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As much as I hate to admit it our Townyhome is run over with dogs and people it’s only a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath and we really need a 3 bedroom house with a yard. But when we had to move from our Townhome this was all we could find and I’m grateful, thankful and blessed to have it.
In here we have multiple outside spaces and we even had a dinning room which we didn’t have in our Trailer. There David had outside space but didn’t really have any place to call his own inside the Mobile Home and since he does all the cooking I moved my office up into the bedroom and we turned the dinning room into a man cave for David but it still isn’t really his space because I have shelf in it and everyone has to come in and out to get to the kitchen and back porch.
But at least David has his own chair, tv and desk to sit his Beer on and plenty of room for the dogs to be with him. It’s close to the kitchen and since he does most of the cooking he can watch tv while cooking which he likes a lot. Its the perfect space for Charlie to come down to watch Wrestling with David and it has enough room for me to eat and watch tv with David giving us some much needed time together.
Now, I have a question for you. Have you ever noticed how a room starts out with one purpose and then slowly becomes the place where everybody puts everything else? That’s a little like what’s happening around here. David has his space, and we’d like to make it feel more like his man cave. But when you look around, there’s a lot more going on than just a place for Dad to sit and relax.
We’ve got a television, a chair that deserves its own story, dogs who apparently think every room belongs to them, and a few projects that could make this space work a whole lot better. And because I’m me, when I start thinking about fixing up a room, I start looking at Amazon.
You know where this is going, don’t you? Down the Rabbit Hole again. LOL With Christmas around the corner we’re taking a little look at man-cave ideas, things that could make David’s space more comfortable, and a few practical solutions for the everyday messes that come with sharing a home with our family and our dogs.
Let’s start with the piece of furniture that makes me laugh. David has a white leather Mamazing Lullapod Max Nursery Recliner. Yes, you read that correctly. A nursery recliner! This is the chair I previously featured in my Father’s Day Gift Guide, and somehow this chair designed with new moms in mind became part of David’s space.
You can read my original article here: Father’s Day Gift Guide: Mamazing Lullapod Max Nursery Recliner I love being able to revisit a product I’ve written about before. Instead of a product disappearing from the conversation after the original review, we can talk about it again as part of real life at home. And if you’ve ever wondered whether a nursery recliner could find a second life in a dad’s man cave, well, David seems to have answered that question for us. 😂
Now let’s talk about entertainment. David has my Roku TV, but apparently streaming isn’t enough. He wants a VCR! David, is one of the few people who want to watch VHS tapes, whether they’re old favorites, family recordings, or movies they don’t want to give up.
If you’re shopping for a VCR, check the connections before buying anything. Older VCRs may use composite or other older connections, while a newer television may require an adapter. A DVD/VCR combo might also be worth considering if you want to play both formats. Amazon is one of those purchases where I’d check the listing carefully, because older equipment can vary in condition, connections, and availability. But if Dad wants to bring VHS back into the man cave, who am I to argue? As long as I don’t have to watch Disney Cartoons and Movies everyday or wrestling.
Of course, no room makeover in our house would be complete without mentioning the dogs. David’s office has hardwood floors, and the dogs keep making messes. Which means we need to think about cleaning as well as decorating. I’ve been looking at floor-cleaning options, including steam mops. Before buying one, though, check the flooring manufacturer’s instructions. Not every hardwood floor is suitable for steam cleaning, particularly if the floor is sealed, engineered, or has a finish that can be damaged by heat and moisture.
A microfiber spray mop or a cleaner specifically approved for the flooring may be a better choice. Because a man cave might be Dad’s place to relax, but somebody still has to clean up after the four-legged members of the family! Since that is David more time’s than not lets make it easy for David to keep his floor clean. I just hope he shares because I also need this for the living room and Charlie’s restroom.
Another project I’d love to tackle in my office and in my bedroom is the large shelving area. In Charlies man cave there is a freezer and pantry, along with storage and cabinets. It serves a purpose, but I’d love to find a way to block off that area so you don’t see everything when you’re sitting in the room.
This is where a room divider or curtain system might come in handy. Depending on the layout, possibilities include:
- A ceiling-mounted curtain track with a curtain that can be pulled aside.
- A folding privacy screen.
- A freestanding room divider..
I’d want to measure the space first and think about access to the freezer and pantry. Whatever we use needs to let us get to those things easily instead of creating another problem. Sometimes a room doesn’t need a complete renovation. It just needs a clever way to make one area less visible.
Now here’s the part where I can really start dreaming. There’s a blank wall that could use something special. I’ve thought about a beverage fridge, a cabinet, or something that makes the area feel more like a man cave. Or even fun signs explaining this is dads space.
A few possibilities worth exploring are:
- A beverage refrigerator for canned drinks ie Beer.
- A bar cabinet with doors and shelves.
- A compact beverage station.
Before choosing a refrigerator, I’d measure the wall and check the space around the unit, ventilation requirements, electrical access, and door clearance. I want something that fits the room rather than buying something that looks good online and then discovering it doesn’t work here. And naturally, I’d want to find something that feels like David’s space instead of another place to pile things. 😂
Once we figure out the practical pieces, we can have some fun. A room doesn’t have to be fancy to feel personal. Sometimes it’s the little things that make it feel like home. Think funny signs, a comfortable place to set a drink, a small table beside the chair, or décor that reflects the person who uses the room.
I’d also look for things that fit David’s interests rather than buying decorations just to fill a wall. And if we find something we really like, we can always add it to our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List for Men. That way, today’s research may help someone else find a gift for a dad, husband, or grandpa later in the year.
Now, I know inquiring minds want to know. It is really Dad’s Man Cave? That’s what we’re working toward! We have a chair with a story, a television that apparently needs a VCR companion, dogs who don’t understand the meaning of keeping a floor clean, a storage area I’d love to hide, and a blank wall that deserves a little attention.
I don’t think we need to change everything at once. We can start with one or two useful improvements and see where the room takes us. And if you’ve ever tried to make one room serve several purposes, you know the challenge. You want it to look nice, but it also has to work for the people who live there.
For now, I’m going to keep exploring, measuring, and seeing what ideas I can find. Because around here, when I start looking on Amazon, you never know what Rabbit Hole we’re going to discover but it also allows us to work on our home Grace by Grace: Room by Room. And David’s man cave? Well, we’re working on it.
What would you put in a man cave first: a beverage fridge, a great chair, a television setup, or a way to hide all the extra storage? Tell me in the comments!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
