We are men. When we drink, it’s only beer or a dark liquid that tastes like gasoline; when we get lost, we drive around for hours refusing to admit we are of course; when we argue, it’s only over the most important of topics: Lebron vs Jordan, Peyton vs Brady or Zeppelin vs the Stones. But in today’s day and age, the pressures of being a modern day male has forced us to drift from our true nature of rugged manly men. I shudder in horror to think what great men of the past like John Wayne or Johnny Cash would think of today’s trends of “man-buns” or mirror selfies at the gym.
However, there is a refuge in the place we call home. A space to fully be the men we were made to be. A spot where we can be free to leave the toilet seat up or dry our hands with the “good” towels in the bathroom. An area where we can destroy our friends in Call of Duty or remind everyone how much we rocked in high school football as we watch old tape on our new projector screen.
This is not to say that we – men – don’t appreciate everything that a home gets from that special woman’s touch. Sure, we enjoy the smell of fresh potpourri when we walk into the bathroom. And yes, on occasion, we will need to borrow some of your L’Occitane Lavender Hand Cream or Burt’s Bees lip balm. Yet, we yearn for a place where we can bask in our manhood like real-life Batmen – our cave.
Before I get too carried away, here are some theme ideas for men of all tastes to turn any extra room into a man-cave.
Sports:
This first theme is a man-favorite. There is absolutely nothing in the world like investing your entire soul into a certain team or player all for the glory of being able to boast for the entire offseason that you only root for the best. I feel bad for those who don’t get it. Those who have never slid their chairs an inch away from the TV with four seconds left in the fourth quarter, or turned their baseball caps inside out while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance backwards during the pitcher’s wind-up because it started a rally last inning. Sports make the impossible, possible; especially when you’re in your sports themed man-cave.
Gamer’s Paradise:
Personally, I’m partial to the classics. The Nintendo64 that graced the living room of my house in college was all my roommates and I needed. They don’t engineer ‘em like that that anymore; we turned the N64 off once in two years (and that was just to prove it was possible). Yet, no matter which gaming system you prefer, something is abundantly clear – one must be fully stocked with all of the essential equipment necessary to own “noobs”.
Sportsman:
Men are natural hunters. Before civilization so ruthlessly stripped us of our true nature, we spent tens of thousands of years risking our lives hunting wild game to feed our villages. Now the biggest risk we face in feeding our kin is getting a rogue shopping cart to the Achilles tendon. Let’s get back to our roots in a room that shows off who we really are.
Music:
Paying tribute to your favorite artist or band doesn’t have to be limited to your graphic tees anymore. Hard rock: Yes. Gangster rap: Absolutely. Pretty much, anything but Nickelback is man-cave approved.
Movies:
Like the music category above, you can show off your unique tastes and preferences by paying homage to your favorite flicks. Old school movie posters are always a man-favorite (if you don’t believe me, ask Andy Dufresne what he thinks of them). Don’t worry about what your friends and family with think. It is your man cave; it is your rules. So go ahead and say it for all to hear: The Devil Wears Prada is a fantastic movie.
Classic Study:
If you are a man of finer tastes who enjoys lighting up a Cohiba, kicking up your feet on your writing desk while you ponder the ins and outs of mankind’s metaphysical nature, the classic study is right up any dignified man’s alley.
At Coldwell Banker, we love highlighting all of the incredible things a home has to offer. And one of those perks is being able to fully customize a room to make it completely your own. A man cave (or mom cave) is one of those things that can truly make your house a home.
Header image courtesy of Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate agent Brandon Fairbanks and Coldwell Banker United, Realtors.
