Man Cave/Vintage Lounge - Thoughts, anyone? (Heavy with photos)

[Edward]

Interesting thread. I'd love to have the space for a proper, old school library space. That said, as a single man with my own place, I'm in the slow process of remodelling it to my own tastes. My lounge is due to become a library style space. It won't be quite ideal as I don't have a big budget, but I'll have a leather chesterfield sofa, two walls of books, and home cinema and stereo set ups, as concealed as possible. I also plan to include a cocktail cabinet. I was thinking of one of those opening globe ones, though to save space I am more likely going to have an upright one in the shape of a coffin. Wooden furniture will primarily be pine or oak. My room is only 15 x 11, and I don't want to close it in too much with dark qood. Of course, pine is also significantly cheaper than mahogany, which helps!

The big difficulty I'm finding is something affordable to hide a large flatscreen tv when it's not in use. I hate having my current tv as the centrepiece of the room.

 

[Rathdown]

Allow me to suggest a drinks cabinet in the shape of an Egyptian mummy case...

 

[resortes805]

House of Savoia.

 

[RBH]

Interesting thread. I'd love to have the space for a proper, old school library space. That said, as a single man with my own place, I'm in the slow process of remodelling it to my own tastes. My lounge is due to become a library style space. It won't be quite ideal as I don't have a big budget, but I'll have a leather chesterfield sofa, two walls of books, and home cinema and stereo set ups, as concealed as possible. I also plan to include a cocktail cabinet. I was thinking of one of those opening globe ones, though to save space I am more likely going to have an upright one in the shape of a coffin. Wooden furniture will primarily be pine or oak. My room is only 15 x 11, and I don't want to close it in too much with dark qood. Of course, pine is also significantly cheaper than mahogany, which helps!

The big difficulty I'm finding is something affordable to hide a large flatscreen tv when it's not in use. I hate having my current tv as the centrepiece of the room.

Edward, find a framed picture you like and use this site as an example.

http://www.tvcoverups.com/

 

[davidraphael]

It depends on the size of the room. If the room is smaller you might over-clutter it. I would be tempted to stay minimal. Tired detectives don't have much money (they're tired because they have to work so much). Their surroundings would be sparse but maybe there would be one or two carefully chosen pieces from better days...

It might be best to find a few objects that are simply suggestive/indicative of the feel that you want.

Furniture: a tired detective always needs a Murphy bed!

 

[Shangas]

It depends on the size of the room. If the room is smaller you might over-clutter it. I would be tempted to stay minimal. Tired detectives don't have much money (they're tired because they have to work so much). Their surroundings would be sparse but maybe there would be one or two carefully chosen pieces from better days...

It might be best to find a few objects that are simply suggestive/indicative of the feel that you want.

Furniture: a tired detective always needs a Murphy bed!

Maybe he's going for a Nero Wolfe/Sherlock Holmes/Lord Peter Wimsey/Hercule Poirot 'gentleman detective' kinda thing? I think that would be a far cry up the ladder from someone like Philip Marlow.

 

[Roving_Bohemian]

Maybe he's going for a Nero Wolfe/Sherlock Holmes/Lord Peter Wimsey/Hercule Poirot 'gentleman detective' kinda thing? I think that would be a far cry up the ladder from someone like Philip Marlow.

I am thinking more along those lines, more of a "lounge" than an office... I already have a job where I stay cooped up in a place like this...

I want a place to relax but that I could conduct some "off-duty" business (so not a sauna)

PS I'm not a cop myself I just like detectives of that era and like to remember my family history (2/4 of my family have been law enforcement over the years... clear back to a gunslinger/sheriff in a small mining town!)

 

[scottyrocks]

I cant find a better picture of it, but Commodore Louis' study in Boardwalk Empire is the epitome of man-caveness for me.

 

[scottyrocks]

Hey, that's Indiana Jones' place!

 

[MikeBravo]

Sorry, no pics; for some reason I am blocked from posting them. I have three refuges to which I can retire: my home office (in the basement), the library, and the media room-- all squeezed into a house that dates from the 1820s.

Now I'm trying to picture an 1820's media room. Some books and maybe a stereopticon type thingy

 

[MikeBravo]

One thing I would suggest is a strong secure lock on the door

Wives can be cute little things, but they do like to have their say

 

[Roving_Bohemian]

One thing I would suggest is a strong secure lock on the door

Wives can be cute little things, but they do like to have their say

from the inside

no, thankfully I've been blessed by a wife that will leave me be if I tell her I want some time alone in my man cave. (as long as I don't come out smelling like tobacco or another woman's perfume, that is!)

Someone said they wanted a hidden TV?
[video=youtube;3yvsCNNA2lk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3yvsCNNA2lk[/video]

Commodore Luis' study looks amazing!

 

[W-D Forties]

The big difficulty I'm finding is something affordable to hide a large flatscreen tv when it's not in use. I hate having my current tv as the centrepiece of the room.[/QUOTE]

What about a folding screen? Or if it's on the wall and you have enough space, a large oil painting? You could build a frame around the TV and paint it the same colour as the wall to blend in somewhat, then attach hooks to the painting and frame to pop it into place when the TV's not on.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I'm partial to a more traditional clublike look which would really suit my living room as it has a high ceiling -- though obviously not as high as the ones in these images.

 

[MikeBravo]

The big difficulty I'm finding is something affordable to hide a large flatscreen tv when it's not in use. I hate having my current tv as the centrepiece of the room.

Here's a thought. Okay, it's a bit whacky and left of field, but here goes.

How about not having a television in the space at all? :eeek:

I am currently in a two bedroom flat with my daughter but am looking for somewhere with a third room that I can turn into a den/office/mancave. It will have my desk with computer, a space for reading (a comfy chair, side table and reading lamp) and maybe a record player (I am getting back into vinyl). My main goal is to escape the old "electric anaesthetic" (television) to a place where I can think and relax

This will depend on whether you have somewhere in another room to put the television, of course. Don't get me wrong, I have a TV. It's been a love affair spanning nearly 50 years and she's been a faithful friend, however she's a demanding mistress and I need my space. But that's another thread.

 

[RBH]

Yep the painting was what I suggested in post 24.
Also what about Hammetts apartment?

http://www.mikehumbert.com/Dashiell_Hammett_16_Post_Street.html

 

[Roving_Bohemian]

:bump:

I'm partial to a more traditional clublike look which would really suit my living room as it has a high ceiling -- though obviously not as high as the ones in these images.

REALLY liking V.C. Brunswick's idea, just imagine scaled down for 1-3 persons instead of 10-30...

Keep the photos rolling! I still have two years to get my ideas sorted before the house will be started...

 

[Atomic Age]

from the inside

no, thankfully I've been blessed by a wife that will leave me be if I tell her I want some time alone in my man cave. (as long as I don't come out smelling like tobacco or another woman's perfume, that is!)

Someone said they wanted a hidden TV?
[video=youtube;3yvsCNNA2lk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3yvsCNNA2lk[/video]

Commodore Luis' study looks amazing!

I would hesitate to use the flip around tv shown in the video. Over time that would be rather hard on the cables.

Doug

 

[Haversack]

The concept and practice of the 'man-cave' was well established by the turn of the last century in the German-speaking countries. If you look at house-plans for the upper-middle-class or higher from that time, you will usually find a room denoted as 'Herrenzimmer' or Zimmer des Herren. This was where, after dinner, the men could withdraw to smoke, drink, and discuss politics. Usual features include heavy polished furniture and a bar. (If a family were wealthy enough, a house would also have a 'damenzimmer' for the lady of the house with lighter, more delicate furnishings.)

The link below will take you to a German furniture catalog from 1909. About halfway down, you will find furnishings for Herrenzimmern in a variety of styles and prices. (I am also amused that the Ikea pattern of giving human names to pieces of furniture as a sales technique was well established.)

http://www.zeitensprung.de/pics/oldies/moebelkatalog/index.html

The Herrenzimmer continued to be a feature found in some German houses up through the 20s, 30s, up to present days. When I lived in Germany in the early 1980s, my landlord had his own herrnzimmer in the basement. It was all there: Heavy oak furniture. A Bar. Gun-cabinet.

Haversack.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I like the look of this place as well.
(Mermaid Inn, Rye, UK)