The Puppy Porthole

man cave genius ideas

While visiting the UnderGroundReign!™, I saw this and had to repost it here.
It's the Puppy Porthole!

What a great F 'ing idea!!
I've got to find out where I can get one of these for Bob, the Man Cave Collie.
If I do, you know I'll post it right here.
Shroudo

Rock the Man Cave with Brick Veneers

These excerpts are from the post by Swurching The Latest Happenings
Original post - Brick Siding Looks And Feels Like Actual Brick Yet Is Much Less Expensive Date: 12 Feb 2010

Man Cave Improvements

Veneer is a term that refers to the surface of any material and is also known as facing. Faux brick is basically a veneer that is made up of a thin brick layer on the front of a structure. This may appear on the interior or the exterior. The cost of this product is much more affordable than to actually build with brick and therefore is more economically to decorate with.

Facing is a term used to identify the application of a material to a wall surface.

This material is often used on both exterior and interior walls. Veneer provides a textured finish and creates a richer appearance than a standard flat painted wall. Both brick and wood are common faced walls.

Veneer brick is often used to create a rustic image,but it also lends itself well to contemporary or classic decors as well. You are not limited to the way this material will look. Using the right accents and other materials you can create any setting you desire.

Veneer is applied in a similar manner to laying tile. The surface the material is going to be applied to needs to be cleaned and then there is mortar spread onto the wall. At this point the brick is set in place on top of the mortar. While the brick is drying, plastic is used to keep the spacing uniform. When the mortar has dried then the brick is grouted.

One decorating accent that this material looks good with is a fireplace. Setting the veneer up around the fireplace provides the image of the chimney running up the wall. This approach also works well to encase a wood burning stove.

The right type of brick applied with some plaster can provide the image of an old factory wall and looks particularly well in a man cave or a newly created wine cellar.

Natural stone is a building material that resembles complete brick, but is similar to tiles. These brick veneer wall materials are applied to a standard flat wall surface in a comparable manner to tile. Veneer provides a rustic image to any area and looks particularly smart around a fireplace or in a wine cellar.

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Contest ends March 7, 2010

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Best Man Cave Wall Coverings - 2/10

Excerpt from the post by
Eric Brennan via Associated Content, Inc.:Top Three Man Cave Wall Coverings
Mistakes from original have been corrected - Shroudo.

man cave improvements

Top Three Man Cave Wall Coverings
A man cave isn't complete without some basic male influenced wall coverings. With just plain white walls a man cave is just, a basement. With a little imagination and some basic ideas, you can cover your man cave walls with some pretty interesting stuff!

Most man caves end up with three basic wall coverings. While these man cave wall coverings are similar, they can however be broadened in style to encompass taste and style to suit any taste.

Wainscoting is probably one of the most commonly used wall coverings in any man cave.  From sports bars to downstairs dens, wainscoting has become a staple for many man caves across the world. Wainscoting is simple to install. It comes in prepackaged boxes of pre-routered wood panels. The tongue and groove panels easily assemble and can be attached in the tongue with a finish nail, covering the nail with the next piece.

Wainscoting can also be covered easily in a multitude of colors and stains. From white to black and every color in between, wainscoting can do it all. Color isn't its only perk. There are literally hundreds of styles, shapes, rosettes and sizes for wainscoting; it makes it hard to pass up this stylish and economical wall covering for your man cave. Add a decorative chair rail, and you've got a man cave to rival any cozy pub.

Wood is fantastic. Not only does it provide warmth, it provides depth, style and class that show off your man cave in style. Wood inlays, chair rails, trim; crown molding, base and ceiling roses can bring any combination of custom woodworking you desire. Wood is style versatile.

• Combined with modern appliances, wood becomes modern and sleek. 
• Add wood to light colors and you have a bright and cozy feel. 
• Add wood to antiques it looks old, 
• and again add wood to any downstairs game room to make any man cave women friendly too.

Sports memorabilia is probably the biggest man cave wall covering style there is. Every man cave has at least some area dedicated to sports, sports stuff or anything sports orientated. What's great about sports wall coverings for your man cave is that they are versatile.

You can spend thousands on sports wall coverings for your man cave, or $20.

Sports stuff is everywhere and you're sure to find bargains at garage sales and flea markets. Or splurge and go for the real collectibles and sports memorabilia.

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A man’s castle isn’t his home — it’s his cave.

These excerpts are from the post by Jennifer Davies via UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Original post - There's no place like man cave 2010/feb/07

Man cave report

If you have a man cave, you can make it as ugly as you want and no one can say anything.

[Robert Arnold prepared to enjoy a beer in what he calls his bar at his Oceanside home. Arnold created the man cave in one-third of his three-car garage, where he invites friends and neighbors to watch the Super Bowl.]
Aman’s castle isn’t his home — it’s his cave.

His man cave, to be exact.

These testosterone-fueled spaces — also known as manlands — can be

• a garage, 
• a basement, 
• a bonus room, 
• a shed or 
• even a backyard.  

But whatever the location, they all have common themes.
Want to guess what they are?

Beer, TV, sports — and probably in that order.

It’s the place where you can hang the obscenely large flat-screen TV, proudly display your extensive bobblehead collection and relax in the mottled velour recliner from your bachelor days while knocking back a beer — or six.

From home-improvement shows devoted to man caves to businesses offering a range of guy things like personalized mugs and bar signs, man caves are getting their moment in the sun. Last year, a poll by servicemagic.com, a home-improvement marketplace, found that 

• 40 percent of homeowners surveyed said their home had a man cave, 
• while 13 percent said their man cave is in the works.

So what’s the allure of these macho spaces? Duh.

Beer, TV, and sports — and probably in that order — said Jason Cameron, co-host of DIY Network’s “Man Caves,” a home-remodeling show that focuses on creating to-die-for manly spaces.

“Guys are simple. We are very simple creatures,” Cameron said, adding, “I wish could give you a deeper meaning.”

After a guy gets married, his manhood can take a hit, Cameron said. Manlands bring men back to “a time when you could all sit around and drink beer without worrying if you spilled.”

Billy Chandruang of Rancho Santa Fe was planning on turning his backyard into an entertainment area for himself and his wife. But when they split up, he made it into an outdoor man cave replete with sports memorabilia and waterproof plasma TVs so visitors can sit in the pool or hot tub and watch a game.

“If you have a man cave, you can make it as ugly as you want and no one can say anything,” Chandruang said. “Guys like seeing stuff like neon signs that say Bud Lite with a Jets helmet.”

Of course, men have always craved private spaces.

In the past, that meant the library or the drawing room for men of means, said Jay Mechling, a retired American studies professor from the University of California Davis who taught a course on the lives of men. As America became more affluent, it meant more men could have a room of their own.

“As homes have gotten bigger, it means everyone can have their own space,” Mechling said.

• On the East Coast, it was the basement that housed amenities such as pool tables.
• On the West Coast, many garages served the rec-room function for the family.

What’s different about today’s man caves is how elaborate they can be — man caves on steroids, if you will. Nowadays, many of these spaces come with high-end furnishings and top-of-the-line electronics from flat-screen TVs to video game consoles to surround-sound systems.

“Technology is a huge part of this,” Cameron said.

With those types of upgrades, you might think that the struggling economy would stall the growth of man caves. But many devotees say that isn’t the case.


Arnold said he saves money with his man cave because he isn’t going out to bars and paying their marked-up prices.

Travis Esquibel, owner of Tap That, an Oceanside kegerator company, said he had thought the bulk of his business would be renting out kegerators for special events. Driven by the large man-cave market, he now makes most of his money from selling and servicing kegerators.

Another benefit for married men and for those of a certain age is that it’s more relaxing to stay closer to home.