#think 600-800 books in a one-room apartment

[queerofthedagger]

what i should be doing: writing. seriously i need to be fucking writing what i did do instead the last hour: re-sorting my books. which would be less dramatic if I did not have very many books and very little space, which makes 'sorting' a very generous kind of description

[helloprettybb]

wips

i have a lottttt, in queue so this is just a little preview of some things that are finished and will be posted within this or next month and things that are still being written.

captain idiot

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 2.4k

status: completed and will be posted soon

You’ve had a massive crush on Steve ever since you joined the team. Actually, you liked him even before that, when you saw him on TV for the first time. You were only sixteen at the time, but seeing people like you saving New York inspired you. All of your life, you’ve been ostracized and cast out for your abilities. While your parents tried to be supportive, they still held some fear. You don’t blame them, especially after you accidentally split the house in half with a tree.

You were only seventeen when you first met Fury. He offered a position on the team. You wanted to attend college, so you declined, but you kept in touch. After graduating from university three years later, you decided to join the team. Tensions between the team were high as Steve, Natasha and Sam just rejoined the team and the Accords were dropped. But gradually, strain eased and the team seemed back to normal. Tony started talking to Steve and Bucky even joined the group. Everyone lived in harmony, until today.

“I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just be blunt.” Steve states his intense eye contact piercing into your soul. “I like you. More than just a friend.”

You try to remain calm, but you can feel the childish joy rise in your chest. Steadying your tone, you reply, “I like you, too.” For some reason, Steve doesn’t smile but looks more serious.

He sighs and asserts, “I was afraid you’d say that.”

slip of the tongue

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

word count: 1.9k

status: completed and will be posted after captain idiot

Bucky makes it back to the Compound, but the pain is getting worse. Stumbling inside, he heads for the labs to look for a medkit. But of course, since it’s his lucky day, you’re there, too. You’re probably finishing the project that you were talking about for the past few weeks - something about particles accelerating, but Bucky didn’t care enough to ask. He hopes he can slip by unnoticed, but the gaping hole in his side draws attention to him.

Your head snaps up from your work and you see Bucky hobble by. “Heya Buck,” you start in your usual playful manner. But when you look at the state he’s in, your attitude changes immediately, “What the fuck happened?”

“It’s nothing.” he grumbles. You look down and see that he’s holding his side. His sweatshirt and fingers are covered in blood.

“Bullshit.” you say. Moving around the lab, you quickly find the medkit. “Sit down.”

“I don’t need your-”

“Shut up and sit down.” you interrupt.

vanilla

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 2.1k

status: completed and will be posted after slip of the tongue

“Why do you think I’m boring?” he asks.

“Sorry?” you furrow your brows, confused as to why he randomly showed up at your room and by his question.

“I heard your conversation with Natasha.” Oh shit. “You said sex with me would be boring.”

“Steve, I’m sorry. That was just meaningless talk.” you apologize quickly.

“So you didn’t mean it?” You don’t want to lie, but now that Steve is in front of you, it’s hard to tell him what you really think. You stay silent and Steve seems to understand. “I see.”

You can’t tell if he’s hurt, so you apologize again, “I’m sorry. Honestly, I shouldn’t even think about having sex with my coworkers. That’s weird and I’m sorry to put you in this position-”

“I’m going to prove you wrong.” he interrupts.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m going to prove that sex with me isn’t boring. If the only reason you don’t want to date me is that you think the sex is boring, I’m going to show you you’re wrong.” You can’t believe what you’re hearing. Steve Rogers is offering to have sex with you.

“Steve, you don’t have to do this. If I hurt your ego or something, I’m sorry again, but-”

“It’s not just about my ego. I’ve thought about this for a long time. Not like this, but I have.” Steve just confessed that he liked you. “So, if you want, I can prove you wrong. If you don’t want me to, I can leave and pretend that none of this happened. But I don’t want you to have that misconception in your pretty little head.”

all i see

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 1.4k

status: completed and will be posted after vanilla

He consumes your thoughts all day and night. You hate yourself, truly. You resent your heart for allowing a man to have such a grip on you, but here you are, leaning against your apartment balcony with a cup of tea in your hand. Your tired eyes glance down at the city beneath you. For being the city that never sleeps, New York is pretty quiet at 3 a.m. The cars zooming below you are mostly semi-trucks with the occasional sports car.

You should be asleep, too. But every time you close your eyes, you dip into a dream about him. America’s golden boy, the ultimate patriot, Steve Rogers, your unrequited soulmate. You’re a rather closed-off person, but Steve made you believe it didn’t have to be like that.

“You know you can tell me anything?” he says randomly. It was late and you were at Steve’s apartment with an empty pizza box and a couple of beers. It’s become a sort of routine. Although the food and drink varied, the company never did.

“Yeah, Steve.” You smile, “I know that.” He smiled back at you as if he knew you didn’t completely trust your words.

“I know you’re not really open to people, but I just wanted you to know that,” he adds.

“Thanks, Steve.” you reply and you mean it.

warm me up

mystery of love

pairing: draco malfoy x reader

word count: 1.9k

status: in progress

“Hi, Draco,” you start, knowing it’s him without even looking up. Looking up from your book, you look at Draco for the first time and the smile drops from your first. He does not look good, especially since he seemed to be doing better lately. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he says.

“Are you sure?” you ask.

“I said it’s nothing!” he snaps. Red. All you feel is red, hot, burning anger. But you sense a hollowness to it. His anger is strong, yes. But there’s something else to it.

You furrow your brows and read his body language. His shoulders are hunched and his hands are shaking.  

“Can I hold your hand?” you ask.

“What?” A confused, sneer written on his face.

“Draco, you’re shaking. Just let me hold your hand.” you add, “Please.”

enticing

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

word count: about 800

status: in progress

Bucky’s big arm is wrapped around your side and with the blanket strewn across your laps, you’ve never felt more content. You lean your head against his chest and Bucky kisses your forehead. It’s nice and domestic, until a scene starts. You’re thankful that Bucky is behind you and can’t see your widened eyes. The characters are ripping clothes off one after another until they’re practically naked. The man hovers over the woman and cages her between his arms. You can’t help but imagine that being you and Bucky. You feel your face start to heat up as lustful thoughts cloud your mind.

You must be squirming a lot because Bucky asks, “You okay, doll?” You nod against him and continue to watch the scene. Your jaw drops as the characters begin to simulate sex. It’s not the first time you’ve seen a sex scene, but you’ve never watched one with your boyfriend while he was practically wrapped around you.

As you continued to watch, you felt yourself heat up, undeniably turned on. It’s so embarrassing! Here you are trying to have a nice movie night with your boyfriend, yet you can’t control your horniness.

“Buck,” you say quietly.

“What is it, honey?” he asks nicely.

“Can you kiss me?” you ask meekly, like you're scared he’s going to reject you.

tongue so mean

pairing: draco malfoy x reader

word count: about 400

status: in progress

“I hate you.” Draco looks at you with a hard look in his eyes. He has the same frustration and annoyance as when you receive higher marks than him, but something’s different. The usual intense, angry passion that comes with your rivalry is tinged with a different kind of heat. One that equally terrifies and intrigues you. “But I can’t stay away from you anymore.”

You try to hide your surprise, but a small gasp slips out. “Draco?”

“You consume my thoughts. You are first on my mind when I wake and last when I sleep. And I don’t know why, but I can’t live like this anymore.”

“What are you saying?” you ask, even though you know the answer. You just need him to say it out loud.

“Don’t make me say it.” he looks away as if he’s disgusted with his own feelings.

“No,” you move closer, the gap between you two getting smaller. “Say it, Draco.”

Draco scoffs, “You already know.” He’s so close that you can smell hints of his cologne. Traces of musk fill the air, adding to the alluring atmosphere. You’re breathing heavy. His words shouldn’t have that much of an impact on you, but you can’t deny the pleasant images that fill your head as he speaks.

“No, I don’t” you reply, feigning innocence to tick Draco off. “I think you need to be more clear.”  

warm me up

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: about 600

status: in progress

“Hey babe, warm my dick up wontcha?” Steve asks right when you walk into his office. You look up from the file that you were sent to give him. Usually files were sent digitally, but since Steve was so terrible at technology, everything was given to him in paper form.

“There are nicer ways of asking that,” you lightly reprimand, walking over to his mahogany desk.

“Can you please sit on my lap and slide that pretty little pussy onto my cock?” Steve asks lowly. You can feel your face going red and heart beating faster. Just last year, Steve wouldn’t be caught dead saying those words, but now it comes so naturally to him. He can sense your flustered reaction as he gently removes the file from your hand and places it on the desk.

You move to straddle his waist and slot each leg over his thighs. Sitting down, you can feel that he’s already semi-hard. “I don’t know. You have a lot of work to do, honey.” you tell him and spare a glance at his desk, which is covered in numerous files. “I think I’d just distract you.”

Steve furrows a brow at your reply, “I won’t be distracted. Promise.” If you weren’t so close to him, you’d laugh at the neediness your super-soldier boyfriend displays. This man, who can rip logs in half and run 13 miles in half an hour without breaking a sweat, is nearly begging you to sit on his cock.

There are some more, but these are the main ones i will be focusing on.

[ladigueisland-blog]

It’s like a one giant, never ending fantasy from the time your plane begins its final descent and little islands start appearing down below.

In every sense this place is a tropical paradise. It’s perfect; you would’ve never seen the paradise like this, perfect! White sand beaches everywhere with beautiful lush jungles covering the semi-mountains island interiors.

So, why should you visit Seychelles?

I don’t think it is necessary to write a lengthy guide. Instead I will write the main details of how you can visit this paradise destination with less money than you imagine.

Excited! Right.

Seychelles Overview

The main island is Mahe. It is the largest island and this is where the main airport is located. You can spend the evening in Beau Vallon, watching the beautiful sunset from the beach.

The second largest island is Praslin, it’s only 38 square kilometer with only 7500 residents. The interior is all jungle and its beaches rages from beautiful to mind-blowingly beautiful. There’s also a good amount of places to shop, eat and it’s easy to rent a car to roam around. It is a holiday destination in Seychelles.

The third main island is  La Digue. There’s only 1800 people living on it everyone uses bicycle apart from the cars. The beaches are the most exquisite and dazzling. The climate is awesome and everywhere you look is another spectacular view.

There is other island too. They are everywhere. But the main islands are above three.  

How Much Does It Cost?

The Seychelles is a kind of destination that is, no doubt, it is worth for every single dollar or euro you spend on your trip. Of course make sure you don’t shareall of your money when you can do it on a budget.

Flights: from North America, flights can cost from $800 – $1500 USD. From Europe, with the help of certain charter airlines, you can flu here for as low as 600 Euros return at times. Here is a creative way. Flights from Dubai, Qatar and Nairobi to the Seychelles can be cheap so you could find one of those locations and then another flight onward to the Seychelles.

Accommodation in Seychelles:

The accommodation is available to suit all requirements and budgets in Seychelles. You can book a room on Mahe, Praslin or La Digue easily before your visit in advance to get the best offers and deals. If you are looking for a dream destination and idyllic holidays in Seychelles then you must stay at La Digue Island Lodge. It is  is one of the most unique and vintage establishments of Seychelles - surrounded by a lush green environment and a private stretch of beach. Nestled at the heart of 17.51 acres of sprawling grounds at Anse Reunion, the hotel is a time-honored establishment with its iconic Yellow House - that transcends the island’s traditions and way of life.

[redvsvblue]

Definitely Something

Hey thanks to @starlalalala and @teamokdynamite, this happened. Some FAHC Michael/Gavin/Alfredo (with established Mavin adding Alfredo)! 

Gavin kind of knows from the minute they meet the guy that he’s going to be something. He’s tall, and friendly, with an easy laugh and an easer camaraderie – and he’s only known them for fifteen minutes, but that’s Gavin needs, apparently, to like him.

He glances at Michael while Geoff and Jeremy talk details with the new guy. Michael’s still staring at the other group.

“He’s quite nice, in’he?” Gavin says.

“He’s definitely quite,” Michael grunts cryptically. Gavin huffs a laugh and looks towards Geoff again.

“Here, why don’t you come meet the others?” Geoff says, shooting a smile at Michael and Gavin and walking the guy over.  

Gavin’s disappointed to say the guy isn’t any less handsome up close. Would make some things easier, he thinks, if he fell out of fancy just as quickly, but as it is, the guy smiles bright enough to crinkle the corners of his eyes and holds out a hand.

“Hi, I’m - ”

“Alfredo, innit?” Gavin replies brightly, slipping his hand in Alfredo’s to shake it. “Lovely to meet you.”

“Suck up,” Michael teases fondly, and goes for his own introduction.

Yeah, Alfredo’s definitely going to be something.

-- 

Alfredo’s something in more ways than one.

To start off, he’s handsome, the type of handsome that makes Gavin a little giddy inside when Alfredo laughs with him, when he bumps their shoulders together in the back of the recon van during a rough escape.

And he’s also, apparently, an amazing shot – but they already knew that. Stats and police records and stolen footage that shows headshots from hundreds of metres away – easy. Known. Part of why they hired him. But it’s during a stealth job with Michael and Jeremy that his other clear specialty shows, and that’s tactical melee – as Ryan would call it, with his fancy terms and whatnot.

Gavin just calls it the punch-stab-shoot, and Alfredo’s startlingly good at it. Clears a room of guards all by himself without tripping a single alarm, before Michael and Jeremy even get to him, and even Geoff’s surprised by this.

“Jesus Christ, how?” Geoff breathes, leaning over the back of Gavin’s chair to watch, re-watch, rewind the footage of the job and watch, in grainy 600 x 800, Alfredo cleanly eliminate the room, using only two knives and one silenced pistol shot and his gloved fists. Gavin’s impressed. Geoff’s impressed. Michael and Jeremy are impressed. Jack’s jawdropped. Ryan’s bedrudgingly impressed.  

“Don’t worry, big boy, we still need someone on the MGs,” Geoff says after the post-mission meeting, clapping  hand Ryan’s shoulder.

“Shut up,” Ryan mutters with a scowl, shrugging Geoff’s hand off. Geoff snickers.

“Aw, Vagabond all pouty?” Gavin teases, tongue poking out between his teeth. Ryan cuts him a glare but the burst of laughter Gavin hears from Alfredo is worth it. And a moment later, Ryan’s lips crack into a smile, he, too, swept into laughter with them.

-- 

The thing is, right, the thing is with Alfredo, is Gavin’s not exactly supposed to be going around developing crushes on attractive snipers.

But, well, it went so spectacularly the first time he did – back when Michael was still new, when he hadn’t found his niche yet and was the crew sniper for a while after Gavin botched up a sniping job horrendously – that he can’t help but entertain it. He thinks, tentatively, half in a dream-state where the world spins a little slower, that Michael might be okay with it.

“So, y’still like ‘Fredo?” Michael murmurs sleepily, his arm draped over Gavin’s waist and lips pressed somewhere to his jaw, breath blowing out annoyingly over Gavin’s neck.

“He’s nice,” Gavin says carefully, dancing his fingers over Michael’s forearm. “Why you askin’?”

“No reason,” Michael says too quickly, tensing up the slightest amount beside Gavin.

“What, you bonking ‘im?” Gavin jokes, as if he doesn’t want to do the exact same.

“No, I’m not – bonkin’ him or whatever stupid slang you want to use. Jus’ wonderin’.”

“Well yeah, I still like him,” Gavin replies.

Michael’s mouth opens as if to speak but then closes with another sharp exhale. He grunts, and asks nothing else. Gavin doesn’t offer anything else.

-- 

Gavin, however, is a bloody coward sometimes, just like Geoff says, and just like Jack loves to holler into the skies when Gavin’s hesitant to jump from bloody miles up in the air, Jack!, and just like Jeremy – well, just like the whole crew says at some point about something, somewhen, some jibe that never really gets to Gavin, that bounces right back off and usually ends in laughter, but sometimes he really is a bloody coward.

There’s absolutely no way he’s going to Michael with this, for one.

For two, things have absolutely gotten worse in the sense of Alfredo.

Worse in the sense of Alfredo is incredibly charming when he wants to be, and Gavin can’t help the way the back of his neck heats up when Alfredo looks at him for a beat too long, or when their hands brush reaching for the same bottle, or when Alfredo sits next to him at the table and oh-so-casually rests a friendly arm on the back of Gavin’s chair to lean over and ask what he’s up to on his phone, and it’s usually some quick little indie game Michael had downloaded for him, and then there’s minutes lost where Gavin fails more levels than usual because Alfredo’s so damn close.

He knows it’s not unusual. Alfredo’s just as friendly with Jeremy, with Geoff, with Jack, even with damn Ryan, with Michael -

Ah, now Michael, Michael – Gavin doesn’t know much but he knows Michael is oddly protective at times, almost as bad as Gavin is about him when Michael’s getting harassed – but Michael doesn’t shoot them strange glares, or try and break them up – or anything. Not even when Alfredo compliments him on something and Gavin feels his cheeks heat even as he’s locking eyes with Michael across the room. Nothing except a smile and a little finger-wave that Gavin shoots back – and then, always then, always when Gavin interacts with Michael again, Alfredo pulls away a little, takes his arm off, stops being so close. Gavin misses it.

But he’s too much of a coward to lean in to Alfredo, so he stays where he is and tries to keep his voice as level as he can.

-- 

“Hey, what’re we doin’ for bevs tonight?” Gavin asks, abruptly slamming his hands down on the back of the sofa and leaning in – Michael and Alfredo jump apart, their heads whipping around just as Michael smashes the pause button on whatever game they’re doing.

Michael, Gavin notices, whose ears are flushed at the tips and who looks quite flustered, giving Gavin an almost guilty look before his eyes drop. Gavin furrows his brow and glances at Alfredo, but he just raises an eyebrow at Gavin.

“Bevs?” He asks. Gavin gives him a sunny grin and lays a hand on Michael’s shoulder – Michael jerks a little at the touch.

“Yeah, bevs!” He chirps. “Me ‘n Jeremy stocked up on some stuff, thought we should do somethin’. You in?”

“Uh, only if you guys are,” Alfredo says with a nervous laugh, looking between Gavin and Michael.

“Yeah, why not,” Michael says, seemingly back to his normal self. He reaches up to affectionately squeeze Gavin’s wrist. “Where were you thinkin’, Gav?”

“Wherever Jeremy goes for,” Gavin replies. “His choice tonight.”

“Well sweet, let me change and then I’ll join you guys,” Michael says, pushing himself up to stand.

“Uh, will I – need to change? I don’t know what - ” Alfredo asks, looking down at himself. Michael laughs loudly.

“Hey, as long as you can heist in it,” he snickers, stepping over wires to reach the hallway.

“Heist?” Alfredo wheezes, glancing at Gavin. “Does Geoff know about this?”

“Maybe,” Gavin allows. He grins. “Maybe not.”

“So, what, combat gear?”

“Just nothing that needs dry cleaning.”

-- 

“So hey,” Michael says, one night, when their room is dark save for the moonlight and there’s a fresh bruise purpling up Gavin’s side from the job two days ago and they’ve known Alfredo for a little over a month now.

“Yeah?” Gavin says, turning his head on the pillow to look at Michael, keeps his hands laced over his chest where Michael’s are tucked under his head. The ceiling didn’t have much to offer them but they still stared at it for a good twenty minutes before talking.

“Alfredo,” Michael says, like it’s an explanation.

“’Fredo,” Gavin says, like it’s an answer.

“Shut up,” Michael says.

“Shuttin’ up,” Gavin says. Michael pauses. Drags a hand out from under his head and waves uselessly in the air above him, eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

“Alfredo,” he says, again. “He’s – he’s a nice guy. Y’know. Really nice.” He swallows. Gavin doesn’t speak. “And, y’know, I – I like him.”

“I like him, too,” Gavin says.

“Shut up,” Michael says, and he sounds – odd, his voice strained a little where it shouldn’t be, something strangely tense in his shoulders, his arms. Gavin gives him a break. Shuts up.

“I like him,” Michael continues. “Not like I like Jeremy, or Geoff, or Jack, or Ryan, or – ” Pauses. Swallows. “Not like I like them, like I like you.”

A beat. Michael turns to face Gavin, his forehead creased in the middle with worry.

“But I thought you loved me,” Gavin jokes, can’t help it, defence mechanism even though Michael’s confession floods him with relief.

“You’re so damn difficult,” Michael scoffs, but there’s a light fondness to it that makes Gavin smile.

“Right Shakespeare, you are,” he teases. “’Like I like you’. Put that in the history books, they will.”

Despite the creased in his forehead, Michael laughs, rolling onto his side to face Gavin better.

“Are you gonna say anything or?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. “Just gonna let me lay my fucking heart out here?”

“I like him, too,” Gavin admits, reaching out to make a grabby hand at Michael. Michael rolls his eyes and scoots closer, close enough to press against Gavin’s uninjured side and gently rest his warm palm over the ugly splotching on Gavin’s ribs.

“Like him like you like me?” Michael teases.

“Like him like I like you like you like me,” Gavin says. It hurts to laugh, with the bruises but he can’t help it when Michael’s giggling like that, oddly boyish and indescribably joyful.

“God, we’re idiots,” Michael breathes after a fit of shared snickering. “How long? How fuckin’ long have you liked him?”

“...since we met him,” Gavin answers. Michael closes his eyes and exhales very, very slowly through his nose.

“What, you too?” Gavin giggles, laughing louder when Michael nods solemnly, his mouth twitching in a poor attempt to hide his smile.

“We’re such fucking idiots,” Michael whispers vehemently, resting his head against Gavin’s temple. “Fucking hell.”

“Right pair,” Gavin adds, and Michael gives up his stern façade with a snort that sends them both into breathy laughter in their room that’s dark save for the moonlight despite the fresh bruise purpling up Gavin’s side from the job two days ago and with the new knowledge that they’ve both liked Alfredo for little over a month now.

-- 

The dinner reservation was Gavin’s idea. The flowers were Michael’s.

They have absolutely nothing else planned for this.

How it goes: they’re on a rooftop of a squat building in Rockford Hills, with good a view of the sunset and a few beers and soda between them, drinking lightly while the sun inches down the sky and Alfredo’s sitting between Michael and Gavin, perfectly content with all the elbow-nudging and shoulder-brushing and not even minding when Gavin leans over him to grab a Coke from Michael.

And it starts with:

“Hey, ‘Fredo, uh, there’s, uh, something we’ve been meaning to ask you,” Gavin says, takes the plunge and is much too aware of the careful way Michael’s watching as Alfredo glances between them, as his eyes eventually settle on Gavin.

“Am – Am I in trouble?” He asks. Gavin breathes out a laugh and shakes his head – on Alfredo’s other side, Michael rolls his eyes.

“No, no, you’re not – in trouble, ‘Fredo,” Gavin says.

And Gavin’s a bloody coward sometimes, just like Geoff says, but he swallows it all down now and meets Alfredo’s eyes, all the warm acceptance in them and he doesn’t even know what they’re going to say. It’s something. A daunting, terrifying something, but Gavin remembers what he had said to Michael last night, what they had talked about until the small hours of the morning, that the looks Alfredo gives them and the way he acts around them are too reminiscent of how they danced around each other at first to be completely nothing.

“We, um,” Gavin clears his throat, tries again, sets down his drink so he doesn’t spill it all over himself. “Michael and I, we – we quite like you, ‘Fredo.”

“I – I mean, I like you too – ” Alfredo says, but Michael speaks before he can continue.

“He means we like-like you. We wanna date you.”

Alfredo’s head whips around faster than a snapped neck and Gavin finds it oddly amusing, that Alfredo’s leaning back to look between them, eyes wide like he doesn’t believe it, but Gavin pushes on because he can’t stop now, he can’t just leave it in the air like that.

“We’d really like to,” he says quietly. “If you’re interested.”

“Oh,” Alfredo says. “Oh.” And huffs out a relieved laugh, a smile growing on his face. “Shit, I thought you were about to tell me to back the fuck off.”

Michael laughs, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he sets his bottle down as well, sharing a grin with Gavin.

“Nah man, I say come the fuck on,” he says to Alfredo. “I’ve even got fuckin’ - flowers in the car for this.”

“Aw, Michael, don’t spoil the surprise, Michael,” Gavin complains, but Michael just snorts and reaches over to slap his knee.

“Okay, there are absolutely no flowers in the car,” he says. Alfredo laughs. Gavin rolls his eyes.

“Well with the flowers is an invitation to dinner,” Gavin says, looking at Alfredo. “Tomorrow night, with us?”

“Shit guys, you really had a whole thing for me?” Alfredo asks, and there’s something – soft, genuine in his disbelief, something sincere and so terribly endearing.

“We don’t know shit about asking people out,” Michael replies.

“Michael doesn’t,” Gavin says. “I, however – ”

“Bullshit I don’t. I charmed your ass into going out with me.”

“Yeah, and what about the rest of me?”

“Idiot.”

Gavin grins and Michael slaps his knee again, laughing when Alfredo starts chuckling beside them.

“Anyway, Alfredo, dinner?” Gavin asks.

“Yeah,” Alfredo says, glancing at both of them. “Yeah, I’d love to.”

“Oh good,” Michael grins, and settles back on the roof, the tension bleeding out of his shoulders.

“But can I ask for something else first?” Alfredo asks slowly, sitting up between them. Gavin raises an expectant eyebrow.

“Kind of – something I’ve wanted for weeks?” Alfredo asks, and neither of them mention the slight way his voice cracks in the middle.

“Go for it,” Michael says. Alfredo looks at Gavin. His eyes linger on Gavin’s for a moment before they drop to his lips and all the air punches out of Gavin in a heartbeat at the implication. But before he can speak, Alfredo does.

“Can I kiss you?” He asks. “B – Both of you?”

“Yes,” Gavin breathes, nodding as Michael agrees on the other side of Alfredo. “Yes, please.”

The hand that Alfredo plants on his cheek is warm and very grounding, a lot like how Michael cups his jaw sometimes when they kiss – but Alfredo kisses much softer, hesitant and a little nervous, easy and affectionate like his laughter and his camaraderie, warm like his eyes and his palms and Gavin’s so much more in love when Alfredo pulls away.

Gavin can’t resist going back in for another cheeky peck before Michael smoothly leans in on Alfredo’s other side and stealing his lips away, but Gavin doesn’t stray far, stays close to Alfredo’s side and reaches over to rest his hand on top of the one Michael’s planted behind Alfredo to brace himself.

They miss how the sun dips until it touches the horizon, too wrapped up in each other and in the fragile beginnings of something to notice how orange-pink streaks across the sky, how the cloud drift apart and settle in the corners of the world. How the stars twinkle awake one by one as night descends and how the orange fades to yellow to purple to blue, colours melting together like the three of them melt together on the rooftop of a squat building in Rockford Hills with a good view of the sunset.

[portectorisms-a]

Okay but, in all realness, the Ark had a radio, we saw Jaha use it before he fell to space, right? Which is basically what Clarke had been trying to contact for the last 2,199 days, right? Imagine Bellamy going into the control room every day since the first day they arrived on the Ark using that radio and trying, knowing that it’s probably useless and stupid, but still trying, every day to radio Clarke and Octavia on a bent ray of hope that somehow, some way, they’d get his messages and they’d connect. Just: (They’re under the cut cause this shit go long as fuck.)

It’s day 9 since we’ve first arrived back on the Ark. Things have been rocky, to say the least. Everything’s stored and rations are working. Murphy could make me puke with the love between him and Emori. -pauses for a small chuckle- Though, it’s showed me that people can change and that sometimes all it takes is a person to bring that out in them. It’s day 20 and I think I’ve found some old stuff I thought I’d never see again. Old ration tokens mom had stashed that I had stolen years ago. An old red ribbon that I gave you on your sixth birthday. I found some of our old clothing and it’s weird to wear  them again. I even found some of Clarke’s old things. Stuff her parents left behind too. Man, I forgot how much I loved movies and my mythology books. It’s officially day 30 and I think I’m going crazy. Raven thinks it’s strange that i come in here every day to talk to a radio that might not even have signal to the ground but it’s my way of staying sane. -a laugh- Guess it’s also my way of keeping my hope alive that you’re down there. That you’re surviving and living. That you’ve made it this far. I have to remember that. We’ve hit day 50 and I know I’m going crazy. In ten days it’ll be 100 and I won’t know what to do anymore. The plants are thriving and we’ve mixed them in with our rations. Monty and Harper discovered more things we had all thought were lost. Emori is still excited about being in space. I don’t think that’ll wear off. At least someone can find happiness in these walls still. To me, they hold  memories. Some that I don’t want to remember. Day 70. What am I still doing? Maybe Raven’s right. I should stop. Maybe this is my last transmission. Please be alive still. Please still be leading. Please...wait for me. We’ll meet again soon. Day 90. I guess my last wasn’t that at all. I can’t stay away and probably for sanity’s sake. Each breath has gotten a little lighter. Space is still never changing but the stars are still bright. They remind me of you. Though, I still don’t know what to wish for when I see one shooting by. Maybe I should wish for you. Maybe I should wish to stop this. Maybe this is my new normal. Day 110. We’re back again. We’ve officially reached 100 days. Things are great. A lot better than I originally thought they would be. Emori and Echo have been a  huge help, surprisingly. Every morning though, you can  still catch them staring out the windows down to Earth. Hell, I still stare down to Earth. I don’t know why. Do I miss it? I never thought I would. Do I miss you? Every day that I’m here. Every moment that I’m awake. Day 130. This might be short. I’m still waiting for the days to become easier. I’m still waiting for the pain to pass but it hasn’t come  yet. Lead with your head, I know but my head has been somewhere else and my heart only wants to give up. I’m sorry. Day 150. We’re half way to 200 days of  being apart. I don’t think  I’ve ever been away from you for this long, O. I miss you, more than anything. I love you. I always will. I know you’re being a great leader, far better than I could ever be. You make me so proud, even when I’m not there to see. I know you’re doing good. I have faith in you. I love you and I’m sorry I never said that every day that we were together. I’m sorry for my mistakes. We’ll meet again, I promise. Day 170. Why do I still try on this damn thing? Day 190. How many more? How long is left? I lose track so easily. It took time, getting used to space again. I think we’re finally adjusted. Still strange without the sun though. I don’t think that’ll ever change. It’s nice to have my old bed back, even if I still struggle to sleep. Day 210. Two hundred and ten. That’s how many days it’s been since the death wave. I’m breaking. I can’t do this anymore. I really am going crazy. I’m losing hope again. I need you. I need you by my side again. I told Echo before we left that this would test us, that we’d go through things we might not want to face her. I’m there. I’m at that time. I’m so sorry I failed you. Day 230 -sent Raven that day for transmission- Day 250. Sorry I missed last time. We’re almost to three hundred and we’re all still alive. I used my head the day we left. I listened to what it said. Emori asked to wait longer and even Raven asked if I was okay with. I had to be. You would have done the same thing if it was me. I told you to hurry. I should’ve made you promised. Day 270. I forgot to tell you, I watched the doors close that day when we were in the rocket. I watched them until I had to go inside. Everything inside me wanted you to burst through the doors and get here but you never came and now I’m stuck thinking you’re dead. Damnit, Clarke. We lead together and now I feel alone. Day 280. I quit. These are useless. Day 300. We’re almost to a year. We can come home soon. It’s strange saying that. The Ark was only my home until you were born, O but Earth has better memories. Day 310. I hope you’re still alive. Day 330. I’m not sure who I’m talking to anymore. Maybe it’s just space. Maybe the stars are all that can hear this transmission. Hold on to hope. That’s all we have left. Day 365. It’s officially been a year since we’ve arrived. A year since I’ve last seen you and every day, well, I wish I could say every day gets a little easier, but it doesn’t. Every day that same pain lingers. Every day, I wake up and am reminded that you’re not here beside me. I feel like I’m talking to myself and maybe I am. Maybe this is my way of holding on to your memories. Of telling myself there’s still hope. Sorry I missed the last transmission. Day 395. These have spaced out. i should apologize but most days I find myself in this room, sitting in the chair and watching the monitors. I watch the radio too. I try to will you to speak back. I’m waiting. Day 400.  Four hundred days. Do I need to say more? We’ve only lasted a year. How am I going to survive four more? Day 455. I’m still waiting. Day 490. I’ve worked on myself every single day that we’ve been here. It’s been a change. I’m not sure if it’s good yet. Every day I have to remind myself that war isn’t looming in the horizon. I’ve had to face my demons, some that I never thought I’d see again. Some that I’d rather forget. It’s good though. Closure still hasn’t been found for me yet, but I think you’d be proud. I think you’d say it’s a step in the right direction. Day 500. The days have  yet to get easier and maybe they never will. Maybe this pain will never leave me. Slay your demons,  right? What if they’re stronger than you? Day 550. How long has it been? The days mash together now. I sparred with Murphy today. It was a weird feeling but I think we’re alright now. He’s not who had been in the beginning, even if I wanna punch that cocky smile sometimes. You made the right choice in letting him back in, Clarke. Day 595. We’re still talking. Space and I. I’m pretty sure that’s all that listening. Raven said she heard something from the radio but the time we got to it, there was nothing. If I missed you, keep trying. Day 600. Six hundred days on the ring. I never thought I’d come back to these walls again, now I wonder if I’ll ever leave them. God, I hope so. Day 660. These are getting shorter and spaced out longer. I’m sorry. I miss your voice. I miss your hugs. I miss hearing you tell me that I’m not a monster. Day 695. Do I keep going or just stop? I still hope you can hear me. Day 700. We’re reached seven hundred days. I’m still searching though. For what? I don’t think I know. Maybe forgiveness. Maybe how to live with myself without fighting a battle or saving the world. Maybe a way to remember how to live without you. I don’t know anymore. Day 770. I’ve stared out of these windows for so long. I never realized how large the Ark was in comparison to just the main Ring. I watched the Earth’s surface go from  dark clouds and red to brown and blue skies once more. Is it safe? Can we come home yet? Has it been 5 years?  Monty says no. We still have time. Day 790. Time. Everything is time. Time takes place between these comms. Time takes place each day, each second. Time happens in space and on Earth. Time is dealt in survival and just living. I don’t know how to just live anymore. Will I ever? Will we know how to live again on Earth? Maybe I’m thinking too damn much. Day 800. Eight hundred days. I trashed my loft yesterday. I cried all night. I found an old picture of us, O. You, mom and I. We were happy. We were smiling. I miss your smile. I miss seeing you happy. I can’t let you become a memory but I can’t get down there to help you yet. Just hang on. Hang on just a little longer. Day 880. I needed time. I’m sorry. We’re almost to nine hundred days. Day 900. What can I say anymore? Day 990. Please still out there. Please still have hope. I’m still alive. We’re still breathing. We’re still living. Day 1,000. Welcome to day one thousand. According to Monty, we’ve only got a couple hundred days left until it’s been five years. What can I say? I’ve had a few birthdays. It’s nice that the others have remembered them. We drank until we passed out. It was a nice way to forget. Never thought I’d get older again on the Ark. It’s not the same. It will never be the same. Day 1,100. I found that blue mask I gave you, O. Remember it? Probably has some bad memories attached but I like to think of your smile that day. The way you looked at me the first time you saw the Earth. I bet you never thought you’d be living on it. That you’d become such a great leader. I love you. Day 1,200. I had a dream we went back. I saw how much the world had changed. Everything was dead. There was nothing. No trees, no oceans. I know differently. I can see the Earth slowly coming back. Time. I wish I could shoot that word with a bullet. Day 1,300. Today I read about Promethus. I read all the stories that he was in. I read each line twice. You are still Promethus, O. You have this and even if people are struggling to believe in you right now, just remember that your big brother up in space does. I will always believe in you. Day 1,400. We have eight hundred and twenty-five days left. I’ve done so much. I’ve lied awake at night for weeks, unable to sleep. I lost myself and I think I’m finally finding myself again. I feel broken, but that hasn’t changed since we left Earth. Every day is suppose to get a little easier, right? Then why am I still waiting? Day 1,450. Murphy called this a diary. I had half the mind to punch him in the jaw but maybe it’s gotten to that point. It’s been almost five years and we’ve heard nothing from the ground. The others seem happier now though. Like they’ve all realized it’s okay. It’s like they’re able to live again. Even Echo has been smiling more. I guess they’re just waiting on me. The leader has to be happy, right? Who am I kidding. Day 1,500. I cried last night. I’m still crying today. I had to make it here without being caught. We don’t ration anymore. Our food supply has gotten large. There were days some of us didn’t want to eat. There were days when  all we could think about was what happened to us on Earth. I still miss those days. I wish I had the chance to go back to the dropship and give our people one last goodbye. I wish I saw Arkadia one last time. Day 1,550. I realized the other day, after talking to Echo, that we need to say how we feel in the moment or else it’ll be too late. She’s right. To this  day, I still regret not saying things. I regret not telling you I love you every day, O. I regret not going to that tower with you, Clarke. I should’ve gone. I should’ve been the one who got left behind. I’ve done so much wrong that I don’t remember what it’s like to not make those choices, even almost five years later. Day 1,600. A few months left. Raven said that soon we should start prepping again to leave. This time she doesn’t want to be rushed with an hour to do everything. I can’t blame her. I’m going stir crazy. I miss the smell of the Earth. I miss the rain. I miss the wind. I miss all of it. Day 1,700. I think I just do this now to have an outlet for my emotions. I think I do it cause it’s a stupid way to hold on to hope. Day 1,750. We’re in the home stretch. It’s almost time to go home. I hope you’re waiting. I’ll see you soon. Day 1,800. Monty said we’ve got twenty-five days left. Twenty-five days left to finish prepping. Twenty-five days left to make sure we’ll survive that fall once again. I never thought I’d feel that again. Then again, I never thought I’d be back here again. I’ll see you soon. - 25 days left Day 1,850. Twenty-five days. Five years and twenty-five days and we haven’t left the Ring. Raven’s working to figure out the problem. She’s getting restless. I think we all are. We all miss the ground, especially Echo. We can see from here that patches are returning. The Earth doesn’t look dead. Day 1,900. How many days have past since we were suppose to leave? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there when you came out of the bunker. I should’ve been there when you took your first breath of fresh air like I was when the dropship fell. I hope you’re okay. I hope you’re doing well. We will meet again. Day 2,000. Two thousand days. I’m back to losing my mind. The force of losing Clarke hit me all over again. I tried....I tired to make myself believe that she was alive. I tried....to make myself think that there was some stupid amount of hope that show found shelter, that she the night blood worked for her. I...I failed her that day. I let her die. I left without her. I should’ve stayed behind. I should’ve waited. Day 2,100. Jaha once asked me ‘how many people do you need to save before you start forgiving yourself?’ I never answered. I never said anything because at the time I didn’t have that number. I didn’t have an answer for him. I was the cause of so many deaths. I still carry that guilt but today I realized something, I only needed to save two people before I could forgive myself. I only needed to save you, O.You and Clarke. I failed one of you. Day 2,150. Two thousand one hundred and fifty days. Raven says we need more fuel. Monty’s working on gathering what he can to supply it. I still look out the windows and feel my heart break. I know now that I might not ever be able to forgive myself for what I’ve done but I’ve also learned that that’s okay. I know hat you forgave me. I know that she forgave me. Day 2,160. Maybe there’s still hope. Day 2,170. May we meet again, O. Day 2,199. It’s been exactly six years and seven days since we’ve first arrived at the Ring. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come home but today we’re leaving. Today we’re going back to Earth and I hope you’re there waiting, O. I hope you’re ready for me to never let you go again. And Clarke, if you did survive, if you are out there, somewhere, listening to this comm or even just looking up at the blue sky, I want you to know I’m sorry I didn’t wait. I’m sorry I didn’t save you. I miss you, Clarke. I’ll be there soon.

[cm-sheridan-writes]

Roots

The mortgage had long been paid for the little two-story, two bedroom house on the corner of Charcoal Street’s 200 block as it intersected with Hawk’s Flight Drive. The neighborhood had started as a cluster of houses that had sprouted back when immigrants had established the little town. As the town had grown into the city of Firstick, nourished by the expansive and fertile soil and many lakes, the neighborhood watched small stores grow into large businesses, and schools that had networked off of town churches soon fed students into a little college. Some of the larger businesses looked at the land beyond the neighborhoods and started to build factories, becoming as self-sustaining as their great-grandparents had been on their farms.

Years later, only the university’s archivist was clear on how historical 281 Charcoal Street was. The 200 block was one of the only sections of original houses left, as various old neighborhoods had sprung up and then died, falling either to the endless appetites of corporate real estate or to the ravaging patience of time. Old families either moved away, drawn to other opportunities, or intermarried with the new blood brought in by business opportunities.

The archivist had a map of the city hung up in their office, marked up with various neon highlighters. Outlined in a faded green were the areas of Firstick older than the 20th century: the 200s on Charcoal Street, the 600s-800s on Gulf Way (which stood on the original ground of the house and barn of the extensive Berkovitz farm until the family had disappeared from church and society in the fall of 1903; the ensuing investigation turned up the mangled and tortured corpses of the family in their beds, and with no will discovered and no known relatives, the estate had sold to the city); the Goldbergs’ law office, Tante Lina’s grocery (which had grown to swallow a neighboring building so that one of Lina’s Groß-neffen could open an adjoining hardware store with his wife), the Popov family print shop, and the history building on the university campus (funded and provisioned for by the grandsire of the same murdered Berkovitz). There was also the little park on the edge of the university grounds, which had been marked a historical site in 1948 and was where the archivist worked; little shells of original stores and a church were maintained in the park, and volunteers, guided by the archivist, gave classes on life in the 1800s, held festivals, and worked on the grounds’ upkeep.

And then, there were the cemeteries.

Young cities buried their dead in out-of-the way corners of their land, and many residents could not tell you where to pay respects without having to Google the gravesites beforehand. Once visited, and once respectful obligation had been fulfilled, these places often faded from memory. Firstick, however, was not one of these young cities, and the little park held forgotten stories older than the furniture factory that had grown from the extensive forests nearby. Charcoal Street shared a corner with the old paupers’ graveyard, and crumbling headstones dotted the stubborn grass behind the little park’s churchyard. More sites maintained by the many churches in the city, and each were outlined in green on the archivist’s map. Many were in the city proper itself, though they were so familiar to residents by this time that they went as ignored as the billboards and flickering LED advertisements on the sides of the largest buildings.

The students of the university noticed when they first ventured off-campus. It was often an accident, stumbling out of a bar and ending up against the smooth stone wall of a chapel. In a haze of liquor and dancing, they might think that they see shadows flickering amongst the memorial statues of angels. It unsettled and penetrated through the smoky shots they’d ingested, and suddenly it would seem hard to swallow, and their hearts would pound just a little harder. Then they’d be found by friends, laughing and slurring, and the feeling would flee in the sight of familiarity. Maybe they’d avoid that particular bar for a while, but soon midterms would arrive, and by the end of the semester, the streets would be empty of students past midnight. They’d opt to drink in their rooms, close to the books and away from the curling mists of the Parish of Saint Cyprian of Antioch.

Firstick’s many hotels and skyscrapers were new, having torn down their predecessors to make way for bright, shiny, and new. Firstick Furnishings was responsible for a new office building every twenty years or so, and new tech firms started by eager graduates of the university’s STEM programs took up residence in the aging structures left behind. The interiors would often be gutted and remodeled, helped along when Popov Prints expanded into Popov Interiors and Design in 1978. With the company’s assistance (running out of the same brick office building it had built up originally), an internet startup might realize an office in the ultra-modern style of sci-fi space fantasies on one floor, and the doctor’s clinic on the floor above would attempt to soothe the nerves of patients with gentle pastels and inoffensive paintings of flowers. Whatever the rotating insides, the facades of the buildings weathered; no one floor seemed inclined to bring the outside into the 21st-century.

It seemed, therefore, that downtown Firstick was a hodgepodge of decades of design. Townies might catch themselves staring at a building as they never had before, noticing that the sign of the Crowne Plaza seemed just a touch garish, the letters too thick and their color too faded. The apartments on Central Station Boulevard were all the glass and was-polished steel of the late 2000s, clashing with the theater across the way that had been built in the 1930s with all the great gilding pomp inspired by the architect, who had visited the 1904 World’s Fair as a child and had been inspired since. The Fairchild Theatre needed to be repainted every few years, and either stood out for being too bold amongst the minimalist steel, or edging a little too uncomfortably close to decrepit.

Walking down the streets, once the incongruity of the buildings was noticed, a resident couldn’t escape it. Students of the university’s architecture program found a wealth of material in the city to help round out their studies, but residents could sometimes be jarred. It couldn’t be helped: if you saw it, you knew that they didn’t all fit together. As the years passed, the styles became dated, and there were some that, if you were pondering it, did not age well. Colors washed out with the rain, and on an overcast day, the entire city seemed to fade just a bit.

The only places that seemed to escape this were the historical sites, ringed in green on the archivist’s map. On such rainy days where the city muddled together in a dreary mess, the Parish of Saint Cyprian seemed to resist, insisting on sharp relief through the rain. The little stone shops in the historic sector of the park stood as solid as ever, and the mists from the graveyards cleared. In the neighborhoods, 281 Charcoal Street stood unique from its neighbors as the houses of the next street over faded into mirrored lines. 602 Gulf Way’s gardens bloomed just a little more brightly, and an old apartment building five blocks down from the university’s history building shrugged off the water from its dark stone.

No matter the weather, Tante Lina’s grocery never failed to bring in deliveries, and had resisted every attempt to be bought or muscled out by the chain health food and grocery stores that moved in as the city grew, though Lina Pfeiffer herself was long dead (buried in the middle of Saint Cyprian’s cemetery). Birthdays, weddings, and promotions were celebrated with feasts purchased from Tante Lina’s aisles, and deaths, breakups, and dismissals mourned with her alcohol. Chain stores may have boasted cheaper prices, or attempted to dismiss the store as selling inorganic vegetables or non-cruelty-free meats, but no one could quite pin down where the deliveries came from. Eventually, they learned to coexist, as the store proved to be as stubbornly resilient as its namesake had reportedly been.

The city brought in fresh blood, new families, and many found themselves settling down, looking up after ten years to see a life that they’d built. With all its disparate parts, Firstick hungered for new stories to make itself whole and build upon the lives long past that didn’t survive in legacy. Refugees found safe harbor, and mosques and temples grew quite peacefully (provided no one disturbed the cemeteries). Weathered diners sheltered the drunk, the despairing, and the sleepless, and the schools grew with families. Firstick survived where many frontier towns had faded back into the prairies and forests from which they fought their way from.

Many had thought that Firstick was an uncreative homage to the once-extensive forests that had helped establish the logging town. If you asked the archivist, though, they would remind you that many of the founding families had been German, and would show you the words etched into the doorframe of the archivist’s office: Sich zu erinnern, was verborgen war.

“The German for ‘to hide’ is ‘verstecken’,” they would remind you, shifting easily into crisp German tones. “For a place to survive so long, it must be built on something, something kept tucked away in safety. But it pokes through in places. You will notice, and if you’re smart, you will remember.”

[malibootie]

Just The Best Man Cave Ideas

Just the Best Man Cave Ideas

Planning a man cave? Decorating your manspace? Or maybe just upgrading your mantuary? I gathered some amazing man cave ideas and tips from all across the net to help you in your quest. You can’t just walk into some kind of man cave store, looking for an item that fits the bill. Man caves are personal spaces, meant to satisfy your needs and possibly the needs of your guests. All of your items probably come from hundreds of different locations—which makes online shopping all the more convenient for you! But let’s not get into that yet. Instead, I want to talk about just the best man cave ideas you will ever see on the net!

This little article serves as a guide to upgrading and making a man cave. I go over all the basics—from what sets a man cave apart from a normal study, all the way to setting up a bar and food station in there. For more detailed instructions, ideas, and man cave tips, the rest of the site covers everything. Building the idea of your man cave into something desirable takes a lot of contemplation. On top of that, actually materializing it takes time and money…two things that most men can’t throw around frivolously!

Making sure your man cave suits your lifestyle becomes easy after reading these quick tips. On top of that, we offer some man cave tips to help you lower spending and time spent on your cave. While the journey of every man ends at a unique man cave, we all share the same crossroads and bridges to overcome. This page lets you know exactly what to expect. Use your extra time to relax in your own, personal man cave!

  Man Cave Definition

Before we set out into the great unknown…let’s make it a little more familiar. Maybe you heard about man caves, mantuaries, or manspaces through a friend. Maybe you saw it on Tumblr or Reddit. In any case, man caves represent a personal room for people to relax. It’s called a man cave to separate it from the living room—where certain furniture rules and guest accommodations became the norm. Furthermore, the man of the house uses it as a sanctuary to separate himself from the job duties, husband obligations, and noisy kids that might bar him from relaxing in the rest of the house. The same applies to the man cave synonyms—mantuary and manspace.

The different between a man cave vs. a study is that studies imply that some sort of work happens within its doors. The room encourages cleaning to access files and books with minimal time searching. Adding in a bar, workshop, or entertainment distracts from the purpose of the study room. In other words, the opposite of relaxing! On the other hand, a man cave meaning encompasses a way to relax. You add whatever you want to the collection and use your brain only to keep the room cohesive or think of creative man cave names.

Like study room rules, man cave rules sometimes apply. Set in place by the men who use them, they ensure that the room stays a place of relaxation. One common rule is that no women or children are allowed. Another rule states that no mention of work or chores happens past the entrance. It’s your room—you make your own rules!

  Mancave Ideas

To start with your man cave ideas, think of your own personality. What sort of theme expresses yourself? What sort of features do you want in your man cave? All cool man cave ideas sound stupid in the beginning. However, in executing the design itself, everything falls into place and looks spectacular. Your versatility and creativity in working with a theme directly affects how impressive your man cave looks.

In order to create an amazing mantuary for yourself, consider your own limits. For example, without experience in engineering, a complex light system or movable blinds go incomplete for years. By limiting the number of insurmountable tasks in your design, you achieve your design with amazing speed. Plus, once you finish, adding features at a later date works just as well.

But, even more important than looking cool, you need to think about the functional uses for your man cave. Ideas for a man cave fall flat when you find yourself only using a corner of the room in the end. If you spend a lot of time grooming yourself in the bathroom while your wife or girlfriend bangs on the door, a tiny setup with running water and a minimalistic mirror works great for you. Solve any fighting with your kids over whether you play games or Saturday morning cartoons by creating a home entertainment system in your own special man space.

Of course, finding that special theme for yourself proves difficult when you simply want a room to yourself. For your manroom ideas, you need to consider the location and shape of the room, what sort of features you desire, and what matches the money in your wallet. Keep reading for some man cave quick tips!

  Man Cave Locations

A man cave room takes many different forms—and location defines those forms the most! While some people look at a basement, small room, or shed as ‘constrictions,’ they actually work to your advantage! A small space fills up easily, saving you money on décor, and forcing you to streamline everything in the room. They feel much cozier and personal! A larger space allows for big furniture and impressive set ups—ideal for inviting friends over to chill in the cave. I wrote a few tips on the most popular man cave locations below, and you can check the rest of the site for dealing with more locations!

  Man Cave Garage

When looking for man cave garage ideas, consider the floor first and foremost. The oil that stained the floor and the gas that soaked into the walls pose a unique problem—unless, of course, you want an auto-themed man cave. Using a resin to lock in the smell of the floor works incredibly well—plus, a clear resin allows you to place some permanent decorations beneath the floor! As a second priority, consider replacing the garage door with something a little more convenient or smaller. This frees up space on the ceiling, gives you more security, and even provides you with an extra wall to decorate! I advise using an exterior that looks like a garage door, though—or you pose the risk of angering your HOA.

    Man Cave Basement

The most popular of man caves, this subterranean abode fits the bill more than any other room. Making a manspace out of an area completely separated from the house feels like a dream. Nothing separates you more from the rest of the house than a flight of stairs—I promise! When constructing a basement mancave, consider two important factors. First, you need enough outlets to support your entertainment setup. Blueprints allow for basement outlets—but only in the strangest of places. Second, consider fire safety. Your basement should have full ventilation with the rest of the house, along with two exits. Make sure your fire department knows about both of them!

    Man Cave Shed

Alright, remember that bit about separating yourself from the rest of the house? A man cave shed does that, literally. Setting up electricity and keeping out bugs takes priority when using a shed as your mantuary. Once you take care of those, use your unlimited creativity to turn the space into whatever you like, with no one telling you ‘that color sucks’ or ‘no antlers on the walls, ever.’ Plus, you incorporate the natural light of windows (or even sunlights!) into the rest of the room. With a little bit of automation, a single switch turns a sunny room to relax into a dark and dedicated movie room.

    Small Man Caves

No matter what type of mancave you choose to build, small man cave spaces take a little more planning. Small basement man cave ideas run into the problem of utilities taking up space. The water heater, dryer, sink, furnace, washing machine, and whatever else take up the space. Similarly, building a small man cave shed takes a lot of ingenuity to make that small space usable. For mini man caves in a tiny house, I highly recommend looking up the architectural feats in Japan and China. With incredibly limited space, creative individuals find ways to completely transform rooms—usually through hidden furniture. In any case, a small man cave proves the coziest of all, if a little bit cramped.

    Man Cave Themes

Man caves take on any theme you desire—from a man cave bar, to man cave archery range, and even to a D&D man cave. Whether private or public, your man cave shows a personal side of yourself and accommodates everyone who enters. When you search for your man cave things, a theme helps bring the room together. Beyond matching colors, a theme gives your manspace a certain flair. Walking into your mancave feels like entering a different realm—one made just for you! I cover the most popular ones here, but feel free to find your own theme!

  Man Cave Workshop

Preceding the concept of the man cave itself, workshops provide a place of relaxation to creative-minded people. Customized autoshops, woodshops, art studios, and more make up the foundations of the man cave. Once the utilitarian elements fit into place, extra comfort pieces go in. Usually, that means a television to entertain the mind during menial or repetitive tasks. A radio proves a good substitute, along with a means to play podcasts or talk shows. After that, furniture to relax and reference materials line the floor and walls. Lastly, d��cor goes all across the walls until no paint shows through.

  Man Caves : Steampunk Cave

While the steampunk genre usually sits in the realms of nerds and cosplayers, well-read creators of man caves may find themselves attracted to the décor. And what’s not to like? Bronze, silver, and gold gears match furniture easily while appearing expensive and intricate. Of course, we all know the secret…DIY steam punk costs very little and looks excellent in the end! Perhaps its cost made the steampunk theme so popular. Bonus points if you build actual contraptions in your man cave to match the theme!

  Man Cave Bar

Man cave bar ideas would be incorporated into every man cave…if only everyone had the knowledge to run a bar! While bars fit into nearly any mantuary, thematically speaking, realizing it takes a huge amount of effort. First, you need special refrigerators that monitor the temperatures of wines and spirits. Second, you need to stock up with expensive wines and spirits in the first place! Fitting it into the décor takes time, especially with more abstract man cave themes. And most importantly, you need knowledge and experience to run that bar. Mixing, spiking, and matching wines to occasions only makes up a part of that knowledge. Of course, the effort pays off in the end!

  Man Cave Arcade

Arguably the most expensive of man caves, this manspace requires tons of money to purchase actual arcade machines. Furthermore, classic arcade machines fetch a high price and prove difficult to locate. My personal favorite arcade game, Ocean Hunter, can only be found in select locations in the Pacific Isles. That’s just a little expensive to ship, you know? The most cost-effective way to create an arcade is to build the frames yourself and use a cheap computer base (such as a Raspberry Pi) to run an emulator.

Of course, many more man cave themes and ideas exist. We plan on covering all of them—so feel free to browse the rest of the site for some unique and interesting ideas!

  Mancave Décor Ideas

Even ancient mancave designs focused on one thing: man cave art! While you don’t need to grab some chalk or clay to decorate the walls, I highly suggest using posters and signs that represent the theme of your room. Man cave room ideas center around the theme of the room, after all—even if that theme is just minimalism! A steampunk theme definitely needs some furniture, lights, and wall ornaments covered in gears and moving elements. On the other hand, something video-game themed wants for electric displays, multiple screens, and serious wire management.

Other man cave décor ideas center around utilities. In example, a room with a sink could use many different designs. You could choose minimal metal, a granite counter top, a designer sink, and more! Similarly, lighting ranges from string lights at the top, to switch-controlled rainbow LED lights, or perhaps just traditional lamps. Custom electricity outlets ensure the room never goes without electricity—although make sure a technician handles that, or you may accidentally create a fire hazard.

Finding different ways to construct old things gives your man cave a unique flair. Your room not only looks unique, but it also suits your needs perfectly! Some common examples of unique décor include hidden furniture and movable walls. By constructing customized décor, you maximize your man space and increase the number of features that fit in there. Even stashing extra chairs in the unused space of your room helps when you invite others over. When you consider your décor, make sure to also maximize all of your space! It seriously pays off in the end.

Related Read: Man Cave Decor

  Man Cave Flooring

With man cave flooring, a lot of options present themselves. Carpet obviously works great in basement or garage environments—where the floor becomes uncomfortably cold—but it also comes with drawbacks. Carpets stain and cleaning them takes time and machinery. For a smaller—and cheaper—option than carpets, rugs do the job. Plus, customizing the room with rugs adds a bit of flair to the room. Even if you choose a different type of flooring, try adding in some man cave rugs to give the room a little flair! Amazon carries no end of exotic rug designs to sate your desire for personalization.

Of course, carpets sit somewhere on the bottom rung of the ladder compared to other floor types. Wood flooring installs easily—even without a lot of experience woodworking—and it cleans easily. Many different types of wood exist to liven up the room, although some of them take a lot of money to obtain. Using smaller pieces of wood to create unique designs, patterns, or murals makes the floor a show piece of the room.

Ceramic tile also goes in easily, although that sort of floor also gets chilly, and installation reaches a pricy high. In the future, replacing a tile proves difficult if the manufacturer stops producing it. Nonetheless, tiles look amazing—especially in sunlit rooms. Reflective tiles bring out the colors in any lights you placed in the room.  For a cheaper option, simply apply glue and unwrap some linoleum tile. However, linoleum tile looks far less spectacular than the other options here.

The very last option is also the cheapest, but it only works for certain types of mancaves. Basements and first floors in homes without basements both share something in common—a cement floor. While you may need to remove carpeting or tile on top, the cement floor gives a grungy, minimalist, or utilitarian appearance to a mancave. Anyone with a workshop knows the value of a simple, smooth floor that withstands even the craziest of disasters.

  Man Cave Furniture

Once again, before deciding accessorizing with man cave accessories, the furniture goes first. Of course, following with your theme, different types of furniture take precedence. Man cave desks, chairs, recliners, tables, shelves, and entertainment systems feature in almost every manspace out there. Hopefully these tips for finding the right kind of furniture for you—and within your budget—help.

Let’s start by considering your wallet. The fastest way to find fitting furniture, along with the cheapest, is to browse yard sales and antique stores. Refurbished man cave antiques look brand new, and they allow for a customized look. Refurbishing furniture takes a little bit of cleaning, a bit of material fabric, a staple gun, and some sense of aesthetic (I’ll trust you on this one). For man cave tables, a little bit of sanding turns an old piece of junk into a rustic piece of woodwork. Never overlook furniture just because of their color—they contain the base for whatever pattern you want!

Where you sit in your own special room matters more than you would think. A little bit of comfort goes a long way, while managing with the mere minimum for your precious butt sends you away from your room sore, on the best of days. For man cave chairs—even with modern man cave furniture—make sure some sort of cushion or soft plastic keeps you from the hard frame of your chair. Man cave recliners push the whole comfort thing further by allowing you to lay back in your chair. Ideally, the chair feels so comfortable you could fall asleep while sitting!

  Mancave Wall Ideas

For man cave wall ideas, start with your base theme and explore from there. What sort of props work well with that theme? Imagine yourself on the set of a theatre play. What would the stage hands put around the stage to suspend your belief? This helps you start your quest for the perfect wall ideas. Beyond the theme, let’s talk about essentials for your mantuary.

What sort of man cave signs tell others about yourself? Incorporate that into your room—either literally (as a sign on your man cave door) or through an abstract type of man cave vinyl wall art. Posters of all different shapes and sizes show the theme spectacularly—but other methods work just as well. For a typical setup, I like to include both a moving eye-catcher and a stable-eye catcher. The mesmerizing effect of an aquarium or light show complements the antlers or posters on the other side of the room. No matter where you look, your eyes always find somewhere to rest.

To add to things, creating sections of your wall with different wallpaper or tiling makes the room seem bigger and distinguishes the different areas of your man cave. Easily change the look of your room by adding interior facades! Or, you could add a tiled section of carved wood branches to show off your wild side. Themed hanging shelves go the extra mile and allow you to best utilize space.

Lastly, put a clock in that room. I don’t care if everyone uses their phone as a watch. A clock turns empty space into a tool, and plenty of them look amazing.

  DIY Mancave Ideas

Believe it or not, man caves on a budget exist. By planning all furniture, paint, decorations, and materials ahead of time, you already go a long way towards cutting costs. At the same time, purchasing cheap man cave furniture only saves you so much money. That’s why mancave DIY makes up the majority of amazing rooms out there! For someone first learning how to turn your room into a man cave, DIY work looks very appealing. These cheap ideas for man caves save you a bit of cash, no matter your experience!

First, all of your furniture should come from thrift stores, yard sales, or pawn shops. Strip the furniture of their upholstery, tweak the frame however you like, and then reupholster it according to the style of your room. Naturally, steam clean it to ensure no pests follow it from its original location.  This creates custom furniture for an affordable price—without the woodworking experience!

For other cheap man cave stuff, purchase only the wires and plugs for all of your lighting and create your own display for them. Just make sure the display withstands high amounts of heat! For pictures, look around for cheap frames. Use FedEx or similar printing shops to make incredibly cheap custom prints. A full, customized poster costs very little to print, and you can cut it down to fit even the strangest frame shapes. For antique frames that you want to renovate, simply sand down the frame into your desired shape (I recommend a sander for this), then paint or stain as desired.

  Man Cave Entertainment

After situating your furniture, your electronics come next! Depending on the theme of your room, you decide on lamps or ceiling lights, TV or radio, and even mechanics to automate parts of the room (for example, closing and opening the blinds). The number and location of outlets sometimes limits your distribution of electronics…but that’s what extension cords are for. Don’t tell an electrician that I said that, though. In this section, I talk about all the man cave essential electronics, along with the best ways to organize them. Along with that, I talk about wire management, high-tech options, and even budget options for your home entertainment room.

  Man Cave TV

With TVs, a lot of options present themselves. Believe it or not, huge flat screen TVs save money compared to the high-tier televisions. However, to go the extra mile, I suggest looking for other forms of display. Hanging or hiding a projector somewhere in the room to display on a wall or screen saves a lot of space and offers high quality resolution. Projectors support up to 4K resolution, and you tweak the size and shape to suit your room. Modern projectors avoid screen glare and even shine brighter than sunlight—so the lighting of your room never reduces quality.

That leaves 4K TVs with curved screens as the last option—which sits somewhere in the middle of those two in terms of price range. 4K screens look spectacular, and with visual media slowly switching to the 4K resolution, your TV remains the standard for at least a decade. Curved screens work great for solo play, but if you want to invite friends over frequently, check how multiple people see the TV from other angles.

  Mancave Entertainment

With the display part out of the way, let’s talk about how to use it. To reduce the amount of visible wires, create a specific electronic hub where all your display options go. To hide the machines, use drawers, shelves, or other miscellaneous furniture. Instead of finding a TV or projector with a million ports, look into buying a selector switch box. That way, only a single wire needs to reach your display of choice. With a click of a button, you switch between your computer, Blu-ray player, game console, or even to a radio. A switch that allows you to choose different audio and video outputs opens up even more uses for your display system.

  Man Cave Video Games

Completing the list of essential man cave electronics, video games bring together people like no other form of media. Even for a solitary mantuary, games offer a welcome form of relaxation. Lots of people ask about what sort of games suit their mancaves, but the answer always goes differently depending on the person and their game consoles. For Nintendo consoles, Super Smash Bros games obviously takes the cake. On the Switch, where no Super Smash Bros game exists, try Switch 1-2-3. For the XBOX One, Minecraft and Halo 5 Guardians make up the core multiplayer experiences. For Sony…well, that’s more of a single-player console. However, showing off the VR headset capabilities always livens up a party.

Related Read: Game Room Decor

  Man Cave Eats

More important than man cave gadgets or man cave games, consider what sort of food you put in! For your man cave diet, make sure to distinguish what you eat in the cave as opposed to what you eat in your dining room. Focus on food that needs no electricity or heat to prepare. Along with that, keep your calorie count low and nutrition high. This includes celery, broccoli, pre-cooked or dried meats, fruits, nuts, and so on. With these power foods at your disposal, you keep your focus during your work and relaxation. If health man cave foods aren’t your thing, don’t worry. Simply keep stocked on your favorite snacks.

For drinks, the obvious choice is beer. However, a lot of people neglect to think of man cave caffeine in their designs. Similar to planning for an included bar, you can also plan for a tiny café of your favorites. Soda, energy drinks, tea, sparkling water, sports drinks, or plain old filtered water all round out your room’s sanctuary.

I want to mention the caveman’s diet specifically, since it suits mancavers quite well, don’t you think? Also called the Paleo diet, it focuses entirely on unprepared foods. Something that needs to be milled (like flour) stays out of the food. It changes depending on seasonal availability. Thankfully, mancave meats need little preparation! These foods, which require zero prep and only a bit of cooking, work perfect for a hangout room. Just make sure you put in your man cave fridge! For cooking your meats and other foods, an induction cooker or microwave cut down on both space and fire hazards.

  Man Cave Bar

Home bars in general vary depending on their purpose. For attending to guests, you need a tall table, bar chairs, a hidden countertop for mixing things, and perhaps a footrest. If the bar exists for you alone, then all that other stuff makes no sense. Along with your regular man cave refrigerator, grab a wine cooler for the room. Adjust the wine cooler to your preferred temperature—most people prefer 45*F for their beverages.

Search for materials that match your theme or personality. Most men use granite countertops, but wooden countertops give off a rustic feel. For do-it-yourselfers or thrifty spenders, check your local area for closing restaurants or bars. They sell cheap seats, tables, and bar pieces which you easily update to suit your needs. Otherwise, grab some lumber from your local stores and construct your own frame. The flexibility of the wood matters just as much as its color, so select your base material wisely!

When building, consider whether or not it cleans easily. Seal up any spaces that could enter the frame, preventing waste and mold from building up in the interior. To help with that, construct a fully functional sink to drain excess liquid and provide water for your drinks.

  Man Cave Grooming

While the world thinks of ‘grooming’ as a female hobby, keeping yourself suave and sexy in the man cave takes a lot of work. For a good business man or an outgoing character appreciate a nearby bathroom—or at least a grooming area! Bring together  a sink, a mirror, and a shelf for all your necessities, and you construct a bare-bones grooming station for your guests and yourself. As far as picking the right products for your cave, think carefully. After all, you can’t exactly find a proper mancave facewash review just lying around. This time, rather than talk about brands, I focus on necessities.

First, hair products! Even if you skip the sink, keeping a mirror and some man cave hair gel around saves you from an embarrassing appearance at the wrong time. Putting in a man cave shower lets you use shower gel and shampoo whenever you need a quick rinse. A perfect grooming station looks like a man cave salon—but instead of the obnoxious perfumes and beauty tools, it contains clean and effective man cave moisturizers, face scrubs, razors, combs, and so on.

To go the extra mile install a toilet for your man cave. This completes the grooming station and sets any guests you invite at ease. The plumbing for this entire part of a man space takes a lot of work and experience, but obviously, you and anyone who visits your cave appreciates the ready access to some bodily essentials! Just don’t forget to put in toilet paper and a plunger when you finish the project. Too many of us fall victim to the inescapable and embarrassing toilet trap.

  The Best Man Cave Ideas Create…

So, to all of you dreaming of the perfect manspace and the rest of you who spend their time mancaving, hopefully this little guide gave you some new types of insight. On one hand, constructing your room into something spectacular proves an amazing feat. But when you look out across your domain, remember—there’s still work to be done. New additions, new necessities, maintenance, and even deconstruction go into making your cave perfect. Very few people actually reach a stage where they call their mantuary ‘perfect.’

Instead of focusing on making it look perfect, focus on making it suit your needs. You need an area to relax, somewhere to retreat when life throws its worst at you, and a space you keep everything precious to you. Invariably, your room never matches your design perfectly. Thankfully, most of the ‘mistakes’ turn into happy little miracles. On the other hand, partway through, you may realize something you create won’t work and find yourself challenged to build around the failed start. Persevere through it all and find satisfaction at the end of it.

Many men already use the secluded rooms of their home—offices, guest rooms, basements, and garage rooms all provide ample alone time. However, taking the extra step to make these places livable—rather than simply a secluded room—turns them into true man caves. More than anything, as you sit in your man cave to relax, take pride in the work you accomplished, and think ahead to even bigger ventures! The best man cave ideas create a brand new man out of you!

The post Just The Best Man Cave Ideas appeared first on True Man Cave.

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Just The Best Man Cave Ideas

Just the Best Man Cave Ideas

Planning a man cave? Decorating your manspace? Or maybe just upgrading your mantuary? I gathered some amazing man cave ideas and tips from all across the net to help you in your quest. You can’t just walk into some kind of man cave store, looking for an item that fits the bill. Man caves are personal spaces, meant to satisfy your needs and possibly the needs of your guests. All of your items probably come from hundreds of different locations—which makes online shopping all the more convenient for you! But let’s not get into that yet. Instead, I want to talk about just the best man cave ideas you will ever see on the net!

This little article serves as a guide to upgrading and making a man cave. I go over all the basics—from what sets a man cave apart from a normal study, all the way to setting up a bar and food station in there. For more detailed instructions, ideas, and man cave tips, the rest of the site covers everything. Building the idea of your man cave into something desirable takes a lot of contemplation. On top of that, actually materializing it takes time and money…two things that most men can’t throw around frivolously!

Making sure your man cave suits your lifestyle becomes easy after reading these quick tips. On top of that, we offer some man cave tips to help you lower spending and time spent on your cave. While the journey of every man ends at a unique man cave, we all share the same crossroads and bridges to overcome. This page lets you know exactly what to expect. Use your extra time to relax in your own, personal man cave!

  Man Cave Definition

Before we set out into the great unknown…let’s make it a little more familiar. Maybe you heard about man caves, mantuaries, or manspaces through a friend. Maybe you saw it on Tumblr or Reddit. In any case, man caves represent a personal room for people to relax. It’s called a man cave to separate it from the living room—where certain furniture rules and guest accommodations became the norm. Furthermore, the man of the house uses it as a sanctuary to separate himself from the job duties, husband obligations, and noisy kids that might bar him from relaxing in the rest of the house. The same applies to the man cave synonyms—mantuary and manspace.

The different between a man cave vs. a study is that studies imply that some sort of work happens within its doors. The room encourages cleaning to access files and books with minimal time searching. Adding in a bar, workshop, or entertainment distracts from the purpose of the study room. In other words, the opposite of relaxing! On the other hand, a man cave meaning encompasses a way to relax. You add whatever you want to the collection and use your brain only to keep the room cohesive or think of creative man cave names.

Like study room rules, man cave rules sometimes apply. Set in place by the men who use them, they ensure that the room stays a place of relaxation. One common rule is that no women or children are allowed. Another rule states that no mention of work or chores happens past the entrance. It’s your room—you make your own rules!

  Mancave Ideas

To start with your man cave ideas, think of your own personality. What sort of theme expresses yourself? What sort of features do you want in your man cave? All cool man cave ideas sound stupid in the beginning. However, in executing the design itself, everything falls into place and looks spectacular. Your versatility and creativity in working with a theme directly affects how impressive your man cave looks.

In order to create an amazing mantuary for yourself, consider your own limits. For example, without experience in engineering, a complex light system or movable blinds go incomplete for years. By limiting the number of insurmountable tasks in your design, you achieve your design with amazing speed. Plus, once you finish, adding features at a later date works just as well.

But, even more important than looking cool, you need to think about the functional uses for your man cave. Ideas for a man cave fall flat when you find yourself only using a corner of the room in the end. If you spend a lot of time grooming yourself in the bathroom while your wife or girlfriend bangs on the door, a tiny setup with running water and a minimalistic mirror works great for you. Solve any fighting with your kids over whether you play games or Saturday morning cartoons by creating a home entertainment system in your own special man space.

Of course, finding that special theme for yourself proves difficult when you simply want a room to yourself. For your manroom ideas, you need to consider the location and shape of the room, what sort of features you desire, and what matches the money in your wallet. Keep reading for some man cave quick tips!

  Man Cave Locations

A man cave room takes many different forms—and location defines those forms the most! While some people look at a basement, small room, or shed as ‘constrictions,’ they actually work to your advantage! A small space fills up easily, saving you money on décor, and forcing you to streamline everything in the room. They feel much cozier and personal! A larger space allows for big furniture and impressive set ups—ideal for inviting friends over to chill in the cave. I wrote a few tips on the most popular man cave locations below, and you can check the rest of the site for dealing with more locations!

  Man Cave Garage

When looking for man cave garage ideas, consider the floor first and foremost. The oil that stained the floor and the gas that soaked into the walls pose a unique problem—unless, of course, you want an auto-themed man cave. Using a resin to lock in the smell of the floor works incredibly well—plus, a clear resin allows you to place some permanent decorations beneath the floor! As a second priority, consider replacing the garage door with something a little more convenient or smaller. This frees up space on the ceiling, gives you more security, and even provides you with an extra wall to decorate! I advise using an exterior that looks like a garage door, though—or you pose the risk of angering your HOA.

    Man Cave Basement

The most popular of man caves, this subterranean abode fits the bill more than any other room. Making a manspace out of an area completely separated from the house feels like a dream. Nothing separates you more from the rest of the house than a flight of stairs—I promise! When constructing a basement mancave, consider two important factors. First, you need enough outlets to support your entertainment setup. Blueprints allow for basement outlets—but only in the strangest of places. Second, consider fire safety. Your basement should have full ventilation with the rest of the house, along with two exits. Make sure your fire department knows about both of them!

    Man Cave Shed

Alright, remember that bit about separating yourself from the rest of the house? A man cave shed does that, literally. Setting up electricity and keeping out bugs takes priority when using a shed as your mantuary. Once you take care of those, use your unlimited creativity to turn the space into whatever you like, with no one telling you ‘that color sucks’ or ‘no antlers on the walls, ever.’ Plus, you incorporate the natural light of windows (or even sunlights!) into the rest of the room. With a little bit of automation, a single switch turns a sunny room to relax into a dark and dedicated movie room.

    Small Man Caves

No matter what type of mancave you choose to build, small man cave spaces take a little more planning. Small basement man cave ideas run into the problem of utilities taking up space. The water heater, dryer, sink, furnace, washing machine, and whatever else take up the space. Similarly, building a small man cave shed takes a lot of ingenuity to make that small space usable. For mini man caves in a tiny house, I highly recommend looking up the architectural feats in Japan and China. With incredibly limited space, creative individuals find ways to completely transform rooms—usually through hidden furniture. In any case, a small man cave proves the coziest of all, if a little bit cramped.

    Man Cave Themes

Man caves take on any theme you desire—from a man cave bar, to man cave archery range, and even to a D&D man cave. Whether private or public, your man cave shows a personal side of yourself and accommodates everyone who enters. When you search for your man cave things, a theme helps bring the room together. Beyond matching colors, a theme gives your manspace a certain flair. Walking into your mancave feels like entering a different realm—one made just for you! I cover the most popular ones here, but feel free to find your own theme!

  Man Cave Workshop

Preceding the concept of the man cave itself, workshops provide a place of relaxation to creative-minded people. Customized autoshops, woodshops, art studios, and more make up the foundations of the man cave. Once the utilitarian elements fit into place, extra comfort pieces go in. Usually, that means a television to entertain the mind during menial or repetitive tasks. A radio proves a good substitute, along with a means to play podcasts or talk shows. After that, furniture to relax and reference materials line the floor and walls. Lastly, décor goes all across the walls until no paint shows through.

  Man Caves : Steampunk Cave

While the steampunk genre usually sits in the realms of nerds and cosplayers, well-read creators of man caves may find themselves attracted to the décor. And what’s not to like? Bronze, silver, and gold gears match furniture easily while appearing expensive and intricate. Of course, we all know the secret…DIY steam punk costs very little and looks excellent in the end! Perhaps its cost made the steampunk theme so popular. Bonus points if you build actual contraptions in your man cave to match the theme!

  Man Cave Bar

Man cave bar ideas would be incorporated into every man cave…if only everyone had the knowledge to run a bar! While bars fit into nearly any mantuary, thematically speaking, realizing it takes a huge amount of effort. First, you need special refrigerators that monitor the temperatures of wines and spirits. Second, you need to stock up with expensive wines and spirits in the first place! Fitting it into the décor takes time, especially with more abstract man cave themes. And most importantly, you need knowledge and experience to run that bar. Mixing, spiking, and matching wines to occasions only makes up a part of that knowledge. Of course, the effort pays off in the end!

  Man Cave Arcade

Arguably the most expensive of man caves, this manspace requires tons of money to purchase actual arcade machines. Furthermore, classic arcade machines fetch a high price and prove difficult to locate. My personal favorite arcade game, Ocean Hunter, can only be found in select locations in the Pacific Isles. That’s just a little expensive to ship, you know? The most cost-effective way to create an arcade is to build the frames yourself and use a cheap computer base (such as a Raspberry Pi) to run an emulator.

Of course, many more man cave themes and ideas exist. We plan on covering all of them—so feel free to browse the rest of the site for some unique and interesting ideas!

  Mancave Décor Ideas

Even ancient mancave designs focused on one thing: man cave art! While you don’t need to grab some chalk or clay to decorate the walls, I highly suggest using posters and signs that represent the theme of your room. Man cave room ideas center around the theme of the room, after all—even if that theme is just minimalism! A steampunk theme definitely needs some furniture, lights, and wall ornaments covered in gears and moving elements. On the other hand, something video-game themed wants for electric displays, multiple screens, and serious wire management.

Other man cave décor ideas center around utilities. In example, a room with a sink could use many different designs. You could choose minimal metal, a granite counter top, a designer sink, and more! Similarly, lighting ranges from string lights at the top, to switch-controlled rainbow LED lights, or perhaps just traditional lamps. Custom electricity outlets ensure the room never goes without electricity—although make sure a technician handles that, or you may accidentally create a fire hazard.

Finding different ways to construct old things gives your man cave a unique flair. Your room not only looks unique, but it also suits your needs perfectly! Some common examples of unique décor include hidden furniture and movable walls. By constructing customized décor, you maximize your man space and increase the number of features that fit in there. Even stashing extra chairs in the unused space of your room helps when you invite others over. When you consider your décor, make sure to also maximize all of your space! It seriously pays off in the end.

Related Read: Man Cave Decor

  Man Cave Flooring

With man cave flooring, a lot of options present themselves. Carpet obviously works great in basement or garage environments—where the floor becomes uncomfortably cold—but it also comes with drawbacks. Carpets stain and cleaning them takes time and machinery. For a smaller—and cheaper—option than carpets, rugs do the job. Plus, customizing the room with rugs adds a bit of flair to the room. Even if you choose a different type of flooring, try adding in some man cave rugs to give the room a little flair! Amazon carries no end of exotic rug designs to sate your desire for personalization.

Of course, carpets sit somewhere on the bottom rung of the ladder compared to other floor types. Wood flooring installs easily—even without a lot of experience woodworking—and it cleans easily. Many different types of wood exist to liven up the room, although some of them take a lot of money to obtain. Using smaller pieces of wood to create unique designs, patterns, or murals makes the floor a show piece of the room.

Ceramic tile also goes in easily, although that sort of floor also gets chilly, and installation reaches a pricy high. In the future, replacing a tile proves difficult if the manufacturer stops producing it. Nonetheless, tiles look amazing—especially in sunlit rooms. Reflective tiles bring out the colors in any lights you placed in the room.  For a cheaper option, simply apply glue and unwrap some linoleum tile. However, linoleum tile looks far less spectacular than the other options here.

The very last option is also the cheapest, but it only works for certain types of mancaves. Basements and first floors in homes without basements both share something in common—a cement floor. While you may need to remove carpeting or tile on top, the cement floor gives a grungy, minimalist, or utilitarian appearance to a mancave. Anyone with a workshop knows the value of a simple, smooth floor that withstands even the craziest of disasters.

  Man Cave Furniture

Once again, before deciding accessorizing with man cave accessories, the furniture goes first. Of course, following with your theme, different types of furniture take precedence. Man cave desks, chairs, recliners, tables, shelves, and entertainment systems feature in almost every manspace out there. Hopefully these tips for finding the right kind of furniture for you—and within your budget—help.

Let’s start by considering your wallet. The fastest way to find fitting furniture, along with the cheapest, is to browse yard sales and antique stores. Refurbished man cave antiques look brand new, and they allow for a customized look. Refurbishing furniture takes a little bit of cleaning, a bit of material fabric, a staple gun, and some sense of aesthetic (I’ll trust you on this one). For man cave tables, a little bit of sanding turns an old piece of junk into a rustic piece of woodwork. Never overlook furniture just because of their color—they contain the base for whatever pattern you want!

Where you sit in your own special room matters more than you would think. A little bit of comfort goes a long way, while managing with the mere minimum for your precious butt sends you away from your room sore, on the best of days. For man cave chairs—even with modern man cave furniture—make sure some sort of cushion or soft plastic keeps you from the hard frame of your chair. Man cave recliners push the whole comfort thing further by allowing you to lay back in your chair. Ideally, the chair feels so comfortable you could fall asleep while sitting!

  Mancave Wall Ideas

For man cave wall ideas, start with your base theme and explore from there. What sort of props work well with that theme? Imagine yourself on the set of a theatre play. What would the stage hands put around the stage to suspend your belief? This helps you start your quest for the perfect wall ideas. Beyond the theme, let’s talk about essentials for your mantuary.

What sort of man cave signs tell others about yourself? Incorporate that into your room—either literally (as a sign on your man cave door) or through an abstract type of man cave vinyl wall art. Posters of all different shapes and sizes show the theme spectacularly—but other methods work just as well. For a typical setup, I like to include both a moving eye-catcher and a stable-eye catcher. The mesmerizing effect of an aquarium or light show complements the antlers or posters on the other side of the room. No matter where you look, your eyes always find somewhere to rest.

To add to things, creating sections of your wall with different wallpaper or tiling makes the room seem bigger and distinguishes the different areas of your man cave. Easily change the look of your room by adding interior facades! Or, you could add a tiled section of carved wood branches to show off your wild side. Themed hanging shelves go the extra mile and allow you to best utilize space.

Lastly, put a clock in that room. I don’t care if everyone uses their phone as a watch. A clock turns empty space into a tool, and plenty of them look amazing.

  DIY Mancave Ideas

Believe it or not, man caves on a budget exist. By planning all furniture, paint, decorations, and materials ahead of time, you already go a long way towards cutting costs. At the same time, purchasing cheap man cave furniture only saves you so much money. That’s why mancave DIY makes up the majority of amazing rooms out there! For someone first learning how to turn your room into a man cave, DIY work looks very appealing. These cheap ideas for man caves save you a bit of cash, no matter your experience!

First, all of your furniture should come from thrift stores, yard sales, or pawn shops. Strip the furniture of their upholstery, tweak the frame however you like, and then reupholster it according to the style of your room. Naturally, steam clean it to ensure no pests follow it from its original location.  This creates custom furniture for an affordable price—without the woodworking experience!

For other cheap man cave stuff, purchase only the wires and plugs for all of your lighting and create your own display for them. Just make sure the display withstands high amounts of heat! For pictures, look around for cheap frames. Use FedEx or similar printing shops to make incredibly cheap custom prints. A full, customized poster costs very little to print, and you can cut it down to fit even the strangest frame shapes. For antique frames that you want to renovate, simply sand down the frame into your desired shape (I recommend a sander for this), then paint or stain as desired.

  Man Cave Entertainment

After situating your furniture, your electronics come next! Depending on the theme of your room, you decide on lamps or ceiling lights, TV or radio, and even mechanics to automate parts of the room (for example, closing and opening the blinds). The number and location of outlets sometimes limits your distribution of electronics…but that’s what extension cords are for. Don’t tell an electrician that I said that, though. In this section, I talk about all the man cave essential electronics, along with the best ways to organize them. Along with that, I talk about wire management, high-tech options, and even budget options for your home entertainment room.

  Man Cave TV

With TVs, a lot of options present themselves. Believe it or not, huge flat screen TVs save money compared to the high-tier televisions. However, to go the extra mile, I suggest looking for other forms of display. Hanging or hiding a projector somewhere in the room to display on a wall or screen saves a lot of space and offers high quality resolution. Projectors support up to 4K resolution, and you tweak the size and shape to suit your room. Modern projectors avoid screen glare and even shine brighter than sunlight—so the lighting of your room never reduces quality.

That leaves 4K TVs with curved screens as the last option—which sits somewhere in the middle of those two in terms of price range. 4K screens look spectacular, and with visual media slowly switching to the 4K resolution, your TV remains the standard for at least a decade. Curved screens work great for solo play, but if you want to invite friends over frequently, check how multiple people see the TV from other angles.

  Mancave Entertainment

With the display part out of the way, let’s talk about how to use it. To reduce the amount of visible wires, create a specific electronic hub where all your display options go. To hide the machines, use drawers, shelves, or other miscellaneous furniture. Instead of finding a TV or projector with a million ports, look into buying a selector switch box. That way, only a single wire needs to reach your display of choice. With a click of a button, you switch between your computer, Blu-ray player, game console, or even to a radio. A switch that allows you to choose different audio and video outputs opens up even more uses for your display system.

  Man Cave Video Games

Completing the list of essential man cave electronics, video games bring together people like no other form of media. Even for a solitary mantuary, games offer a welcome form of relaxation. Lots of people ask about what sort of games suit their mancaves, but the answer always goes differently depending on the person and their game consoles. For Nintendo consoles, Super Smash Bros games obviously takes the cake. On the Switch, where no Super Smash Bros game exists, try Switch 1-2-3. For the XBOX One, Minecraft and Halo 5 Guardians make up the core multiplayer experiences. For Sony…well, that’s more of a single-player console. However, showing off the VR headset capabilities always livens up a party.

Related Read: Game Room Decor

  Man Cave Eats

More important than man cave gadgets or man cave games, consider what sort of food you put in! For your man cave diet, make sure to distinguish what you eat in the cave as opposed to what you eat in your dining room. Focus on food that needs no electricity or heat to prepare. Along with that, keep your calorie count low and nutrition high. This includes celery, broccoli, pre-cooked or dried meats, fruits, nuts, and so on. With these power foods at your disposal, you keep your focus during your work and relaxation. If health man cave foods aren’t your thing, don’t worry. Simply keep stocked on your favorite snacks.

For drinks, the obvious choice is beer. However, a lot of people neglect to think of man cave caffeine in their designs. Similar to planning for an included bar, you can also plan for a tiny café of your favorites. Soda, energy drinks, tea, sparkling water, sports drinks, or plain old filtered water all round out your room’s sanctuary.

I want to mention the caveman’s diet specifically, since it suits mancavers quite well, don’t you think? Also called the Paleo diet, it focuses entirely on unprepared foods. Something that needs to be milled (like flour) stays out of the food. It changes depending on seasonal availability. Thankfully, mancave meats need little preparation! These foods, which require zero prep and only a bit of cooking, work perfect for a hangout room. Just make sure you put in your man cave fridge! For cooking your meats and other foods, an induction cooker or microwave cut down on both space and fire hazards.

  Man Cave Bar

Home bars in general vary depending on their purpose. For attending to guests, you need a tall table, bar chairs, a hidden countertop for mixing things, and perhaps a footrest. If the bar exists for you alone, then all that other stuff makes no sense. Along with your regular man cave refrigerator, grab a wine cooler for the room. Adjust the wine cooler to your preferred temperature—most people prefer 45*F for their beverages.

Search for materials that match your theme or personality. Most men use granite countertops, but wooden countertops give off a rustic feel. For do-it-yourselfers or thrifty spenders, check your local area for closing restaurants or bars. They sell cheap seats, tables, and bar pieces which you easily update to suit your needs. Otherwise, grab some lumber from your local stores and construct your own frame. The flexibility of the wood matters just as much as its color, so select your base material wisely!

When building, consider whether or not it cleans easily. Seal up any spaces that could enter the frame, preventing waste and mold from building up in the interior. To help with that, construct a fully functional sink to drain excess liquid and provide water for your drinks.

  Man Cave Grooming

While the world thinks of ‘grooming’ as a female hobby, keeping yourself suave and sexy in the man cave takes a lot of work. For a good business man or an outgoing character appreciate a nearby bathroom—or at least a grooming area! Bring together  a sink, a mirror, and a shelf for all your necessities, and you construct a bare-bones grooming station for your guests and yourself. As far as picking the right products for your cave, think carefully. After all, you can’t exactly find a proper mancave facewash review just lying around. This time, rather than talk about brands, I focus on necessities.

First, hair products! Even if you skip the sink, keeping a mirror and some man cave hair gel around saves you from an embarrassing appearance at the wrong time. Putting in a man cave shower lets you use shower gel and shampoo whenever you need a quick rinse. A perfect grooming station looks like a man cave salon—but instead of the obnoxious perfumes and beauty tools, it contains clean and effective man cave moisturizers, face scrubs, razors, combs, and so on.

To go the extra mile install a toilet for your man cave. This completes the grooming station and sets any guests you invite at ease. The plumbing for this entire part of a man space takes a lot of work and experience, but obviously, you and anyone who visits your cave appreciates the ready access to some bodily essentials! Just don’t forget to put in toilet paper and a plunger when you finish the project. Too many of us fall victim to the inescapable and embarrassing toilet trap.

  The Best Man Cave Ideas Create…

So, to all of you dreaming of the perfect manspace and the rest of you who spend their time mancaving, hopefully this little guide gave you some new types of insight. On one hand, constructing your room into something spectacular proves an amazing feat. But when you look out across your domain, remember—there’s still work to be done. New additions, new necessities, maintenance, and even deconstruction go into making your cave perfect. Very few people actually reach a stage where they call their mantuary ‘perfect.’

Instead of focusing on making it look perfect, focus on making it suit your needs. You need an area to relax, somewhere to retreat when life throws its worst at you, and a space you keep everything precious to you. Invariably, your room never matches your design perfectly. Thankfully, most of the ‘mistakes’ turn into happy little miracles. On the other hand, partway through, you may realize something you create won’t work and find yourself challenged to build around the failed start. Persevere through it all and find satisfaction at the end of it.

Many men already use the secluded rooms of their home—offices, guest rooms, basements, and garage rooms all provide ample alone time. However, taking the extra step to make these places livable—rather than simply a secluded room—turns them into true man caves. More than anything, as you sit in your man cave to relax, take pride in the work you accomplished, and think ahead to even bigger ventures! The best man cave ideas create a brand new man out of you!

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Just The Best Man Cave Ideas

Just the Best Man Cave Ideas

Planning a man cave? Decorating your manspace? Or maybe just upgrading your mantuary? I gathered some amazing man cave ideas and tips from all across the net to help you in your quest. You can’t just walk into some kind of man cave store, looking for an item that fits the bill. Man caves are personal spaces, meant to satisfy your needs and possibly the needs of your guests. All of your items probably come from hundreds of different locations—which makes online shopping all the more convenient for you! But let’s not get into that yet. Instead, I want to talk about just the best man cave ideas you will ever see on the net!

This little article serves as a guide to upgrading and making a man cave. I go over all the basics—from what sets a man cave apart from a normal study, all the way to setting up a bar and food station in there. For more detailed instructions, ideas, and man cave tips, the rest of the site covers everything. Building the idea of your man cave into something desirable takes a lot of contemplation. On top of that, actually materializing it takes time and money…two things that most men can’t throw around frivolously!

Making sure your man cave suits your lifestyle becomes easy after reading these quick tips. On top of that, we offer some man cave tips to help you lower spending and time spent on your cave. While the journey of every man ends at a unique man cave, we all share the same crossroads and bridges to overcome. This page lets you know exactly what to expect. Use your extra time to relax in your own, personal man cave!

  Man Cave Definition

Before we set out into the great unknown…let’s make it a little more familiar. Maybe you heard about man caves, mantuaries, or manspaces through a friend. Maybe you saw it on Tumblr or Reddit. In any case, man caves represent a personal room for people to relax. It’s called a man cave to separate it from the living room—where certain furniture rules and guest accommodations became the norm. Furthermore, the man of the house uses it as a sanctuary to separate himself from the job duties, husband obligations, and noisy kids that might bar him from relaxing in the rest of the house. The same applies to the man cave synonyms—mantuary and manspace.

The different between a man cave vs. a study is that studies imply that some sort of work happens within its doors. The room encourages cleaning to access files and books with minimal time searching. Adding in a bar, workshop, or entertainment distracts from the purpose of the study room. In other words, the opposite of relaxing! On the other hand, a man cave meaning encompasses a way to relax. You add whatever you want to the collection and use your brain only to keep the room cohesive or think of creative man cave names.

Like study room rules, man cave rules sometimes apply. Set in place by the men who use them, they ensure that the room stays a place of relaxation. One common rule is that no women or children are allowed. Another rule states that no mention of work or chores happens past the entrance. It’s your room—you make your own rules!

  Mancave Ideas

To start with your man cave ideas, think of your own personality. What sort of theme expresses yourself? What sort of features do you want in your man cave? All cool man cave ideas sound stupid in the beginning. However, in executing the design itself, everything falls into place and looks spectacular. Your versatility and creativity in working with a theme directly affects how impressive your man cave looks.

In order to create an amazing mantuary for yourself, consider your own limits. For example, without experience in engineering, a complex light system or movable blinds go incomplete for years. By limiting the number of insurmountable tasks in your design, you achieve your design with amazing speed. Plus, once you finish, adding features at a later date works just as well.

But, even more important than looking cool, you need to think about the functional uses for your man cave. Ideas for a man cave fall flat when you find yourself only using a corner of the room in the end. If you spend a lot of time grooming yourself in the bathroom while your wife or girlfriend bangs on the door, a tiny setup with running water and a minimalistic mirror works great for you. Solve any fighting with your kids over whether you play games or Saturday morning cartoons by creating a home entertainment system in your own special man space.

Of course, finding that special theme for yourself proves difficult when you simply want a room to yourself. For your manroom ideas, you need to consider the location and shape of the room, what sort of features you desire, and what matches the money in your wallet. Keep reading for some man cave quick tips!

  Man Cave Locations

A man cave room takes many different forms—and location defines those forms the most! While some people look at a basement, small room, or shed as ‘constrictions,’ they actually work to your advantage! A small space fills up easily, saving you money on décor, and forcing you to streamline everything in the room. They feel much cozier and personal! A larger space allows for big furniture and impressive set ups—ideal for inviting friends over to chill in the cave. I wrote a few tips on the most popular man cave locations below, and you can check the rest of the site for dealing with more locations!

  Man Cave Garage

When looking for man cave garage ideas, consider the floor first and foremost. The oil that stained the floor and the gas that soaked into the walls pose a unique problem—unless, of course, you want an auto-themed man cave. Using a resin to lock in the smell of the floor works incredibly well—plus, a clear resin allows you to place some permanent decorations beneath the floor! As a second priority, consider replacing the garage door with something a little more convenient or smaller. This frees up space on the ceiling, gives you more security, and even provides you with an extra wall to decorate! I advise using an exterior that looks like a garage door, though—or you pose the risk of angering your HOA.

    Man Cave Basement

The most popular of man caves, this subterranean abode fits the bill more than any other room. Making a manspace out of an area completely separated from the house feels like a dream. Nothing separates you more from the rest of the house than a flight of stairs—I promise! When constructing a basement mancave, consider two important factors. First, you need enough outlets to support your entertainment setup. Blueprints allow for basement outlets—but only in the strangest of places. Second, consider fire safety. Your basement should have full ventilation with the rest of the house, along with two exits. Make sure your fire department knows about both of them!

    Man Cave Shed

Alright, remember that bit about separating yourself from the rest of the house? A man cave shed does that, literally. Setting up electricity and keeping out bugs takes priority when using a shed as your mantuary. Once you take care of those, use your unlimited creativity to turn the space into whatever you like, with no one telling you ‘that color sucks’ or ‘no antlers on the walls, ever.’ Plus, you incorporate the natural light of windows (or even sunlights!) into the rest of the room. With a little bit of automation, a single switch turns a sunny room to relax into a dark and dedicated movie room.

    Small Man Caves

No matter what type of mancave you choose to build, small man cave spaces take a little more planning. Small basement man cave ideas run into the problem of utilities taking up space. The water heater, dryer, sink, furnace, washing machine, and whatever else take up the space. Similarly, building a small man cave shed takes a lot of ingenuity to make that small space usable. For mini man caves in a tiny house, I highly recommend looking up the architectural feats in Japan and China. With incredibly limited space, creative individuals find ways to completely transform rooms—usually through hidden furniture. In any case, a small man cave proves the coziest of all, if a little bit cramped.

    Man Cave Themes

Man caves take on any theme you desire—from a man cave bar, to man cave archery range, and even to a D&D man cave. Whether private or public, your man cave shows a personal side of yourself and accommodates everyone who enters. When you search for your man cave things, a theme helps bring the room together. Beyond matching colors, a theme gives your manspace a certain flair. Walking into your mancave feels like entering a different realm—one made just for you! I cover the most popular ones here, but feel free to find your own theme!

  Man Cave Workshop

Preceding the concept of the man cave itself, workshops provide a place of relaxation to creative-minded people. Customized autoshops, woodshops, art studios, and more make up the foundations of the man cave. Once the utilitarian elements fit into place, extra comfort pieces go in. Usually, that means a television to entertain the mind during menial or repetitive tasks. A radio proves a good substitute, along with a means to play podcasts or talk shows. After that, furniture to relax and reference materials line the floor and walls. Lastly, décor goes all across the walls until no paint shows through.

  Man Caves : Steampunk Cave

While the steampunk genre usually sits in the realms of nerds and cosplayers, well-read creators of man caves may find themselves attracted to the décor. And what’s not to like? Bronze, silver, and gold gears match furniture easily while appearing expensive and intricate. Of course, we all know the secret…DIY steam punk costs very little and looks excellent in the end! Perhaps its cost made the steampunk theme so popular. Bonus points if you build actual contraptions in your man cave to match the theme!

  Man Cave Bar

Man cave bar ideas would be incorporated into every man cave…if only everyone had the knowledge to run a bar! While bars fit into nearly any mantuary, thematically speaking, realizing it takes a huge amount of effort. First, you need special refrigerators that monitor the temperatures of wines and spirits. Second, you need to stock up with expensive wines and spirits in the first place! Fitting it into the décor takes time, especially with more abstract man cave themes. And most importantly, you need knowledge and experience to run that bar. Mixing, spiking, and matching wines to occasions only makes up a part of that knowledge. Of course, the effort pays off in the end!

  Man Cave Arcade

Arguably the most expensive of man caves, this manspace requires tons of money to purchase actual arcade machines. Furthermore, classic arcade machines fetch a high price and prove difficult to locate. My personal favorite arcade game, Ocean Hunter, can only be found in select locations in the Pacific Isles. That’s just a little expensive to ship, you know? The most cost-effective way to create an arcade is to build the frames yourself and use a cheap computer base (such as a Raspberry Pi) to run an emulator.

Of course, many more man cave themes and ideas exist. We plan on covering all of them—so feel free to browse the rest of the site for some unique and interesting ideas!

  Mancave Décor Ideas

Even ancient mancave designs focused on one thing: man cave art! While you don’t need to grab some chalk or clay to decorate the walls, I highly suggest using posters and signs that represent the theme of your room. Man cave room ideas center around the theme of the room, after all—even if that theme is just minimalism! A steampunk theme definitely needs some furniture, lights, and wall ornaments covered in gears and moving elements. On the other hand, something video-game themed wants for electric displays, multiple screens, and serious wire management.

Other man cave décor ideas center around utilities. In example, a room with a sink could use many different designs. You could choose minimal metal, a granite counter top, a designer sink, and more! Similarly, lighting ranges from string lights at the top, to switch-controlled rainbow LED lights, or perhaps just traditional lamps. Custom electricity outlets ensure the room never goes without electricity—although make sure a technician handles that, or you may accidentally create a fire hazard.

Finding different ways to construct old things gives your man cave a unique flair. Your room not only looks unique, but it also suits your needs perfectly! Some common examples of unique décor include hidden furniture and movable walls. By constructing customized décor, you maximize your man space and increase the number of features that fit in there. Even stashing extra chairs in the unused space of your room helps when you invite others over. When you consider your décor, make sure to also maximize all of your space! It seriously pays off in the end.

Related Read: Man Cave Decor

  Man Cave Flooring

With man cave flooring, a lot of options present themselves. Carpet obviously works great in basement or garage environments—where the floor becomes uncomfortably cold—but it also comes with drawbacks. Carpets stain and cleaning them takes time and machinery. For a smaller—and cheaper—option than carpets, rugs do the job. Plus, customizing the room with rugs adds a bit of flair to the room. Even if you choose a different type of flooring, try adding in some man cave rugs to give the room a little flair! Amazon carries no end of exotic rug designs to sate your desire for personalization.

Of course, carpets sit somewhere on the bottom rung of the ladder compared to other floor types. Wood flooring installs easily—even without a lot of experience woodworking—and it cleans easily. Many different types of wood exist to liven up the room, although some of them take a lot of money to obtain. Using smaller pieces of wood to create unique designs, patterns, or murals makes the floor a show piece of the room.

Ceramic tile also goes in easily, although that sort of floor also gets chilly, and installation reaches a pricy high. In the future, replacing a tile proves difficult if the manufacturer stops producing it. Nonetheless, tiles look amazing—especially in sunlit rooms. Reflective tiles bring out the colors in any lights you placed in the room.  For a cheaper option, simply apply glue and unwrap some linoleum tile. However, linoleum tile looks far less spectacular than the other options here.

The very last option is also the cheapest, but it only works for certain types of mancaves. Basements and first floors in homes without basements both share something in common—a cement floor. While you may need to remove carpeting or tile on top, the cement floor gives a grungy, minimalist, or utilitarian appearance to a mancave. Anyone with a workshop knows the value of a simple, smooth floor that withstands even the craziest of disasters.

  Man Cave Furniture

Once again, before deciding accessorizing with man cave accessories, the furniture goes first. Of course, following with your theme, different types of furniture take precedence. Man cave desks, chairs, recliners, tables, shelves, and entertainment systems feature in almost every manspace out there. Hopefully these tips for finding the right kind of furniture for you—and within your budget—help.

Let’s start by considering your wallet. The fastest way to find fitting furniture, along with the cheapest, is to browse yard sales and antique stores. Refurbished man cave antiques look brand new, and they allow for a customized look. Refurbishing furniture takes a little bit of cleaning, a bit of material fabric, a staple gun, and some sense of aesthetic (I’ll trust you on this one). For man cave tables, a little bit of sanding turns an old piece of junk into a rustic piece of woodwork. Never overlook furniture just because of their color—they contain the base for whatever pattern you want!

Where you sit in your own special room matters more than you would think. A little bit of comfort goes a long way, while managing with the mere minimum for your precious butt sends you away from your room sore, on the best of days. For man cave chairs—even with modern man cave furniture—make sure some sort of cushion or soft plastic keeps you from the hard frame of your chair. Man cave recliners push the whole comfort thing further by allowing you to lay back in your chair. Ideally, the chair feels so comfortable you could fall asleep while sitting!

  Mancave Wall Ideas

For man cave wall ideas, start with your base theme and explore from there. What sort of props work well with that theme? Imagine yourself on the set of a theatre play. What would the stage hands put around the stage to suspend your belief? This helps you start your quest for the perfect wall ideas. Beyond the theme, let’s talk about essentials for your mantuary.

What sort of man cave signs tell others about yourself? Incorporate that into your room—either literally (as a sign on your man cave door) or through an abstract type of man cave vinyl wall art. Posters of all different shapes and sizes show the theme spectacularly—but other methods work just as well. For a typical setup, I like to include both a moving eye-catcher and a stable-eye catcher. The mesmerizing effect of an aquarium or light show complements the antlers or posters on the other side of the room. No matter where you look, your eyes always find somewhere to rest.

To add to things, creating sections of your wall with different wallpaper or tiling makes the room seem bigger and distinguishes the different areas of your man cave. Easily change the look of your room by adding interior facades! Or, you could add a tiled section of carved wood branches to show off your wild side. Themed hanging shelves go the extra mile and allow you to best utilize space.

Lastly, put a clock in that room. I don’t care if everyone uses their phone as a watch. A clock turns empty space into a tool, and plenty of them look amazing.

  DIY Mancave Ideas

Believe it or not, man caves on a budget exist. By planning all furniture, paint, decorations, and materials ahead of time, you already go a long way towards cutting costs. At the same time, purchasing cheap man cave furniture only saves you so much money. That’s why mancave DIY makes up the majority of amazing rooms out there! For someone first learning how to turn your room into a man cave, DIY work looks very appealing. These cheap ideas for man caves save you a bit of cash, no matter your experience!

First, all of your furniture should come from thrift stores, yard sales, or pawn shops. Strip the furniture of their upholstery, tweak the frame however you like, and then reupholster it according to the style of your room. Naturally, steam clean it to ensure no pests follow it from its original location.  This creates custom furniture for an affordable price—without the woodworking experience!

For other cheap man cave stuff, purchase only the wires and plugs for all of your lighting and create your own display for them. Just make sure the display withstands high amounts of heat! For pictures, look around for cheap frames. Use FedEx or similar printing shops to make incredibly cheap custom prints. A full, customized poster costs very little to print, and you can cut it down to fit even the strangest frame shapes. For antique frames that you want to renovate, simply sand down the frame into your desired shape (I recommend a sander for this), then paint or stain as desired.

  Man Cave Entertainment

After situating your furniture, your electronics come next! Depending on the theme of your room, you decide on lamps or ceiling lights, TV or radio, and even mechanics to automate parts of the room (for example, closing and opening the blinds). The number and location of outlets sometimes limits your distribution of electronics…but that’s what extension cords are for. Don’t tell an electrician that I said that, though. In this section, I talk about all the man cave essential electronics, along with the best ways to organize them. Along with that, I talk about wire management, high-tech options, and even budget options for your home entertainment room.

  Man Cave TV

With TVs, a lot of options present themselves. Believe it or not, huge flat screen TVs save money compared to the high-tier televisions. However, to go the extra mile, I suggest looking for other forms of display. Hanging or hiding a projector somewhere in the room to display on a wall or screen saves a lot of space and offers high quality resolution. Projectors support up to 4K resolution, and you tweak the size and shape to suit your room. Modern projectors avoid screen glare and even shine brighter than sunlight—so the lighting of your room never reduces quality.

That leaves 4K TVs with curved screens as the last option—which sits somewhere in the middle of those two in terms of price range. 4K screens look spectacular, and with visual media slowly switching to the 4K resolution, your TV remains the standard for at least a decade. Curved screens work great for solo play, but if you want to invite friends over frequently, check how multiple people see the TV from other angles.

  Mancave Entertainment

With the display part out of the way, let’s talk about how to use it. To reduce the amount of visible wires, create a specific electronic hub where all your display options go. To hide the machines, use drawers, shelves, or other miscellaneous furniture. Instead of finding a TV or projector with a million ports, look into buying a selector switch box. That way, only a single wire needs to reach your display of choice. With a click of a button, you switch between your computer, Blu-ray player, game console, or even to a radio. A switch that allows you to choose different audio and video outputs opens up even more uses for your display system.

  Man Cave Video Games

Completing the list of essential man cave electronics, video games bring together people like no other form of media. Even for a solitary mantuary, games offer a welcome form of relaxation. Lots of people ask about what sort of games suit their mancaves, but the answer always goes differently depending on the person and their game consoles. For Nintendo consoles, Super Smash Bros games obviously takes the cake. On the Switch, where no Super Smash Bros game exists, try Switch 1-2-3. For the XBOX One, Minecraft and Halo 5 Guardians make up the core multiplayer experiences. For Sony…well, that’s more of a single-player console. However, showing off the VR headset capabilities always livens up a party.

Related Read: Game Room Decor

  Man Cave Eats

More important than man cave gadgets or man cave games, consider what sort of food you put in! For your man cave diet, make sure to distinguish what you eat in the cave as opposed to what you eat in your dining room. Focus on food that needs no electricity or heat to prepare. Along with that, keep your calorie count low and nutrition high. This includes celery, broccoli, pre-cooked or dried meats, fruits, nuts, and so on. With these power foods at your disposal, you keep your focus during your work and relaxation. If health man cave foods aren’t your thing, don’t worry. Simply keep stocked on your favorite snacks.

For drinks, the obvious choice is beer. However, a lot of people neglect to think of man cave caffeine in their designs. Similar to planning for an included bar, you can also plan for a tiny café of your favorites. Soda, energy drinks, tea, sparkling water, sports drinks, or plain old filtered water all round out your room’s sanctuary.

I want to mention the caveman’s diet specifically, since it suits mancavers quite well, don’t you think? Also called the Paleo diet, it focuses entirely on unprepared foods. Something that needs to be milled (like flour) stays out of the food. It changes depending on seasonal availability. Thankfully, mancave meats need little preparation! These foods, which require zero prep and only a bit of cooking, work perfect for a hangout room. Just make sure you put in your man cave fridge! For cooking your meats and other foods, an induction cooker or microwave cut down on both space and fire hazards.

  Man Cave Bar

Home bars in general vary depending on their purpose. For attending to guests, you need a tall table, bar chairs, a hidden countertop for mixing things, and perhaps a footrest. If the bar exists for you alone, then all that other stuff makes no sense. Along with your regular man cave refrigerator, grab a wine cooler for the room. Adjust the wine cooler to your preferred temperature—most people prefer 45*F for their beverages.

Search for materials that match your theme or personality. Most men use granite countertops, but wooden countertops give off a rustic feel. For do-it-yourselfers or thrifty spenders, check your local area for closing restaurants or bars. They sell cheap seats, tables, and bar pieces which you easily update to suit your needs. Otherwise, grab some lumber from your local stores and construct your own frame. The flexibility of the wood matters just as much as its color, so select your base material wisely!

When building, consider whether or not it cleans easily. Seal up any spaces that could enter the frame, preventing waste and mold from building up in the interior. To help with that, construct a fully functional sink to drain excess liquid and provide water for your drinks.

  Man Cave Grooming

While the world thinks of ‘grooming’ as a female hobby, keeping yourself suave and sexy in the man cave takes a lot of work. For a good business man or an outgoing character appreciate a nearby bathroom—or at least a grooming area! Bring together  a sink, a mirror, and a shelf for all your necessities, and you construct a bare-bones grooming station for your guests and yourself. As far as picking the right products for your cave, think carefully. After all, you can’t exactly find a proper mancave facewash review just lying around. This time, rather than talk about brands, I focus on necessities.

First, hair products! Even if you skip the sink, keeping a mirror and some man cave hair gel around saves you from an embarrassing appearance at the wrong time. Putting in a man cave shower lets you use shower gel and shampoo whenever you need a quick rinse. A perfect grooming station looks like a man cave salon—but instead of the obnoxious perfumes and beauty tools, it contains clean and effective man cave moisturizers, face scrubs, razors, combs, and so on.

To go the extra mile install a toilet for your man cave. This completes the grooming station and sets any guests you invite at ease. The plumbing for this entire part of a man space takes a lot of work and experience, but obviously, you and anyone who visits your cave appreciates the ready access to some bodily essentials! Just don’t forget to put in toilet paper and a plunger when you finish the project. Too many of us fall victim to the inescapable and embarrassing toilet trap.

  The Best Man Cave Ideas Create…

So, to all of you dreaming of the perfect manspace and the rest of you who spend their time mancaving, hopefully this little guide gave you some new types of insight. On one hand, constructing your room into something spectacular proves an amazing feat. But when you look out across your domain, remember—there’s still work to be done. New additions, new necessities, maintenance, and even deconstruction go into making your cave perfect. Very few people actually reach a stage where they call their mantuary ‘perfect.’

Instead of focusing on making it look perfect, focus on making it suit your needs. You need an area to relax, somewhere to retreat when life throws its worst at you, and a space you keep everything precious to you. Invariably, your room never matches your design perfectly. Thankfully, most of the ‘mistakes’ turn into happy little miracles. On the other hand, partway through, you may realize something you create won’t work and find yourself challenged to build around the failed start. Persevere through it all and find satisfaction at the end of it.

Many men already use the secluded rooms of their home—offices, guest rooms, basements, and garage rooms all provide ample alone time. However, taking the extra step to make these places livable—rather than simply a secluded room—turns them into true man caves. More than anything, as you sit in your man cave to relax, take pride in the work you accomplished, and think ahead to even bigger ventures! The best man cave ideas create a brand new man out of you!

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