With all the different layout options in households, choosing a basement design can be a bit of a hassle. Man cave basement designs can help you maximize your options without taking up too much space. Whether you have a 1300 square foot open basement or a 700 square foot basement with three separated rooms, we have some options for you to consider before you start your decorations and furnishing. Let us begin with your basic basement: one with no barriers or room separations- an open floor basement.
Open Area Man Cave
When you first begin thinking of decorating a man cave (or even a man shed), you have a blank canvas with endless opportunities. Open area man caves are the ideal match for this in that you have no barriers, no demo to do, just pure drywall and flooring at your disposal.
If you are one of the lucky few who fall into this category of homeowners, then you are a step above many others in terms of artistic availability! Want to create a large display case running down the center of your basement man cave for your guests to see while from any angle? No problem. Do you want to create an open are where people can walk from your man cave bar to the entertainment center, stopping for a game of pool along the way? Done!
With no limits on what you can do in terms of space, open area basements grant you the opportunity of creating walls if you want separation, or creating a wet bar if you want a little ambiance. Most floor plans create barriers for an individual’s overall vision- hindering you from the ability to place certain decor or furniture in specific places. Consider this: Have you ever had the vision of restoring your bathroom but the counter tops or vanity cabinets were off by just a few inches? This layout prevents those issues and lets you build the walls, wet bars, or whatever you can envision wherever you want!
If you are a no-barrier type of person, you can leave the open floor layout and create a man cave centered around billiards table, poker table, or gaming center. The opportunities are endless- it is a matter of what you envision your man cave to look like, what your budget is, and what theme you are going for.
Different themes allow different opportunities for layout designs. A gaming man cave could have an entertainment center in the middle of the basement with different sections for different gaming systems throughout. A sport related theme could have an entertainment center in the back section with a bar “dug out” towards the center or sides. A diner themed man cave could have a retro style bar placed in the center or along the sides.
There are so many options available for an open area basement man cave, it just comes down to the theme you choose and the atmosphere you want to create. If you cannot choose just one theme, or simply want to create a separate of sub-themes, we have options for that too!
Divided Man Cave for Multiple Themes
If any of you reading are like be, choosing one specific theme is a bit daunting. I am an avid sports fan as well as a huge fan of comic related movies and television series.
If I were to create an open area basement man cave, it wouldn’t make too much sense to have a huge room filled with a variety of sports memorabilia in combination with random nerd or geek accessories. Having two rooms (or even a large room with a glass mirrored wall) would enable you to create essential two man caves in one! A wall divider is entirely doable, but a wall with an open area cut out in the middle (either completely open or with a glass window placed in) will enable you or your friends you host to live in two worlds outside of the stresses of reality.
People tend to go in random phases were they are fixated with one thing, then months later they become fixated with another. Having the ability to create an atmosphere for both without having to demolish a room to replace every few months or years creates the ultimate man cave experience.
Parenting Bonus: I have made it a point not to reference parenting in most of my posts, but we love our kids. This style of basement layout design can grant you a man cave plus a children’s play room- a boy cave (or girl). You will have everything you want and still have the ability for your child or children to experience their own little cave at a arm’s reach (well, close enough).
This option is extremely appealing to those with wives who are worried about their husbands escaping parenting duties!
Whether you have multiple themes you want to embrace, or multiple sub themes you want to emphasize, this is truly the best option for you! Before we dive into a multi-roomed basement layout, let us take a look at what can make your man cave truly a cave!
Below is a video of some of the best basement man cave ideas, posted by user NextLuxery:
Hidden Entrance
Everyone here has heard of hidden pantries, safe rooms, or bookshelves that are not truly bookshelves. Why not take those concepts and convert them into the perfect man cave entrance! If you are doing a mystery or spy theme, this is a no brainer, but if you are leaning towards any other theme, there really is no reason not to consider this option.
- Hidden Bookshelf
This is the go to for nearly any theme you can possibly have. Before you start screaming about how this couldn’t work, you must realize that bookshelves do not need to be for just books. A lot of people forget this and miss out on the endless opportunities that a bookshelf, let alone one that opens to a hidden room, entails.
At my house, our main level has two book shelves with an additional bookshelf in the man cave. Only one of these book shelves as books. I have a variety of sports memorabilia and comic related memorabilia scattered throughout the other two. These bookshelves (purchased for cheap on most websites depending on design) have created the ultimate display case.
What happens when you pull on particular piece of the shelving you ask? Oh, the bookshelf opens outward and you have an entrance to a man cave, no big deal (aw yes)! This is actually a cheap addition, something most people don’t realize. In basic terms, all you are doing is attaching the back of a book shelf to a door, parts of which cost under 100 dollars. There are other options should you want to have a bookshelf that opens in different ways, but the basics are good enough for most and have a similar effect.
- Tardis, Phone Booth, and More
Any Doctor Who fans out there? Imagine someone walking in your house and seeing a Tardis, replace phone booth, or other unique display where a stair case entrance would be. This alone is an amazing piece for any man cave- and they haven’t even seen your man cave yet at this point.
You slowly open this Tardis (phone booth, etc) and then your basement man cave appears. At this point you have already created an experience unlike any other- everything after that point is a plus. Whichever basement entrance design you go for in terms of your man cave, do be sure that it fits the overall theme you are going for in your man cave.
With that said, let us dive back into our last basement design layout.
Multi-Roomed for Poker Room, Billiards, and Main
Not everyone who is creating a man cave has a particular theme they are going for, some just want a hangout for the boys when it is poker night or their wives or girlfriends our out for girl’s night. A multi-roomed layout is the perfect design for those of us who want a perfect atmosphere for a man’s man.
In this basement man cave design, men have the ability to create the ultimate ambiance in different phases. If it is your turn to hose poker night, having one room with a poker set and small bar grants you the ability to host and enjoy at the same time. Small bedrooms or any like-rooms with similar dimensions are perfect for this and they do not take away from any other room.
Adding in a billiard room (or arcade, I have no judgments) would grant you a second level of enjoyment for a boy’s night or a peaceful getaway when times get stressful. This option is best when you have an L-shaped room as your basement entrance or a separate room to the side. L-shaped basements are the best option for this however, as you will be able to play pool and still have easy access to your entertainment room without having to move much.
Lastly, your third room option here should be reserved for your entertainment area. Couches, television(s), etc, all present for yourself and guests to enjoy. This area is self-explanatory- just purchase the right items that fit the atmosphere (or theme if you that that route) you are aiming for.
Side Note: If you want to stick to a theme with this lute-roomed layout, there are options available as well. I have contemplated creating a basement (three room) man cave that is themed around Boston Sports. One room would be a Boston Bruins theme (bar included in this one), one New England Patriots themed (entertainment center here present in main room), and the last would be Red Sox themed. I have enough memorabilia for each to be of value to do this, but I don’t have the ability to take over the whole basement without the wife getting annoying (insert laughter here anyone).
What Is Your Layout?
Whichever layout you choose, do not forget to incorporate wall decor that fits the overall theme or atmosphere you look to display. There are a variety of poker and billiard options online that can be customized to say or display whatever you want.
Whether you choose to stay with an open area basement man cave, or divide it into different rooms, there is truly no wrong option. If you already have a basement that is divided into rooms and you are simply looking to choose a theme and go at it, feel free to look at my other posts for insight.
As always, if you have any questions or input, feel free to leave them in the comments section below!
Every mans dream to have a man cave, loved the ideas. very interesting concepts, well done love the post and the idea.
Thank you for the kind words. Man caves truly are amazing and have unlimited potential. Basements are ideal and can be converted in and way imaginable, whether you create an LED effect atmosphere or basic theme related lighting, you can create an effect and design like no other.
I love the hidden door idea within a bookcase. My son would love something like that in our basement for his “boy cave.” Ill have to add this to my “mom list!”
Great ideas on this site. Good work!
The hidden book cases are so fun! There is a company out there that specializes in them, I believe they are Murphy’s Doors and have great products, but its a bit pricey. Your son is lucky to get his boy cave if you do go that route!