Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

#ProjectManCave: Entertainment Me

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I have a confession to make.

Instead of blogging this amazing before and after post, I’ve been sitting in my new Man Cave and enjoying the ambiance. I’ve watched movies; decorated a tree, and even savoured a glass (or three) of wine. And as I sat in my basement, caressed by the warm glow of the fireplace and feet cozily buried in my soft shag rug, I said to myself, “I’d better get my a** in gear.”

(Remember when I pledged that it was time to Take Back the Basement? I think I took it too literally.)

As such, here I am. Today, I’ll be revealing one room – the entertainment area  – and showing you exactly how you can duplicate my efforts to complete your own Man Cave, with materials from Home Depot Canada!

But first, the “Before” and “After” –





It’s official: we have taken back the basement.
As you can see, not a toy in sight! The back of our basement is finally an adults-only zone. Here’s how we did it:

1) BEHR Premuim Plus Paint in Bolero (two back walls)
We decided to section off the entertainment area with a “statement” colour. Because it’s a basement, with artificial lighting galore, the true colour may not come through on your computer screen. However, the paint is a dark, burgundy red with a hint of rust. It’s warm and inviting and everything we pictured when we first began renovations.

Below: No Man Cave would be complete without the obligatory Scarface framed photo. Like I’ve never seen one of those before. My husband and I had *quite* the discussion on the necessity of its existence. (He won that battle.)

2) HAMPTON BAY Danstan Wall Mount Fireplace
The Danstan adds sophisticated ambiance to our basement with its modern black frame and wide glowing ember bed. The tempered front glass provides an astonishing reflective surface, beautifully showcasing the patented flame technology, bringing the room to life. Retails for $299.00 and is sold online and in-store.

A pleasure to install! Honestly, for the handy type, less than 20 minutes from start to finish, promise. (And for the less handy type – not even breaking a sweat at about 30 minutes and you’ve got a beautiful fireplace.) We offset the fireplace on the ledgestone to create geometric interest; it’s angled more to the left than right, and is positioned 3 feet from the leather sectional, which is the manufacturer’s recommended distance.

3) SASSI 6 inch X 24 inch Dorada Ledgestone

Remember when I said the fireplace was a pleasure to install? This… not so much. The ledgestone is sectioned in rows of four… hence, between measuring, laying cement, cutting the stone and placing it just so, the total time for installation was close to 4 hours.

4) LANART RUGS White City Sheen Area Rug

Notice the gorgeous shag pictured a few photos above? We just couldn’t complete a Man Cave without a trendy, soft, super sophisticated rug. Its high shine and multi texture is the perfect complement to leather and wood.

5) MARTHA STEWART LIVING Pre-Lit Decorated Tree – 6.5 Feet

Okay, I know I have a Martha Stewart tree on my main floor. And it’s absolutely gorgeous. But with all the time we’ve been spending in our basement, I wanted to do something to bring the festivities downstairs. Hence, I splurged on this Pre-Lit Decorated Tree. At 6.5 feet, it’s small enough to fit into the corner, and with gorgeous copper and gold ornaments from Martha Stewart’s Celebrate Collection, I feel the holiday spirit even while hiding out in our Man Cave… and especially while sipping peppermint cocoa with Christmas carols playing softly in the background.

“If you love the glitz and the glamour of holiday entertaining, then you’ll appreciate the Celebrate collection for its warm and inviting look. Marked by bronze and gold décor, this theme includes sparkling wreaths, elegant baubles and swirl-patterned gold ribbon to ensure a sophisticated statement in any home.”

Special thanks to Home Depot Canada for making me a believer; with just a few small home renovations, we’re well on our way to realizing our dream of a posh, perfect basement retreat. Next for #ProjectManCave: our renovated powder room. In the meantime, if you’re inspired to create your own Man Cave, pop into the Home Depot Canada!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brenda Penton

    I love it!! Everything looks perfect. Love the colour on the walls! If I had that room it would be a woman cave :) Totally jealous!

  3. Angie

    Wowowowow!! The floating fireplace is aaamazing and the leather clutch makes it so hint. What colour did you use for the walls?

  4. Sharlene

    Very inspiring..your post makes me want to #takebackthebasement over the holidays – this time for good..last year it managed to stay clean for two weeks, then reverted back..then over the summer again – a big purge, but the chaos has slowly crept back.. 4 kids x 4 sets of toys x 13 years (DD’s13,12,3 and DS5) = ack! I need help…desperately!

  8. Doris Calvert

    It looks good but one thing I agree with your hubby and love the movie posters, what happened to the Goodfella’s one? If you want to sell it let me know! Anyway you did an amazing job, love the paint colour and I did not know if I would like red on the wall and it looks great!

    • Lena

      Hahaha Doris oh don’t worry – they’ve already found a new home in other areas of the basement, which you’ll see as we further reveal the reno :)

  11. Tricha

    Well done Lena! The colour is lovely and together with the couch and fireplace make the room look warm and welcoming. Enjoy lots of relaxing time in the “Glam cave”.

  13. Allie

    Lena it all looks very nice indeed!!!! But you are missing something like a DOG!!!!!! no dog very sad !! imagine one lying with you as you enjoy the fireplace!! Well?? What do you think!!!! Heheheh….

    • Lena

      HA! I don’t think so! LOL… thanks for the suggestion, but I have two very energetic boys, so I’ll make do with them for now :)

  15. Nicole W.

    Oh Lena, it looks amazing! You must be SO happy. I love the paint colour choice, and that fireplace looks heavenly :) Pretty tree too, and I want that rug! It looks so cozy.

    • Lena

      Thank you SO much Nicole! We are having Christmas at our home this year, and will be sending a lot of family down to the Man Cave!

  16. Marissa

    Awesome post Lena – I love the Man Cave! It looks amazing – cozy and relaxing and I must say you have great ideas and good taste! Not to forget the pictures……they look sharp and professional! Good job Lena!

  17. Flora M

    Finally we get to see the whole area – waiting to see the rest ;) Looks fabulous so far and I LOVE that tree ! I just have a small 4′ tree (for now) – will wait until I get into a bigger place before hunting down a bigger one – might even opt for a pre-decorated one :) Just one question – how do you store it ? Does it fold up or come with it’s own storage case ? OK – shoot me that was two questions LOL

    • Lena

      LOL! I’m not going to shoot you! It comes in a storage box and assembly includes snapping two pieces together. Easy peasy, and since it’s pre-lit, assembly is a breeze!

  18. Victoria Ess

    The “after” is stunning!! Everything looks great and works really well together! That fireplace is my favourite part.

  19. Lena

    I think it may have actually been my awesome new camera which just pulls out the true colours of the flooring!

  20. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    it is beautiful, its amazing not only the detail of the furniture or fire but just the paint coour alone warms it up so much more.

  22. Rosie

    You did a fantastic job! I didn’t think the “before” looked that bad, but then I saw the first “after” and was amazed! What is also amazing is that you were allowed to turn the ‘ol man cave upside down. A smashing success, all the way around!!!

  25. Debbie White Beattie

    I can’t believe you even put up the electric fireplace with the stone behind, it all looks amazing.