You’re tired and want to relax. You come home and sit in front of the television, flipping channels and come upon your favorite John Wayne movie. As the rest of the family comes home, you gradually turn up the volume until your ears are practically bleeding, but the shouts and conversations of the people you live with drown out the quieter dialogue. Use these western man cave ideas to make a space where you can relax, enjoy yourself, and more importantly, hear the “Duke” without blowing out your TV speakers.
1) Cowhide Rug
When you watch a western or picture a western scene, you will almost always see people gathered in a rustic cabin with animal skin rugs. You also see one of two things: bison or cattle. More often, you see both. This faux cowskin rug will make your man cave resemble an authentic Western cabin or home. If you are not used to the smell of fur and cows, you will not have to worry about it, since the skin is fake.
2) DIY Whiskey Barrel Drinks Cabinet
Whiskey is a big part of the old west, as well as the modern west. This video will show you how to turn an old whiskey barrel into a drinks cabinet. If you have a bathroom in your man cave, you can use a similar technique to make a vanity that resembles an Old West wash barrel. This drinks cabinet can be its own bar, or you can use two of them as the base for a bar countertop.
3) Wanted Poster
When you think of the Old West, you think of outlaws, sheriffs, and wanted posters. This wanted posted frame is unique because you can fill it with anything you want. Tape a picture of yourself to it from the back, and announce that you are wanted. You can get creative and put a picture of your favorite snack or drink inside, so people know what drinks you want them to bring if they come visit.
4) Cowboys and Crosses
Crosses are a Western theme that few people think of, or choose to think of. Many people who traveled to the West died by the roadside, their graves marked only by wooden crosses. This wall decoration shows a cowboy kneeling before a cross, most likely to pray for the deceased. This wall art fits well in a Western man cave, and even better in a Texas-themed one, since it has some Texas star decorations. Hang this in your man cave to show homage to the strong and brave people who built the West.
5) DIY Fake Fireplace
During the famous days of cowboys and Indians, houses and hotels were heated with wood fires. They had wood stoves and ovens like those you see women cooking with in old movies. Since every room back then would have had a fireplace, your man cave should be no exception. If you do not have a fireplace, there is no need to create one. Instead, use this video to craft a homemade fireplace and mantle, just like those in the Old West.
6) Revolver Hooks
Guns are one of the first things that come to mind when people think about the Old West. Many people lived and died by their guns back then, and many people in the West still rely on guns to survive. This old-fashioned revolver coat hook set lets you hang your jacket, hat, or other items on the butt of these faux pistols. The hooks are large enough for almost anything, though they will not work for small items like key rings.
7) DIY Saloon Doors
Every Western movie or book seems to have at least one scene in a saloon. Nothing is better than that classic moment when somebody enters the saloon through dramatically swinging doors. Turn your man cave bar into a saloon with your own customized saloon doors. This video shows you how to make saloon doors, which you can then customize. You can use them to close off the end of the bar so you can walk through them to get behind the bar.
8) Lantern Light
Electricity was rare in the Old West. Instead, they used lanterns, which you can have in your man cave as well. If you do not want real lanterns, use these instead. These wall sconces look like old fashioned lanterns and you can put flameless candles inside. The lantern looks like old metal, as if they were a remnant of the real West. You can take them off the wall and carry them like real lanterns, making them realistic and practical, in case your power goes out or you want to use them outdoors.
9) DIY Pallet Wall
While frontier buildings were often made with logs, those can be expensive to build. Instead, create a rustic wood look. This do-it-yourself project is a wall made from pallet wood. Pallet wood can be found for free in many locations, which is a marked difference from the expensive wood cabin look. Unlike most wood wall facing, this pallet wood has a worn look, and there is a chance that warped wood will create gaps. While gaps are normally a bad thing, this will resemble the homemade architecture of traditional frontier cabins.
10) Vintage Rodeo Posters
Rodeos are a major part of the west, and have been for a long time. While they exist in many places, the cowboys that show off in them are a common Western theme. You cannot watch a Western movie or read a story about the West without reading about a cowboy wrestling a steer or herding cattle. These vintage rodeo posters advertise an undated rodeo. Use these advertisements to make your man cave look like an old saloon.
11) Six-Shooter Lamp
In many ways, guns made the West. Every character in a Western movie or book carries them, as do many Westerners today. In the Old West, revolvers were the most commonly carried weapon, alongside the rifle. This lamp looks like one of the famous six-shooters standing vertically to hold up the light fixture. The base is an ammo belt with a pouch. Use this lamp at your desk or on an end table for some Western-themed light.
12) DIY Log Cabin Look
Many people in the Old West lived in log cabins they built themselves. The cabins were not perfectly made; you see this in Western movies and video games, as the hero peeks through a gap in the wall to see the bad guys coming, guns drawn. This do-it-yourself project lets you make your own log cabin walls. While the pictures in the project have unusually large gaps between boards, you could narrow those gaps when you make your own walls look like a log cabin. Uneven boards can also help to create realistic-looking gaps.
13) Wagon Wheels
If the Old West was settled by cowboys on horses, it was also settled by Easterners in wagons. Wagons are a common theme, and wagon wheels make great decorations. This wagon wheel from Amazon can be leaned against a wall as a decoration, or you can hang it up so it takes less space. Add some flameless candles and run wiring along the tops of the spokes to make a wagon wheel chandelier. You can also put the wagon against your bar or another wood structure to make the structure resemble a wagon.
14) Turquoise Arrow Picture Frame
While cowboys are the most common protagonists of the West, Indians feature in most Westerns, also. They were an integral part of the wild land that had not yet driven them out. Turquoise is commonly used in Native American artwork, making it the perfect decoration for this picture frame. This frame has resin arrow decorations in the red and turquoise that Native Americans often use, and has fake turquoise inserts. Add this frame to your man cave to show your favorite pictures and recognize the Native Americans of the Old West.
15) DIY Saddle Bar Stool
A Western man cave needs a bar. It seems like every Western town, in a movie or otherwise, has a bar, and your man cave should be no exception. While you will need some comfortable stools, a few Western-themed ones here and there make good decorations. If you have an old saddle lying around, or come across one at a flea market, this project is a great way to add them to your Western man cave by turning them into stools. These bar stools will not be the most comfortable, so they are best used as decorations only.
16) Western Star
Many Westerns are set in Texas, and the Lone Star State is one of the first things you think of when you see somebody wearing a Western hat. In honor of this, some of your Western decor should have the Texas star. Use the star throughout your man cave to create a Texas theme. These pillows have several variants of the star, and they make comfortable throws for your couch. You can also get furniture with Texas star upholstery, or other decorations with the star.
17) Horses
Cowboys often stole the show in movies, but their horse was almost as important to the plot as they were. Their horse was their friend and companion, and likely saved their life more than once while on the trail. Without a horse, a cowboy might not survive. The West is also one of the few places you can still find wild horses. Include some decorations with horses and saddles around your man cave, such as this wire mesh trash can with three horses running around it.
How will you bring the West to your man cave? Are there any ideas you wish we had included? Please let us know in the comments below!
