Man Cave Makeover

When Luke and I bought the brick beauty, there were many big projects we took into consideration when we made an offer. We have a long someday list. It's one of my favorite things about our home! I love dreaming of these renovations...

Someday we'll gut the kitchen. 

Someday we'll get all the wallpaper down. 

Someday we'll renovate the master bath. 

Someday we'll replace the boiler. 

Someday we'll finish the basement.

That last someday is still true. 

Although this was a basement project, it is not crossed off the list. 

It just got a band-aid fix, for now. 

It all began with Luke's Christmas list.

Christmas lists are non-negotiable in our household. 

It is a tradition long held by my mom's family. 

You don't have a list, you're on Grandma's shit-list.

Christmas 2017, Luke asked for the new classic (oxymoron?!) Nintendo system and the Super Mario game for the Nintendo 64. These gift ideas got me thinking of a bigger and better idea - a man cave! Aaaaand if I'm being completely honest, I did not want the Nintendo in the living room or our master bedroom ;)

As I've said before, I get so excited about a project I forget to take a before photo and it ends up being an in-process photo.

Before-ish:

The walls look nasty, but it's just the plaster falling away and the hideous paint color that makes it look worse than it is.

The useable space is huge! 

This doesn't even include our 2 storage areas. 

I can't wait to finish it someday.

My band-aid fix included the following:

• paint wet-bar
• hang curtains to hide the hideous wall
• hang lights
• re-arrange
• decorate

All of this ^ while hiding it from Luke, who lives here... It was hard! I was in the middle of re-arranging when Luke got home from basketball. I told him his gift was down there and not to go down. I ran upstairs for awhile and 5 minutes later he hands me my phone and coffee, which were downstairs. I freaked a little - thinking he was onto me. From then on, I used every free second I could when he was gone. 

Painting the wet-bar was my first to-do. I was mid-painting when he called me to say he was on his way home. I've never painted so fast in my life trying to get the first coat done! I came home early for a few days from school to get it done between 4-5 when he was still working. I hung the curtains and lights one night when he had a basketball game and I was instantly in love. Much to my dismay, the next morning they had all fallen down. With the falling plaster, the command hooks just didn't cut it. Handy-man Jack saved the day and re-hung them for me with screws. It was busy and stressful, but worth it!

My excuse for him not going down there until Christmas was that his gift was wrapped down there but not hidden very well by the wrap job. Of course the boiler stopped working on the 21st and Luke had to go down with the heating/cooling guy. I unveiled the surprise a little early, which made Christmas not as exciting, but Luke didn't mind. He loved it, as do I!

After:

I was going to buy a flat screen, but again, too stressful.

Luke can pick that out himself!

Here starts the not-so-pretty side. 

I only put curtains on the wall with the TV, mainly because that's where your eye goes when you're sitting on the couch or recliner. Plus, this is a temporary fix. Even cheap curtains add up when you're covering whole walls ($$!) and I don't want to spend much on a short term fix. We do not foresee using this space other than for video gaming and lounging just the 2 of us. Maaaybe Luke will have the guys down there, but they don't pay attention to that stuff anyway, right? ;)

My home gym, only missing a treadmill. Crossing my fingers it comes as a birthday gift...

The paint colors in this house truly make me scratch my head. Do you see that lime green peeking out on the left side of this photo? Our living room was that color when we moved in. LOL!

*Excuse the terrible lighting from iPhone. 

In-home arcade basketball shooting game - soooo incredibly cheap, but so fun! 

Luke's birthday is on January 3rd right after Christmas so I got this for him to add to the man cave.

Not perfect, but better!!

Someday it will be redone. Someday.

For now....

Luke will continue to enjoy his N64 Mario game in a recliner. 

And that's all you need.... heaven!

*Updated 2/25/28

Luke found a wicked retro chair at Goodwill this weekend ($5).

Unplanned, but it matches the came-with-the-house-curtains... LOL.

Luke didn't want to invest in a flat screen down here yet (good thing I didn't buy one!) We found an old one at his family's storage unit we can use for the time being. He also found an old, but really nice sound system on the garage sale site on facebook. I can't wait to use it while working out!