Top 10 Man Caves for Watching Super Bowl 2017
Real men decorate. These ten ultimate displays of manliness are the #1 cause of house envy in men. Bonus: tips from a real-man decorator!
Gearing up for Super Bowl LI? If you’re the man in charge of this year’s party, beware: this post will set the bar really high. When it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, it’s all about the man cave. To help you get your man cave right, we enlisted the help of Ryan Haber, interior designer (@ryanhaber), who shared his favorite strategies for decorating the perfect man cave. While you drool over our top 10 awesome displays of manliness, you’ll get to see Ryan’s advice in action and apply it to your own (probably considerably more modest) man cave.
Check them out!
Best comfy man cave
First and foremost, says Ryan, create a space with that just-right air of masculinity. Ideally, the color scheme should be in the brown, black, blue, or gray family, creating a warm and welcoming place to kick back with your buddies and watch some good TV. This log home is simultaneously cozy and spacious, low-key and comfortable, with its wood paneling and soaring ceilings.
Best sports-themed Man Cave
The obvious choice would be this one, complete with rotating platform:
But it was already chosen by the DIY Network in conjunction with the NFL Network, so we’ve found one that hasn’t been as widely recognized (and is a little easier to copy!):
Though Ryan’s not a big fan of sports memorabilia displays, this man cave showcases another one of his recommendations: easy-clean flooring. Choose low-pile carpet or large-format tile – easy-clean options to contend with copious spillage of beer and popcorn because, frankly, men are messy!
Best sophisticated man-cave
If you’d rather feel like James Bond (or pretend to, at least), this one’s for you. Dark wood, leather club chairs, fine wine… the class is strong with this one.
According to our male-in-residence for today, a man cave should ultimately have a bar of some sort – even a bar cart or cabinet – because there needs to be a beautiful display of liquor and glasses. We think this one fits the bill.
Best automotive man cave
When you really want a drive-in theater in your house, minus the exhaust fumes, this is what you get:
This one has two of Ryan’s recommendations: comfy seating (a must-have for watching aforementioned games) and layered mood lighting (to set the mood no matter what kind of get-together you’re throwing).
It also has a snack bar!
Best gaming man cave
We can’t pick just one… So here’s an ultimate traditional game-room man cave.
(Because, like Ryan says, sometimes you want to watch the game, but other times, all you want is a good poker game with the fellas with a cigar in one hand and a whisky in the other, which kinda makes it hard to hold the cards, so include a place to put those whiskies too.) …and a multi-player gamer’s heaven:
And when you’re not gaming, all those screens will allow for epic multi-game viewing (for those times that you can’t agree on what to watch!).
Best hunter’s man cave
Who said a trophy room has to be creepy and reminiscent of the hillbillies?
Best themed man cave
It’s every superhero fan’s secret desire: a real, live Bat Cave at home.
Yes, it even has a BatMobile… Behind those bookcases!
So there’s pretty much nothing here that you can hope to have in your own man cave, with one exception: the personality. Your man cave must reflect your personal style; as Ryan puts it, it should be a place that makes you say “this is exactly what I’d expect to see in this man’s home.”
Best man cave bathroom
Hey, that beer catches up with you sooner or later. Why shouldn’t a trip to the bathroom be part of the fun?
Ryan advises against going too dark in the bathroom (but this one was too good to leave out). He prefers something lighter – specifically whites, grays, and touches of black, relief from the darker main areas! – with porcelain tile from the floors to ceiling for that wow factor, more along these lines:
Best over-the-top man cave
You have to cross a moat and brave the waterfall (not really, it stops when you enter and exit) to get into this incredible wine cellar.
Best beer-lovers man cave
When Budweiser – or even artisan beer – just won’t cut it, a home brewery is a must:
This one even has a most awesome backsplash!
Thanks, Ryan, for your man-to-man advice! We can’t wait to revamp our man caves.
Where will you watch the big game?