How to Decorate a Man Room #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year:

This post is based on a couple of posts from The Art of Manliness. The first article is the article from which this post gets its title.

The man room or “man cave” can be defined as any place a man sets aside to pursue his interests, whether with friends, family, or by himself. It can be an office, a study, the basement, or a shed out back. For the purposes of this post, the man room is not a shop or workspace, but rather a place for a man to relax and enjoy himself.

Note:

If you clicked this article for advice on the most stylish gaming chair to park in front of your Xbox and 50 inch television, sorry man, no help here. However, if you love big solid desks, bookshelves full of books, and comfortable seating where you can read, write, and share beers with your close friends, then these tips are for you.

The article then goes on to describe some of the things that you'd put in your "man room" or study.

• Mid-Century Desk
• Sofa
• Shelving
• A Coffee Table
• Lounge Chair
• Wall Decor

My second bedroom is an office/storage space but I think it's about time to convert it from mostly storage to a full time office/study. (I haven't done this yet!)

But why is there even a need for a man room? According to another article in AoM:

Once upon a time, the world belonged to men.

Literally.

Because men had exclusive power in both private and public life, they controlled their surrounding environment and the way in which space was designed and decorated. Consequently, the world was once a very masculine place.

Thankfully, we’ve made progress in the area of gender equality and women have brought their influence to bear in both the home and the workplace. However, as with many other areas of modern life, the pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other; instead of creating a world that’s friendly to both male and female space, we’ve created one that benefits female space at the expense of male space.

Even though male space had been declining since the 18th century, the true disappearance came in the 40's and 50's:

The period after WWII was filled with dramatic changes in American life. One of the most powerful changes was the migration of white, middle class families from cities to the suburbs. Large developments like Levittown provided returning vets a chance to buy a piece of the American Dream for a relatively affordable price and get started on raising a family.

The rise of suburban culture with its emphasis on creating a domestic nest, usually meant sacrificing male space for the good of the family. Home designs in the 1950s exchanged the numerous, smaller rooms of the Victorian home for fewer, larger rooms. The goal was to create more open space where families could congregate together and bond while watching the Honeymooners on TV.

With no room to call their own, men were forced to build their male sanctuaries in the most uninhabitable parts of a home. Garages, attics, and basements quickly became the designated space for men, while the women and children had free reign over the rest of the house.

But over time, even these have lost their manliness:

But even these undesirable areas of the home would be taken away from men. Basements and attics became game or entertainment rooms to be used mainly by children. And even the least feminine of all places-the garage-would be cleaned up and domesticated.

Until:

With every room co-opted in the house by women or children, and with few bastions of manliness in the public sphere left standing to escape to, men were relegated to claiming a solitary chair as their designated male space. (Think Archie Bunker and the dad from Frasier.)

Isn't having a family friendly home a good thing?

Just as male friends play an important role in giving men satisfaction and in shaping their manliness, so does male space. It’s important that men have a place where they can take off their social masks and revel in masculine energy.  For many men, the bureaucracy of corporate culture can leave them feeling powerless and emasculated. Having a “man cave” at home, a place men can decorate as they please and do what they want in can give them a much-needed sense of control, empowerment, and of course relaxation. And spending time in the company of other men at an all-male hang out can help a man reconnect with his manliness.

There has been a movement of late towards establishing man caves, which normally features a big screen TV and often gaming consoles. These are often good on game day, but tend to be distracting at other times.

What do you think of the man cave vs study debate, as well as in a man room in general? Comment below...I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Interesting days

Today - Ballet Day, Send a Card to a Friend Day and Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day

Tomorrow - Laugh And Get Rich Day, Molasses Bar Day, Kite Flying Day and Opera Day

Next Thursday - Valentine's Day, Ferris Wheel Day, Donor Day, Pet Theft Awareness Day, International Book Giving Day and Cream-Filled Chocolates Day

March 7 - World Book Day, Cereal Day, World Maths Day, Name Tag Day, Crown Roast of Pork Day, Be Heard Day, Procrastination Week, Pet Sitters Week, World Orphan Week, Consumer Protection Week, Dental Assistants Recognition Week, Schools Social Work Week, Read an E-Book Week, Return Borrowed Books Week, School Breakfast Week, Women in Construction Week, No More Week, Universal Human Beings Week, Write a Letter Appreciation Week, Will Eisner Week, Cheerleading Week, Endometriosis Awareness Week and Jewish Book Week