Every man needs a room of his own, and today’s masculine spaces range from musical dens to restaurant-inspired grottos
stories by Marc Huminilowycz, photography by Derek Trask
“Why can’t a woman take after a man?
Men are so pleasant, so easy to please. Whenever
you’re with them, you’re always at ease.”
So rhymed the arrogant and chauvinistic professor Henry Higgins in the 1964 musical film “My Fair Lady.” Living in Edwardian England, Higgins’ entire residence – and the exclusive club where he would go to retreat and socialize with like-minded males – were the epitome of what today we call “man caves”: spaces designed by men for the enjoyment of men.
Thankfully, Western society has come a long way since Edwardian times. While today’s man cave can still be a place where a male goes to get away from the world, it is no longer the exclusive bastion of maleness that it used to be.
Although the modern man space is usually designed and used primarily by the man of the house, it is often shared with family and friends of both genders.
According to Katherine Arcaro of Farrow Arcaro Design (FAD) in Collingwood, who has designed numerous man spaces in Southern Georgian Bay, the term “man cave” is a buzzword these days. “Whether it’s a wine cellar, a hunting lodge over a garage or a shrine to exotic cars, everybody wants one,” says Arcaro. “The traditional man cave, usually in a garage, was a place for a guy to bring his buddies. Now it’s typically a basement project, separate from the rest of the house.”
Here in Southern Georgian Bay, men are creating spaces they can call their own, but not exclusive of spouses, children and friends. In fact, the man caves featured in this article are rooms where men like to retreat, but they also serve double duty as casual entertainment spaces where family and friends gather and have fun together.
The Spa & Games Retreat
A spa man cave, you ask? If male readers can imagine floating in an indoor pool, favourite beverage in hand, watching a sporting event on a giant screen TV, they will appreciate the appeal of Thornbury real estate agent Andres Paara’s relaxing space.
When Paara and his family decided to move to Southern Georgian Bay from Oakville in 2001, they found an older home just south of Clarksburg that offered all the space they needed plus an added feature that they just couldn’t resist: an 1,800-square-foot addition containing a swimming pool and sauna.
“We did some renovations on the space, replacing windows, doors and flooring, and added a few features I really wanted: a pool table, a large flat screen TV and a steam room,” says Paara, adding with a laugh, “blame Scandinave Spa.” As to décor, a six-foot yellowfin tuna, caught in Hawaii and bequeathed to him in a will by a friend, is prominently displayed on a wall. In the summer, a three-section sliding door, left open for most of the season, leads to a large cedar deck and the great outdoors.
Paara says the space is primarily his own. He spends a great deal of his limited free time there unwinding and relaxing – in the pool and steam room almost every day and in the sauna twice per week, immediately followed by a romp in the snow in the winter months.
Occasionally, when family comes to visit or when friends come over, Paara’s man space becomes a place of fun and entertainment. “In January, we had our annual Super Bowl party,” he says. “About 20 people showed up. The kids were in the pool for almost the whole day. Everybody really got a kick out of swimming in the pool or sweating in the sauna while watching the game – they think it’s very decadent!”
Musical Man Cave
Painting contractor Steve Prosser created a one-of-a-kind man cave in his garage in Wasaga Beach. His inspiration originated from a camping trip to Algonquin Park with a group of male friends several years ago where, at the age of 40, he learned to play the guitar. That event motivated Prosser to devote half of his garage to his primary passions in life – music, family and fishing (the other half remains a workshop for his painting business, Paintworks).
Inside Prosser’s man cave is an eclectic collection of music and fishing memorabilia collected over 10 years: old guitars donated by friends adorn the walls and ceiling along with concert posters, framed concert tickets and mounted fish, while a repurposed cabinet with unique slide-out doors showcases a massive collection of classic vinyl records and CDs. “Everything in this room is either recycled or repurposed,” says Prosser, pointing to a harvest table he made from a door. “I’m always tweaking and adding something different.”
While he cherishes his man cave as a space where he can relax and unwind, Prosser often opens it up to gatherings of family and friends. “In this room, I can do whatever I want to do,” he says, “but when we have people over at our house, everybody ends up in here.” Occasionally, Prosser hosts impromptu jam nights where “some great musicians show up.” So as not to exclude his wife from this activity, he bought her a set of drums, which she eagerly learned how to play.
Media Manland
When Doug Johnston helped a friend design his home theatre system, he decided that he wanted an ultimate “media man space” for himself. After all, as the owner of The Red Brick Group, a home automation and security business, this is what he did for a living.
Having purchased a century home in Thornbury, Johnston and his wife opted to completely renovate the basement, creating the perfect opportunity to indulge his passion for watching movies and sporting events on TV while doing a physical workout (no couch potatoes allowed here).
The focus of Johnston’s media room is a giant 116-inch projector TV with a sophisticated 7.1 surround sound system. A large sectional sofa with a giant ottoman provides comfortable seating for enjoying the home theatre experience. Behind the sectional is a sofa table with bar stools for additional guests that come over occasionally to watch a big game or ski race. Video, audio, lighting and window shades are all controlled with a tablet.
At the back of Johnston’s 16-foot by 30-foot man space is a row of exercise equipment – a bicycle, a treadmill and an elliptical – all strategically positioned for optimal TV viewing. “I like to go down to my room in the evenings,” he says. “It’s nice and quiet there, and I have a good pile of Blu-rays to watch. Every so often, friends come over for sporting events like hockey, football and World Cup skiing. It’s a great space for sports.”
The Craigleith Grotto
Your own Italian restaurant in the basement? “Why not?” pronounced one seasonal homeowner in Craigleith. Several years ago, on a trip to his native Abruzzo region of Italy, he was smitten by the ambience of a casual restaurant situated in the basement of an ancient castle.
After enjoying a delicious dinner there, he took pictures of this beloved restaurant and, with the blessing of his spouse, decided to convert the entire 2,600-square-foot basement of his weekend bungalow into an authentic Italian grotto-style restaurant.
Photos in hand and passion in his heart, the homeowner approached Collingwood interior designer Marina Farrow of Farrow Arcaro Design to help turn his vision into reality. “I wanted to create a space to relax, hang out, eat good food and drink wine, just like that amazing restaurant in Italy,” he says. “My wife and I gave Marina the freedom to capture the space we were looking for.”
With Marina’s design guidance and the project management expertise of contractor Blake Farrow, sketches and plans were drawn and re-drawn, finishes were chosen, and construction began in August of 2008. The remarkable space was completed in time for Christmas of that year.
The results of the project were impressive in every detail. Stone posts, barrel vaulted ceilings, a fully-stocked “cantina” wine display, a bar tucked under the stairs, an elegant dining table and a Carrara marble food preparation table captured the look and feel of the homeowner’s vision of his beloved grotto restaurant in Abruzzo.
With such a large space available, other rooms and features were added for the enjoyment of the homeowner, his family and his guests: a dance floor; a large screen TV with surround sound; an exercise room with a cushioned floor and mirrored walls; a pool table; a steam room and sauna; and, for guests who overindulge in food and drink, a bedroom with adult bunk beds.
“The main focus of the grotto area is my pizza oven and prep area,” says the homeowner. “It’s a great place for guys to hang out, make their own pizzas and drink wine. We often have family and friends over for pizza bake-offs, where everyone creates their own unique recipe. It’s fun and it’s easy because we have a small fridge right there, containing pizza dough and all the ingredients.”
About once a month in the summer, a group of his male friends comes up to play golf, relax and bake pizzas. When his son was getting married, his ushers stayed over for a few days enjoying the space before the wedding. “Whether it’s a group of guys hanging out, or a get-together with family and friends, it’s a great place for everyone to come together, enjoy good food and fine wine – exactly like that experience I had in Italy,” he says.
Man Cave Must-Haves
Christine Pritchard of Habitat Interiors in Thornbury believes that man cave designs, while inspired by men, are often influenced by spouses who like to occasionally join their husbands in their domains. (Her husband Andy Pritchard, owner of Piper’s Sports Bar & Grill in Thornbury, built his own “sports bar” in his basement, which Christine helped to design.)
Here are some of Pritchard’s observations on the latest man cave trends:
- Colours: manly greys and browns.
- Décor: masculine art pieces, golf bags, ski photos, industrial items (iron), cowhide, barn board (with exposed nails) – “definitely NO pillows, blankets or fuzzy items,” laughs Pritchard.
- Furniture: large oversized chairs with ottomans (because men like to put their feet up), rustic wooden side tables.
- Toys & Accessories: the bigger, the better – large screen TV, billiard table, hot tub, coolers and fridges, ice containers. Pritchard notes that men are gravitating to Restoration Hardware-style items, such as mounting a TV on an easel in the corner of a room.
- During the past three years, there has been a trend to create man spaces in the backyard, with items such as an outdoor kitchen, a bar, a TV sheltered from the elements, and a fire pit.
The biggest trend, however, is to personalize the space to reflect the man of the house’s personality, interests and passions. Far from being an eyesore hidden away from the rest of the home, these unique spaces can be a man’s pride and joy as well as his refuge.
A shrine to music and the outdoors, a spa retreat, a state-of-the-art media/exercise room, an authentic Italian grotto – the man caves featured in this article were all conceived by men wishing to indulge a passion, a hobby or a pastime. Serving as personal retreats from the responsibilities of everyday life, these diverse and unusual spaces are also open for the enjoyment of family and friends who appreciate their relaxed and informal vibe, conducive to relaxing and having fun. ❧
