So, you’ve decided to host this year’s March Madness party. Your wife gave you a strict warning about greasy chicken wing stains on her living room carpet. The only viable alternative? Turn your basement or bonus room into the ultimate man cave. You’re on a tight time frame and a strict budget but, if you don’t get it all done in time for this year’s games, you’ll have a great head start for next year.
Inviting spaces + quirky furnishings = serious man cave
The true man cave is a statement of your own personality and style. It’s the one room in the home, other than maybe the dog house occasionally! – that a guy can call his own. From furniture to appliances, this space is a reflection of the man who calls it his home inside his home.
When it comes to design and layout, the ultimate man cave is serious business. You build your man’s reputation with the creation of spaces and unique features that entertain, amuse and energize.
Here are 8 tips to help you get it done!
And now, without further ado — let’s get on with the list
- Choosing the right theme. Sports bar? Mountain or outdoor? Card/pool parlor? Beach club? Race track? The ultimate man cave features a prominent theme that guides the look and feel of appliances and furniture. The theme reflects the hobbies and interests of the host.
- TV/viewing arrangement. The TV is the very heart of the ultimate man cave. Select a respectable flat screen (may we suggest that bigger is definitely better?) and then create an optimal viewing arrangement of couches, and recliners in a semi-circular or theater-type configuration. If you can score some vintage seats from a local arena refurb or demolition, all the better.
- Video gaming stations. During the course of the March Madness evening, a video game tourney will most likely break out. Set your auxiliary TV in an area away from — but close to — the main viewing area. Keep the gamers out of the line of site (“Hey, sit down!”), but still part of the action.
- Bar / beverage area. The service area holds infinite opportunity for personalization. Mini-bars come in wood, steel, or concrete designs — and are always stocked with an array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and the necessary “accoutrements” (you know, “accoutrements” – a fancy French word for pizza, wings, tacos, etc.).
- Table gaming stations. Bragging rights during breaks in the March Madness tournament are vigorously exchanged. Set aside an area for various gaming tables — billiards, cards, air hockey, etc. You can also throw down an interior golf putting green for the golf fanatics in your crowd.
- Unique appliances for refreshments. Think specialty refrigerators for that keg in your life. And, a retro microwave is perfect for reheating cold pizza leftover from the day before. Not that leftover pizza needs reheating.
- Man-inspired decorations. Extend the man cave theme with a selection of manly wall decor and lighting options. From framed athletic jerseys and autographed prints to cinder block bookshelves, there is a wide array of DIY decorating ideas that take little more than some basic materials and inspiration to create.
- Bathroom amenities. Nothing interrupts a great March Madness game like the call of nature. Installing a bathroom nearby keeps those interruptions to a minimum—particularly if there is a great deal of eating or drinking involved in the festivities.
Follow this guide step-by-step—or use it to inspire your own man cave creations. Either way, you’ll have your friends talking about your March Madness get-together long after the glow of the party has worn off.
Elmira is your one-stop shop for the must-have appliances to outfit your ultimate man cave. From keg fridges to retro microwaves to woodburning cookstoves, we offer a unique line of specialty appliances that are as functional as they are remarkable, to leave a lasting impression on your March Madness guests.