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Originally Posted On: More Than A Man Cave – Considering The Modern Males’ Garage | Joe’s Daily

The idea of a ‘man cave’ is outdated at this point. Why should the place we retire to, in all our indulgent excess, be as damp and dour as a cave? Why should the idea of a man’s personal hobbyist space be seen as an indulgent, seedy den, a shed he has to escape to, or a place he goes to escape life’s responsibilities? Having hobbies you love and wish to pursue is more than just an escape, it’s actively running into life and hoping to learn more about it and celebrate it.

Let’s consider one area where men usually escape to – the garage. It can be used as a workshop, a storage area, or simply a place to store your car and exterior freezer. But more than this, what does a garage for the modern man in 2020 and beyond need? What ideas could you use to develop this space, and stock it, and help it flourish? If you’ve just filled it with boxes and used it as a sloppy storeroom, consider this your call to finally empty this space and use it for your own means. From there, the following advice could help you:

It’s quite a good idea to use your garage as storage for some items, but what? Instead of broken old furniture, boxes of keepsakes you have yet to sort through and even just areas to store your cleaning utilities, such as your vacuum, you may be more purposeful in your storage intent. Let’s say that you’re interested in keeping up your vehicle, working on it, and even trying your hand at some classic car restoration.

Taking the time to buy wheels of the correct type and storing them in a netted hold could mean you have access to items you need, stored in a safe, comfortable environment. Alongside a tool rack, a workspace for you to commit your repairs, enough room cleared around the vehicle to access it from any direction, your stored goods will be a reliable on-hand set of utilities to focus aiding you in your vision. That can be a great place to start.

We’ve alluded to this before, but make sure your navigable layout is appropriate. One of the benefits of a room defined by your interests is that you don’t have to make it perfect, just perfect for you. An old leather sofa, if it’s comfortable, can still be a little disheveled in this space. That said, fire safety is non-negotiable. Ensure you can walk from one side to the other is important. Making sure natural light gets in (should you have any windows), and that if storing implements such as your vehicle, you can enter and exit safely is paramount. Consider your navigable layout, it may just give you a responsible means of justifying your use of this space.

Even a woodworking shop should be liveable to some degree. What does this mean? Well, entering your ‘man cave’ shouldn’t feel like working in the mines. Make sure to make the most of your natural light on-hand. Improve or implement a ventilation solution should you need to, especially if you’re working with tools. This will also offset damp. Make sure that you use essential implements for safety. For instance, in a personal workshop, suspended fluorescent fixtures are the default, and can provide you with clear light that doesn’t flicker through its bulb, preventing any chance of tool-usage accidents.

Making a space like this livable also means investing in a few indulgences. Why not opt for a nice mini-fridge or bar setup with a few nice treats if you’re using this as a game room? How can you safely heat the space? It’s worth asking those questions.

It’s important to decorate your room as well as you can. This can take the form of whatever your better half may not wish to have in the rest of the house, or it can be a direct and focused attempt to truly express the best of your personal interest. For instance, a beautiful media section of a larger garage room can be complete with backlit classic movie posters from old-school French film noir tales. It might be that you’ve sourced original framed photographs of the winning podiums in classic Formula 1 races. Decorations and utilities help show your personality and make even remind you of why you’ve set aside space to enjoy a hobby or passion of yours to begin with.

With this advice, we hope you can enjoy your ‘man cave’ in the best possible light, reframing and redefining that moniker.