Ah, the man cave! Your place to relax and unwind after a hard day of work, perhaps to watch the game, or have a drink with your friends. A place to call your own. If you’re planning a man cave, but have a small basement area to make it happen, there are still plenty of options. Check out our list of Small Basement Man Cave Ideas to figure out how to make it work in a limited space.
1) Wood Paneling
Nothing says “man cave” more than wood paneling. Even if your basement man cave is small, you can still make it unique by paneling all the walls with wood, or just accenting a single wall. If you are only planning on using wood accents for one wall, the most logical place would be the wall around the bar area. Wood paneling can be purchased online and is pretty simple to install.
2) Mini Fridge
One necessity for a basement man cave, regardless of the size, is a refrigerator. When sitting back and watching the game in your basement man cave, the last thing you’ll want to do is to go upstairs for a beer or a snack. If your basement man cave is small, a mini fridge will take up less space. This model is a combination freezer and refrigerator and is less than three feet tall.
3) DIY Beverage Bar
Once you have the mini fridge, you might want to set it in a cabinet to give your man cave counter space to prepare food and drinks. If you have a closet located under the basement stairs, then this DIY project is a nifty way to convert that space to a beverage bar nook.
4) Bar Cabinet
Another nice addition to your small basement man cave is a bar cabinet. With a bar cabinet you will have a place to store wine, liquor, and glasses that does not take up a lot of room. Bar cabinets can be purchased almost anywhere and come in many styles and colors. This cabinet is just under three feet tall and about three feet wide so should easily fit along one wall of your man cave.
5) Build Your Own Bar Cabinet
If you love woodworking, then building your own bar cabinet will bring something unique to your basement man cave. Not only that, but building your own cabinet will cost less than purchasing a pre-fabricated cabinet. Bar cabinet designs can be found in many places online, but if you click here, you’ll find a detailed article, a materials list, and a video on how to build your own.
6) Bartender Kit
Once you have a liquor cabinet and a bar, your man cave will need the proper tools to open wine bottles and mix drinks. The Mixology Bartender Kit comes with all the tools you need to make your favorite cocktails. It also has a wooden stand that can be hung from the wall to neatly store all of the tools.
7) Pub Table and Chairs
With a small basement man cave, one of the keys is getting the most efficient use out of the space you have. If you like to have friends over to hang out in your man cave, a great way to have space to sit with your friend is with a pub table and swivel stools. There are many style choices for pub tables, but the Winsome Summit is a nice look in chrome and black.
8) Kegerator
For beer lovers, a nice addition to a man cave is a kegerator. Essentially, a kegerator is a mini fridge that has a tap sticking out of the top. The mini fridge is used to store a keg and keep it cool while using the tap to pour your beer from. There are many models, some with more than one tap, but the EdgeStar KC2000 is a great one to start with.
9) Wood Globe Liquor/Wine Cart
If your basement man cave is too small for a larger liquor cabinet, then the liquor cart is a viable alternative. Liquor carts can be found in all types of designs and sizes. Another benefit to a liquor cart is mobility. Once the drinks are mixed the cart can be rolled out of the way. Of course, the coolest type of liquor carts have a unique feature like this wood globe which you can purchase here.
10) Leather Recliner
No man cave would be complete without a comfortable easy chair where the man of the cave sits. Recliners are the chair of choice for the most comfort and leather is the best material for a manly chair. Even then, there are tons of styles to choose from. Of course, you can’t go wrong with this classic look.
11) Television Set
No matter how small your basement man cave is, you’ll need a television to watch your favorite sports, movies and TV shows. 8K or 4K, the choice is yours. Regardless, you can find televisions in several sizes, so finding the right size for your man cave will not be hard. Just click here for a variety of choices.
12) Entertainment Center
With the arrival of high definition, big screen televisions, the bulky entertainment center has become a thing of the past. Of course, smaller entertainment centers are still a necessity to store DVDs, gaming consoles and audio components. There are almost as many choices in entertainment centers as there are with televisions, but this model with a built in electric fireplace is a great choice for your man cave.
13) DIY Entertainment Center
If you can only commit a corner of your small basement man cave to your entertainment center, no worries, a corner is all you will need for this DIY project. What it lacks in width, it makes up in height. Built mainly out of plywood, this is a fun project if you like woodworking. Furthermore, once built, you can paint or stain it to perfectly match your man cave decor.
14) Decorate Your Man Cave
Once you’ve got all the necessities, the only thing left is to decorate your man cave, to your taste. Hang banners and posters of your favorite sports teams. Place lighted signs above your bar area. Basically, decorate the walls with whatever fits your fancy. You can always start with this tin sign clearly stating your ten man cave rules!
Well, there your have it, our 14 Small Basement Man Cave Ideas. Just because your man cave is small, that does not mean it can’t be a cool place to hang out. All you really need is to make the most efficient use of your space, and you can give your man cave everything it needs to be a great place to relax and unwind.
What are your thoughts? Have an idea that we didn’t cover? Leave a comment and let us know!