One of the greatest human inventions of all time is the cave. But not all of us are fortunate enough to have a damp hole we can crawl into — some of us have to build our man caves. If you’re in that boat, here is a list of 23 man cave ideas for your pole barn.
(Editor’s note: There will be numerous references to “man” throughout this post. This is not meant to be sexist or offend. We will be covering she sheds in future posts, so count on equal time, womankind.)
Back in the days of running for your life from saber-toothed tigers, caves were highly valued. Then along came flamethrowers and firearms, and soon man started feeling safe and relocated to free-standing homes. And that’s where the trouble began.
Man found himself face-to-face with another predatory beast – the interior decorator. Whether it came in the form of HGTV or a hired gun, interior decorators put the kibosh on worn recliners and NFL posters.
Today’s hairy-knuckled brutes were exiled to the basement, and many were escorted off the premises altogether. They were forced to build entire new structures: Enter the man cave pole barns.
The True Escape: The Man Cave Pole Barn
We have provided a list of man cave pole barn requirements before, but we haven’t fully explored the details that make up a premium man cave. And, if you’re one of the unfortunate/fortunate few that has been exiled from the house altogether, you’ll need to know how to craft an entirely new structure.
Fortunately, a pole barn is the ideal choice for a man cave. Dispel your traditional notions of a pole barn — today’s post-frame structures come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. In fact, you can customize your own man cave with our DESIGN 3D tool.
The point here is that you can build a structure with enough aesthetic tie-ins to the Place Where the Other One Lives that you won’t create any conflicts. Remember, your retreat is a place to avoid conflict, not create new ones.
Ok – so let’s take a look at specific structural and detailed interior elements.
23 Must-Haves for Your Man Cave Pole Barn
1. Refrigerator
You obviously will need someplace to keep beer, cheese, beer, summer sausage and beer. But if you truly want the grandaddy of all refrigerators, feast your eyes upon the Brew Cave Walk-In Cooler.
This refrigerated walk-in storage space boasts an expandable, modular design with panels easily connected via a cam-action locking system. Best of all, you’ve got a 2-pane, argon-filled, heat-reflective glass display entry door to view your babies.
Someone. Buy. This. Freakin’. THING. (And please drink responsibly.)
Photo courtesy of Kegerator.com (@kegeratordotcom)
2. Sofa
Whether watching the flat screen, taking a nap or eating cheese snacks, this piece of furniture is essential to a well-equipped man cave. Pro tip: The wise man will invest in a sleeper sofa. If you’re going to banished to the couch, you might as well make it a sleeper.
Better yet, go this this bad boy, courtesy of livinginashoebox.com. (@livinginashoebox)
3. Bar
Sometimes you go with a full-on bar with stools, sometimes just a counter to hold the bottles and snack bowls. This pole barn included a complete, built-in bar with kegger, sink, and a mirror in the event a big screen is set up behind the patrons.
4. Vintage Car or Truck
What are you going to work on in your man cave? You need some wheels. Check out this vintage pick-up. You’d never know this beast lurked behind the charming exterior.
5. Sink
No need to carry dirty dishes to the house for cleaning — get a sink. A sink is also handy for filling the dog’s water dish and other mission-critical tasks. (You might as well slap in a dishwasher while you’re at it.)
6. Flat Screen
You have three choices here: Big, bigger or biggest. We recommend the Titan Zeus.
Measuring 26’ by 16’ (yes, that’s feet), it’s a 370 inch 4K TV that weighs almost a ton. It’s capable of displaying 65 billion colors at a resolution of 4K – and the price tag is around $1.6 million. (Be sure to leave a little left over for pole barn construction.)
Here’s a video on the Titan Zeus.
If the Titan Zeus is a little out of your price range, there are many other 1080p or 4K screens that will work almost as well. Remember, size of the screen DOES MATTER when trying to see if the player’s knee was down before the fumble.
7. Blu-Ray Player or Gaming System…or Games
No sports on? Then on to the gaming. You can go with the gaming system of your choice, including the options featured below in this photo from BostonDesignGuide.com.
8. Microwave
From nacho cheese to microwave popcorn, this all-purpose cooking device makes a frozen late-night burrito man’s best friend. Makes you wonder why you even need that thing right below it. (That’s an oven, right?)
9. Beer / Liquor / Soft drinks
A well-stocked man cave should have a variety of beverages to satisfy any visitor. Be sure you take care of the most important person first — yourself.
Do a bit of soul-searching here. Think about what you like to drink, and how much you’d need to last through the weekend. Better yet, prep for the zombie apocalypse. Those Boy Scouts were right – it’s good to Be Prepared.
10. Recliner(s)
Nothing says “I’m relaxed” more than putting your feet up in a recliner, except maybe taking a nap in it, which you are required to do. Better yet, position an army of recliners in every room, especially by the kitchen, where you sit back and watch your chili crockpot cook.
11. Trophies / Taxidermy Mounts
There are no rules about where you can put up that fish, pheasant or deer mount…unlike that House Where the Other One Lives. We built this cavernous pole barn, with the elk head keeping watch over the sitting area.
12. Stove
You need a place to heat up those mini sausages in your favorite BBQ sauce, right? And nothing heats or smells as good in a man cave as a wood burning stove.
If you’re not going old-school, you can build a pole barn with a modern kitchen. Below is actually a post-frame (pole barn) structure complete with a modern kitchen.
Important: Do not, under any circumstances, make it nicer than the kitchen in your house. That may inspire protest from the House Where the Other One Lives — and likely a visit from that accursed interior designer.
13. Tool Chest
From your ATV to your boat, the tool chest will keep it all in running order. Check out this beautiful set of tool chests. Beats a china hutch any day.
14. ATV / Snowmobile / Motorbike
Now we’re not saying this is going to happen, but there may come a day when there isn’t anything good on TV. That’s when you should be able to hop on a motorized vehicle of some sort. Here’s an example of a pole barn layout that allows for easy transition from recliner to vehicle.
Motorized vehicles also give you a good reason to have a tool chest. And maybe even that Titan Zeus TV, so you can relive your rides via GoPro.
15. Tractors
Can you think of anything more manly in a man cave than a John Deere tractor? Of course you can. TWO John Deere tractors, plus model replicas displayed above them.
16. Fishing Gear / Ice Fishing Gear
Unfortunately, there are times when hunting season is closed. You will need to store fishing gear – here are some great wall and ceiling racks courtesy of Cabelas.com. @cabelas
17. Bathrooms with Urinals
Dang right. Get a urinal. It’s your bathroom! And urinals don’t have toilet seats, so there’s absolutely no thinking involved with that whole seat up, seat down silliness.
Here’s a picture of a pole barn man cave with a urinal installed. There is also a conventional toilet for other business. Not a bad idea.
18. Fire Pit
Preferably get one of these outside, for those cool evenings. There is nothing as soothing as watching a fire and glowing red coals. Except maybe enjoying the warm glow of a $1.6 million Titan Zeus TV.
Just outside the back door (really, that is the back door on this lodge-size man cave) is a great firepit. And it’s almost large enough to burn a whole tree at one time!
19. Beer Signs
From the classic “Hamm’s” water sign to a modern neon classic, these provide both light and ambiance for a man cave. You know — gives the joint atmosphere.
By the way, be sure to watch the following vintage Hamm’s beer ad on your Titan Zeus TV. It doesn’t feature the “Land of Sky Blue Water” jingle, but it sure does make you want to go out and buy a pet bear.
20. Wood
The wood stove or fire pit needs fuel. Check out this great post on how to build DIY fire racks, courtesy of Instructables.com (@instructables). To haul that stuff in, check out this great firewood cart from WoodlandDirect.com.
21. Grill
The alternative or supplement to the stove. Go with charcoal or gas – personal preference rules. Just please, keep it a safe distance from your beloved pole barn man cave.
22. Outdoor furniture
Nothing beats sitting around the fire or eating outside with nature when the weather cooperates. Now this beautifully constructed pole barn gives you a sense of how outdoor furniture can work underneath a nice overhang, but scroll down for perhaps an even more important feature.
23. Hot Tub
Yes, indeed, you can put a nice hot tub right outside your pole barn man cave. After a long day of wood chopping, ATV or snowmobile riding, or walking to and from your walk-in beer cooler, this will ease the aches and pains.
And if you’re feeling generous, you can even let that certain someone hang some flowers nearby.
That’s 23, count ‘em, 23 ideas. The best part? We know we’ve only scratched the surface of manly-men ingenuity and creativity. There’s no limits to how many different ways we can find to relax and do nothing of consequence.
If you have any suggestions or thoughts on more Pole Barn Man Cave features, let us know. In the meantime, beware. We are an equal opportunity blog, and a Pole Barn She Shed feature list is probably just around the corner! Subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss it!
