Make Your Small Man Cave Feel Bigger in 5 Easy Steps

Your man cave doesn’t have to feel like an actual cave. The point of a man cave is to have a space all your own even if it is small. But just because your man cave is small doesn’t mean it has to feel small. Follow these easy steps to make your small man cave feel bigger.

1. Declutter the Room

Having a bunch of stuff all over the room makes less space for you and any guests to walk around. Removing items from the floor and tabletops lets you stretch your arms and legs. Many man caves have clutter all over the walls. Movie posters, dart boards, framed jerseys, and flat screen TVs are fine on the wall, but they’re just in the way sitting on the floor. Declutter the room to maximize the floorspace you’re working with.

2. Consider a Lighter Paint Color

Sometimes a dark aesthetic is exactly what you want in a man cave. Theater rooms and gaming stations work best in very dim light. But if you want your space to feel larger, choose a lighter paint color. These light tones will absorb less light and therefore make your room feel more open.

3. Choose Bigger and Fewer Pieces of Furniture

Let’s say you want your man cave to have three seats because you often invite over your two best friends. You might want to have a love seat and a chair to accomodate the trio of keesters. However, you could choose one couch to reduce the square footage your seating pieces take. This one big piece of furniture takes up less space than two smaller pieces.

That said, keep in mind the activities the three of you will do. If you’re watching sports, the couch makes perfect sense. If you’re holding deep conversations, the love seat and chair may be a better option even though they take more room.

4. Maximize Lighting

A bright room feels bigger than a dark one. Maximize lighting in two ways. First, let in as much natural light as you can. Select light colored curtains to retain privacy while allowing in light. Second, add additional lighting to the space. You don’t need to hire an electrician to install more overhead lighting. But you certainly can. That said, a few well-placed lamps will do the trick.

5. Add Mirrored Surfaces

Interior designers use this next trick all the time. Adding mirrored surfaces gives the illusion of a bigger space. If you hop on AirBNB and look for beach condos, you’ll notice many of the living rooms have a wall completely covered in mirrors. It looks tacky, but it makes the room feel twice as large.

You don’t have to go with a fully mirrored wall, but strategically placing a few mirrors around the room will add depth of field to your vision. Try adding a large mirror opposite the doorway to the room. As you walk in, you’ll perceive the space to be larger than it is.

You also don’t have to stick to just mirrors. Items like lamps and bookcases can have mirrored elements which will reflect light and add perceived depth.

All Done!

Once you follow these steps, your man cave will feel much bigger. Go ahead and invite some buddies to see it. But you may still want to keep it to yourself, but hey, that’s your call!