ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

Neither Emily nor I have man caves in our homes. Sure, our husbands would probably love a space to call their own, but I would like a dance studio and craft room and that’s probably not happening anytime soon. So, I bet you are wondering what this post is actually about then. We were selected by a new company called Man Crates Gifts for Men to highlight what we would gift a guy looking to decorate his new man cave for their “Man Cave Makeover” campaign.

First of all, we just wanted to say that Man Crates creates and ships awesome actual wooden crates filled with goodies that your man will need to open with a crowbar. Just the perfect way to get the testosterone flowing. The point is to try and eliminate some of the troubles that come with figuring out which gifts to buy for men. We’ve all been there, contemplating another bland neck tie or stinky cologne, just so you have something to wrap up and give.

Anyway, as far as man caves go, we decided to give everything an overhaul and get away from the typical dark and dingy spaces, sprucing things up a bit with neutral textures and industrial touches. No micro-fridges or neon signs allowed.

Our chosen items (starting on the left side and working our way around clockwise):

1. This industrial Emerson Shelving unit will make a great addition to the man cave because it can moonlight as many different characters. Is it a drink station, snack bar, bookshelf, or game holder? Maybe it could be all of the above. And everything can be kept organized in these great Byholma baskets.

2. Curtains are probably an item that easily get ignored when decorating throwing together a man cave, but they look much better than mini blinds and can help keep the glare off of the television during the big game. These Parlbuske Beige Curtains paired with Threshold™ Hammered Ball Drapery Rod would work great.

3. Bring a little life in with some greenery, like the Ficus Pandurata Bush in the Potatis plant pot. My husband wanted to make sure we mentioned that he thought we should only be including faux plants, since live ones would actually require work.

4. Cast Resin Deer Antlers add a great outdoorsy feel to the room.

5. Adding a large Old World Map poster print is a great way to save some money on art. And building your own frame for it is the perfect reason to break out the power tools.

6. This Bronze Pendant Light also has a wonderful industrial feel that fits the space well.

7. A comfy place to sit is a must, but we decided to forgo the traditional recliner and opt for the Burnham Leather Sofa.

8. The Hermine Throw will help keep him cozy.

9. These Natural Tree Stump Side Tables are also great for many uses. Pull one up in front of the couch as a footstool. Move it to the side and set your drink down. They can even work as extra seating in a pinch.

10. Scotch Tumblers – Do these really need an explanation?

So that pretty much sums it up! What do you think? Emily and I also thought a nice, soft, light colored rug would really pull the space together, but both of our husbands nixed the idea, claiming that it would require more work for the room, i.e. vacuuming and stain removal. Boys can be such party poopers, but you got to love ’em! Some day our husbands will hopefully have man caves of their own that we can decorate, but for now, this is the vision they will have to live with.

I usually don’t go all out on decorating for the holidays. Of course there are a few times a year that get a little more festive than others, but typically, for Fall, we only decorate a few pumpkins and call it a day. However, after reading Bre’s post (25 No Mantel Fall Decor Ideas), I decided to get a little creative spooky and add some fun decor to our console table.

I don’t really know what to call this area. It is just around the corner from our foyer and at the bottom of the stairs. Is it an entryway? Hall? Or something else? $5 goes to the person who can correctly label this space. Kidding!

To decorate the area, I pulled together a lot of items from around the house and also grabbed a few items from the dollar store (candles, crow, etc.) You may recognize the Cable Spool Clock and the Budget Friendly Glass Hurricane.

I decided to add the bats after I remembered that we had shared a great bat printable last year. They add a little something extra. I printed, cut out, and then traced it onto black card stock. And as far as placement, I decided just to wing it. Ha ha!

Print out your own flying insectivore (those are fancy words for a bat) below.

Click the image below for the free PDF link. Please download the file and open with Adobe Reader to ensure proper print sizing. When printing, make sure that Page Scaling is set to “Fit Printable Area” and Borderless Printing is selected.

So what do you think? Did we nail it or is this table scape just a bit too batty for you?

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Check out our Halloween Party Invitation Printables for you upcoming shindig!

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Once upon a time, there were male roommates who decided it was time to move out of their crappy apartment and on with their separate lives. During this transition, one of the guys abandoned a nightstand. One of the other men thought “Sweet! Free furniture!” and decided to rescue it.

The nightstand inheritor then went on with his life and later got married to a wonderful woman with a passion for DIY. (That’s me!)

Over the coarse of the next eight years, this nightstand was toted back and forth across the country with the couple, to find it’s self only miles from where this journey first stated. The thought of getting rid of this piece of furniture definitely crossed the couple’s minds, but the wife always new great things were in the future of this nightstand.

After several years of spending quality time in the couple’s basement, it was finally time for this gem to make a reappearance in the world with a band new look.

This makeover began with a light exfoliation of the exterior using 120 grit sand paper.

Next, a hydrating mask of primer was applied to the surface area and allowed to dry.

This process was then followed by two layers of white paint brushed onto the nightstand.

Finally, fabric and a staple gun were used to dress up the interior backing of the furniture.

Hey, nobody’s perfect. Even this little gal had some imperfections that deserved a bit of cover-up.

Isn’t she a beauty?

The husband and wife couple were extremely pleased with this furniture transformation. And they all lived happily ever after. The End.

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