Progress & Man Caves

The house passed the last two tests with flying colors. Dye test - passed! Radon test - super passed! :D One step closer to closing.


I am watching Man Caves online on DIY Network. I've been inspired, so I'm planning to turn the basement into a man cave of sorts. The hubby doesn't have many demands (Me: "What do you want besides a TV?" Him: "Computer. Babes. Hmmm, fish tank."). I know he will appreciate a great space, though.

The basement is a small space with no windows, so I'm planning to embrace the cozy, low-light feel. Down the line, we might change out the door into the garage for one with glass to bring in more light. For now, I'm planning to create a modern-rustic lodge feel with plenty of lamps. This room has a lot of the features I'm looking for. I like the stone fireplace, the chunky mantle, and the dark furniture. The fireplace makes the space super cozy. Our downstairs doesn't have a real fireplace, but we could bring in a faux fireplace to give the same feel (but cheaper than the real thing).I think that stove-look fireplace is nice, and since it's not too thick, it will slip nicely into the corner, while still being substantial enough to hold its own.

The wall I'd like to put the electric stove against has a center area that needs to still be accessed (the water main is hidden in the wall there), so the electric stove will have to be off center (in the corner). I think it will work though, because the side of the room with the staircase is more of a walk-through to get to the laundry room. Here is the current, temporary plan:
The basement has carpet, and it's in ok shape so we'll leave it. I'll put a rug on top of it to delineate the fireplace/lounge area. We already own an awesome wood slab coffee table that will be great in there. So, I will build the stoop/ledge that the stove will sit on and cover it and the wall with stone veneer (without covering the access to the water main). Then I'll paint the room a nice warm color, and bring in a leather (maybe) couch.

I'm pretty excited about this plan. It's a small enough space that it's easy to think about all the different elements, and it won't be too expensive to pull off. The electric stove up there is about $150.

I also totally want to include one of these fake deer heads:

What do you think of the man cave idea? Any suggestions on other things to include in the man cave? Suggestions on paint colors that give a cozy but not truly cave-like feel? What fish should we put in the aquarium?