Sometimes you need somewhere to retreat to. You need privacy, you just want to relax and enjoy your hobbies, be they gaming, watching slasher movies or enjoying sports without interruptions of judgement. If you’re moving in with a partner or starting a family, this need can become acute – you don’t even have a bedroom to retreat to.

The answer could be to turn a spare room into your own safe haven, your mancave. Today we’re looking at how you can set up the mancave you need to retreat from the world!

Preparation

First of all, you need to create a blank canvas to work with. Don’t just shove boxes aside in your spare room, attic or basement. If you can’t unpack them and give the contents a home, look for London storage options, to keep your clutter safely contained, in a self-storage unit.

Once you’ve emptied the room you’ll be using, give it a good airing out, and a clean. You might also want to paint it: think about the colour scheme you’d like, and whether you’d want comforting, richer colours or light colours that emphasise space and light.

You might also want to consider patterned wallpaper to create a unique effect – getting inspired by your favourite books and TV shows is a good way to go when you’re creating a den like this. Perhaps it could be your own version of Baker Street!

Personalisation

The next step is realising that there is no one template for the perfect mancave. This needs to be your personal relaxation and retreat, so make sure it’s perfect for you. Think about the ways you like to relax, and make sure you have everything you need to indulge yourself. If you’re into gaming, you’ll a comfortable chair, a big tv and shelves for your consoles and games. If you’re more of a craftsman and tinkerer, your mancave will need to be more of a workshop!

It doesn’t have to cost the earth: looking at sites like Freecycle and Craigslist can get you cheap or free furniture to get you started. You could always replace them with nicer alternatives piece by piece over the months and years.

Sharing

One thing you have to question is whether or not it’s fair for you to simply disappear into your own room, leaving your partner alone, or caring for children. If they don’t have their own equally private space, you might be taking a liberty too far. If you’re looking for privacy when you start a family, it might make more sense to convert your mancave into a shared ‘grown ups’ room where either partner can take a break from the stress of parenting.