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The Man Cave – THE Perfect Father’s Day Gift

Father’s Day is coming up, and this year I knew what my husband wanted more than anything- a Man Cave, a space for just him to be himself and relax. A man’s home is his castle, and in that castle he may want to carve out a little corner that he can do what he wants, decorate how he wants, and be alone. It’s all very important for his morale, so every home needs a place where the dudes can game, work out, or just veg out.

We renovated our home quite a bit in the last few years, with the basement being one of the few spots that haven’t been redecorated yet, so hubby called dibs. We transformed it into his own fortress of solitude with the help of Raymour & Flanigan, and now it has everything a guy could need. Since a good man cave focuses on comfort, entertainment, and seclusion, here are some of our tips to create your guy’s man cave into his perfect escape.

creating a man cave for fathers day

Five Tips To Create A Perfect Man Cave

1. A secluded spot A good man cave needs to be in an area of the home that’s a bit separate from the rest of the household noise and traffic. It doesn’t have to be far, but not a room with lots of distracting foot traffic coming through, Since ours is in an area with household storage (there’s a corner messy with Christmas decorations and old sports equipment), he picked out room dividers to separate his space from the rest of the basement too, and keep all that from being a major eyesore.

2. Recliners The man cave throne is the recliner, the perfect seat that allows a man to lay back and nap or swing forward to jump up and cheer on his favorite teams. My original choices were vetoed by both hubby and the two associates from Raymour & Flanigan- Ryan and Anthony (who has become a friend at this point, we rely on his help and opinions so much). They informed me that it takes a man to pick out stuff for men, my taste isn’t masculine enough, and they pointed out black leather recliners that any dude would love.

raymour fathers day man cave
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raymour recliners

Specifically, they chose the Bryant II Leather Glider Recliner, which is a single seater, manually operated, gorgeous black leather recliner that also comes in the colors Saddle and Cognac. It was a perfect match for the Bryant II Leather Loveseat that has two recliners that meet in the middle at a storage console (you can never have too much storage). The center console has a huge storage bin with cover and cup holders, and the whole set is made from real leather that is durable and easy to clean.

Tip: Black leather recliners are the gold standard for man caves- no man will complain.

3. A TV console Where else is the centerpiece of the room going to go? We loved the Riata 60″ TV Console on sight, because it’s roomy for even larger televisions, had multiple storage options (both open and enclosed shelves and drawers), and holes to allow electrical cords through seamlessly, without creating a tangled mess or eyesore. It has a streamlined, clean look that the men all gave a thumbs up to, and is a walnut brown.

raymour tv console
raymour tv console stand

4. Storage Cavemen need a place to put all their manly essentials. Things like books/magazines, remote controls, head phones and CDs, etc. need a place to be stored, and the Crystal Ridge Sofa Table fits the bill. The dark brown wood combined with a gunmetal top and nailhead trim is very masculine and even a little vintage, and the two drawers are roomy. There is a shelf on the bottom for more storage, making this piece perfect for any room being designed for a man (think home office or den as well).

raymour sofa table
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The Meridian Chairside Table is designed for what the name says- a table to place beside a chair. It’s narrow and long, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space width-wise, and goes perfectly between the two recliners. Beverages and chips can be set on top, and it has a very long drawer and bottom shelf, as well as an extra bonus pullout shelf for extra surface area- perfect for dips to go with the nachos and snacks. The dudes never have to get up once they are settled in with everything within reach.

raymour chairside table
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5. Masculine Decor Men don’t seem to like the word decor, but there needs to be some atmosphere in the room, so I got the manliest decor I could find- an antique clock and agave plant that never needs to be watered. There is lots of floral decor to choose from at Raymour (that also requires no maintenance), that can give some life to the room.

Tip: Men are ok with greenery, but not colorful flowers, so pick floral decor that is mainly green plants, a cactus, or agave plant. Artificial is best.

raymour decor

I also added in some throw pillows for when I come down to snuggle with him and watch a movie together. He picked them out, because men do like pillows and comfort so throw pillows are more than ok in a man cave. He went for a basic design and color scheme, so if you are shopping for him, skip the flowery pillows.

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raymour throw pillows

Finally, a lamp, because when you’re having a good time, watching a great movie, whatever, you can keep going long into the evening. The one hubby picked out was so popular they sold out of the last couple of floor models while we shopped, but there are so many to choose from that can add to the overall masculine theme.

raymour lamp

Once the space is ready, you can go ahead and fill it up with all those things your caveman loves, like the big screen TV, the video game consoles and DVDs of his favorite movies (starting with the eternal male favorite, Die Hard), weights or exercise equipment, his laptop, etc. And now we have a man cave.

raymour fathers day man cave

Happy Father’s Day!

♣︎

I have partnered with Raymour & Flanigan and received product in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. Visit Raymour & Flanigan to create the perfect man cave for the amazing father in your life too.