The Modern Day Man Cave – Not Just For Boys
The early 90s saw the Man Cave muscle its way into popular culture in response to the release of John Gray’s eye-opening book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Unlike the Mr Gray of later fiction, John Gray, an American Author and Relationship Counsellor, highlights the importance of allowing the cave man to escape from the stresses of daily life. To do this they retreat into their metaphorical cave and there's little point in trying to coax this cave man out until he's good and ready. As a result of respecting the man’s cave time, the man will eventually emerge a re-charged and happier person.
Scientific and sociological theories aside, as a married woman myself, it occurs to me that furnishing your cave man with a physical, rather than metaphorical, man cave, is indeed an excellent idea… What may initially seem a bit of a waste of space and a bitter pill to swallow (I mean, surely you deserve your home spa first, right??) it is, actually, genius and here’s why…
To start with, all his ‘treasures’ that currently adorn your otherwise perfectly tidy surfaces and that extensive trainer collection that swallows up an entire wall can all be moved to said cave, for him to display as he wishes. He can also finally get that home gym kit, Subbuteo table and ridiculously extravagant sound system that he's been threatening to 'just bring home one day' without destroying your elegantly designed home. And, of course, there's somewhere you can send him when, quite frankly, enough is enough.
As this is truly HIS space, and unpermitted access is not allowed, it means that the cleaning of the man cave falls entirely down to the cave man. Cave man is happy. And cave man’s lady is even happier.
Now we've established that a man cave is imperative for a long and happy relationship, we should explore some popular man cave design themes and key points to note.
If possible, for the man cave to be truly effective, it's best located away from the main house and the hustle and bustle of daily life. A shed in the garden is a great option and can be easily converted. However, if you want a more extravagant man cave, a plethora of garden room retreats are readily available, so whether you're pimping your shed or splurging on outdoor luxury, the right man cave is definitely out there.
The best bit about building a man cave is that by adding an outdoor living space, you're increasing the square footage of your property and therefore increasing its value. It's said that a separate garden room can increase the value of your property by as much as 1.5 times the value of the garden room itself, and it'll also increase its saleability. On top of that, as long as you adhere to a few important rules, you most likely won’t need planning permission, meaning you’re set to start building as soon as you've finished reading this article!
In a nutshell, to avoid having to seek planning permission your man cave must:
- be just one storey high
- have roof eaves no higher than 2.5m, with a 4m maximum overall height for dual pitched or 3m for flat roof
- not have a veranda or balcony on the man cave or the main house
- not be on a raised platform higher than 300mm
- not have a microwave antenna
- not be a self-contained living area
- be a minimum of 2m away from any boundary, if more than 2.5m tall (from floor to roof ridge), or 1m from any boundary if lower than 2.5m
- not be forward of the principal elevation (front wall) of the original house
- not take up more than 50% of all land around the original house, nor is it allowed to combine with any other outside buildings to take up over 50% of all land around the original house
(The above is believed to be correct at the time of writing, but please check with the relevant authorities to see if your project requires planning permission before you start building.)
What's inside the cave is precious to your cave man and therefore you need to make sure you've carefully considered security, especially if you're converting a shed. Shed doors typically open outwards, so the hinges are ordinarily on the outside of the shed, and this makes unauthorised access very easy. Swap existing standard hinge screws for exterior grade countersunk screws with a one-way head, which can be easily tightened with a flathead screwdriver but can’t be undone in the same way. Although they can be removed, the process is messy, noisy and time consuming, so our light-fingered friends are unlikely to bother trying or they will get caught in the act.
So now you have a secure cave, how are you going to use it? The Strive For Design team have put together a few ideas for you:
- The playpen: If your man is partial to a bit of pin ball or likes to throw a dart or two, then a games room cave is the perfect solution. Add a small bar, a decent sound system and a few comfy chairs to create your playful cave man’s eutopia
- Hobby house: The man cave would be an ideal place for the man of the house to partake in his favourite past time, without interruption. Design the inside of the shed so it perfectly accommodates any items, tools or furniture that the hobby requires. That way, everything will be easily accessible and won’t need to be constantly set up and put away, meaning he'll have more time to spend on what makes him happy
- Private cinema: If TV and film are your man’s thing, then fit out the cave with a complete home cinema system, comfortable chairs, a bar and some snacks and you never know, you may even get invited in to watch the odd family film
- Health club: Is your cave man sport and fitness mad? Gym memberships can be expensive and queuing for the machines is monotonous, so we're sure a health club for one will be just the ticket. Pair gym kit with a large flatscreen TV, a bar area and some sports memorabilia, and it'll be the perfect space for working up a sweat and watching live sport on his own or with friends
If you'd like help with creating and fine tuning the perfect man cave, call Strive for Design’s professional design team on 01223 622 688 or send us an email.
Leigh Hall from Strive for Design is an interior designer in Cambridge, so if you're looking to redesign your home, please contact us.