The humble man cave – a comfortable, judgement-free zone that all men want, but not many get. But, you can get rid of your pre-determined assumptions that to have a man cave, you must have at least a sliver of unused space inside your house. Garages, cellars, and spare rooms aren’t the only places that can play host to a man cave. You need to widen your scope, look outside the box, and turn your sights to the outside. A humble man cave shed could be the solution to your space-seeking issues.
Not many people consider creating a garden man cave, but they have a lot of appeal to those who want a quiet corner to disappear to every now and again without taking up the prime real estate of spare room inside the house, as well as adding value to your home. We’ve seen plenty of innovative, fun man cave sheds in our time and want to share our favourite ideas with you.
What is a man cave?
A man cave is the parallel, male equivalent of a ‘she shed’ – but of course, anyone can create one. It’s a hangout space for adults that they often fill with memorabilia of hobbies they are interested in. Some man caves have a bar, or a study in them, whereas others might double up as game or cinema rooms.
Sheds make the perfect man cave
You may be questioning why on earth you’d want to put a man cave in your shed, so we’ll clear the air and let you know the full benefits of having a garden man cave.
- Space – a garden man cave means you won’t eat into the precious space in your home. Most people with gardens have an untouched corner, so why not make use of yours?
- Distance – sometimes, a spare room isn’t far away enough from the clutter and humdrum of the average household. Taking your downtime more than a few feet away from the chaos will give you a chance to relax and come back recharged fully
- Multi-purpose – you might be greedy and want to keep your man cave all to yourself, but it can be used as a multi-purpose space, meaning you can make the most of it. Transform your man cave into a bar that you can open up when family and friends come round, or a games room to keep the kids occupied during summer gatherings
There are many other benefits to a garden man cave, but you’ll have to discover these yourself.
Ideas for a man cave shed
At Sefton Meadows, we’ve seen plenty of fun man cave shed ideas over the years that we’d love to share with you.
Gaming Room
We all love a spot of gaming, but not all of our families appreciate the victory cries and shouting at the screen. So take your gaming hobby into your man cave to avoid arguments about the noise and enjoy your screen time in peace. This shed includes a full virtual car set-up and two arcade machines, making it perfect for any games fan.
Office
With more and more people working from home, it makes sense to include an office area in your man cave. This will give you somewhere quiet to work from without taking up space in the house. Include a sizeable desk, a comfy orthopaedic chair, plenty of file storage and maybe a sound speaker system to help you to get into the zone when you are working. Ensure that your wi-fi will reach the shed, or invest in a booster to stop Teams calls from getting cut short by dodgy signal.
Outdoor lounge
Sure, you have a lounge or front room in your house, so why would you need another one outside? Well, it creates the perfect transition from BBQ mode to relaxed night in and gives you and your guests more options on where to hang out. An open-sided cave like the one below makes it perfect for parties. Include comfy furniture like a rattan couch or maybe a fun garden hammock to complete the look.
Beach Hut
Theming your man cave shed is one way to ensure everything ties in together cohesively. A beach theme is fun, and nothing looks more in place at a beach-themed hut than your very own Tiki bar. Use plenty of bamboo-effect siding and choose wooden furniture to create a natural look.
Bar
A solid Covid lockdown favourite is the shed bar. Doubling up your man cave as a bar gives it many uses and makes it the perfect place to chill with friends. However, theming it takes it a step further. This man cave has flat-screen TVs, giving it a magnificent sports bar vibe.
Cinema room
A cinematic man cave is every film lover’s dream. So get some big screens installed, invest in good light-blocking curtains and a cosy sofa, and put on your favourite flick or enjoy a new release. Running electricity to your man cave is easier than it sounds and dramatically improves the experience.
FAQs
What size shed do I need for a man cave?
The size of the shed you choose depends on the space that you have available to you and on what you want to put inside it. For example, if you want a full poker table and lounge set-up, you’ll need a lot more space than if you are content with an armchair to read the paper on and a mini fridge to keep your drink of choice cool.
Generally, though, people go for man sheds that are around 12×20 – 14×24.
How do you build a man cave shed?
To build a man cave shed, you’ll need some experience with DIY, tools and suitable materials. You can source materials yourself and find plans online (there are plenty of free ones out there) or purchase a flat-pack kit that contains everything you need.
Here is a great video we found that walks you through how to build a man cave or she shed in your garden.
Ryan Jenkins is a professional gardener and has been working in the gardening industry for over 25 years. This has allowed Ryan to accumulate a vast wealth of gardening knowledge which he shares on the Sefton Meadows blog.
