Football season is right around the corner. And while that might mean the return of cold weather is closer than we’d like to believe, it also means that Sundays spent on the couch eating pizza and drinking beer are acceptable again! Well, at least a little more acceptable.
To usher in the new season, we put together a guide to help you build the ultimate man cave for all your viewing pleasures:
TV
Duh… The cornerstone of every great man cave is the TV. Without one, you’re looking at more of a glorified basement. Get yourself something big. We’ll leave the specs up to you, but let’s just say you’re old plasma screen isn’t going to cut it.
Some surround sound speakers or additional screens definitely won’t hurt your man cave credibility either ;).
Fridge
Depending on the amount of space you have to work with (and how ambitious you are), you might even want to consider going for the full bar, like this one from The Family Handyman. At the very least though, you need to have a space for a mini fridge. It’s unreasonable to expect your friends to head all the way upstairs for a beer while the game is on.
Games
The focus of your man cave is generally going to be the game that is going on on the TV. That said, it’s always good to have something to help take your mind off the fact that yet another week has gone by where your fantasy team has completely let you down. Again, this is very space-dependent. We love this bar-style ring and hook game that you can make yourself or purchase online.
If you have some extra room to spare, throw some table games in there (think pool table or foosball or even a pinball machine!).
Memorabilia
No man cave is complete without some cool decorations to line the walls. You have a lot of options here. Rep your favorite team with some jerseys or pictures. Hang some championship banners. Put up some memorabilia from your favorite bands. There really is no wrong way to go.
Seating
This is a no-brainer, but selecting the correct type of seating is crucial. You can go the sofa route, or you can go with individual seats. When choosing, you probably need to consider how many people you’ll normally be expecting to watch with, as well as your budget. Buying 3-4 individual seats is probably going to me more expensive than a couch.
When game day roles around, make sure you have the right snacks, beer, and other accommodations (like good wifi) for your guests. Once you do, it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy your new man cave!
*** Man Cave’s for Apartment Dwellers ***
Don’t have enough space for a man cave in your apartment? That’s okay, there’s still plenty of things you can do to make your home game-day-ready!
- Consider mounting your TV to save that precious floor space and make more room for guests.
- Have a balcony? Take advantage of the beautiful fall weather by making use of your outdoor space! Maybe even consider setting up a mini-bar/ putting a cooler outside.
- Make the downtime between quarters and during commercials more interesting with games like this football squares pool.
- What your apartment may lack in man-cave capabilities can all be made up for with great food. Have your football party catered!
Happy football season!
