So, you’ve decided to host this year’s March Madness party. Your wife gave you a strict warning about greasy chicken wing stains on her living room carpet. The only viable alternative? Turn your basement or bonus room into the ultimate man cave. You’re on a tight time frame and a strict budget but, if you don’t get it all done in time for this year’s games, you’ll have a great head start for next year. Here are 8 tips (that was a pun!) to help you get it done.
Formula for success: Inviting spaces + quirky furnishings = serious man cave
The true man cave is a statement of your own personality and style. It’s the one room in the home, other than maybe the dog house occasionally! – that a guy can call his own. From furniture to appliances, this space is a reflection of the man who calls it his home inside his home.
When it comes to design and layout, the ultimate man cave is serious business. You build your A man’s reputation with the creation of spaces and unique features that entertain, amuse and energize.
And here’s how…
And now, without further ado — let’s get on with the list
- Choosing the right theme. Sports bar? Mountain or outdoor? Card/pool parlor? Beach club? Race track? The ultimate man cave features a prominent theme that guides the look and feel of appliances and furniture. The theme reflects the hobbies and interests of the host.
- TV/viewing arrangement. The TV is the very heart of the ultimate man cave. Select a respectable flat screen (may we suggest that bigger is definitely better?) and then create an optimal viewing arrangement of couches, and recliners in a semi-circular or theater-type configuration. If you can score some vintage seats from a local arena refurb or demolition, all the better.
- Video gaming stations. During the course of the March Madness evening, a video game tourney will most likely break out. Set your auxiliary TV in an area away from — but close to — the main viewing area. Keep the gamers out of the line of site (“Hey, sit down!”), but still part of the action.
- Bar / beverage area. The service area holds infinite opportunity for personalization. Mini-bars come in wood, steel, or concrete designs — and are always stocked with an array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and the necessary “accoutrements” (you know, “accoutrements” – a fancy French word for pizza, wings, tacos, etc.).
- Table gaming stations. Bragging rights during breaks in the March Madness tournament are vigorously exchanged. Set aside an area for various gaming tables — billiards, cards, air hockey, etc. You can also throw down an interior golf putting green for the golf fanatics in your crowd.
- Unique appliances for refreshments. Think specialty refrigerators for that keg in your life. And, a retro microwave is perfect for reheating cold pizza leftover from the day before. Not that leftover pizza needs reheating.
- Man-inspired decorations. Extend the man cave theme with a selection of manly wall decor and lighting options. From framed athletic jerseys and autographed prints to cinder block bookshelves, there is a wide array of DIY decorating ideas that take little more than some basic materials and inspiration to create.
- Bathroom amenities. Nothing interrupts a great March Madness game like the call of nature. Installing a bathroom nearby keeps those interruptions to a minimum—particularly if there is a great deal of eating or drinking involved in the festivities.
Follow this guide step-by-step—or use it to inspire your own man cave creations. Either way, you’ll have your friends talking about your March Madness get-together long after the glow of the party has worn off.
Elmira is your one-stop shop for the must-have appliances to outfit your ultimate man cave. From keg fridges to retro microwaves to woodburning cookstoves, we offer a unique line of specialty appliances that are as functional as they are remarkable, to leave a lasting impression on your March Madness guests.
About Elmira Stove Works
Founded in 1975, Elmira Stove Works is a privately-owned company based in Elmira, Ontario, Canada, offering full lines of “circa-1850” and retro 1950s appliances — including ranges, refrigerators, microwaves, wall ovens, range hoods, and wood-burning cookstoves. Find out more about Elmira Stove Works at http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/.
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