fun with making your man cave your own. There are many ways to create a personalized man cave with endless decor and recreation options, such as arcade games or a jukebox to create the ultimate man cave for your home. 

Conclusion

Whether you’re building the ultimate man cave or a small game room, Gaming Blaze has you covered with the best recreational game tables and furniture to complete your setup.

Browse our wide selection of game tables, furniture, and accessories to help you build your dream game room experience.