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A man cave shed takes the traditional man cave idea and moves it outdoors. Instead of the attic or spare room at home, fun and relaxation take place in a garden building.
What you do with it depends on your needs, but there’s a fair bit of freedom to make it your own. And these ideas will help you plan things out from the off—let’s take a look.
The Concept of a Man Cave (And Having It in a Shed)
Before anything else, a man cave, or manspace, is a private retreat where a gent can unwind and do as he pleases. It’s a space that reflects his style, often decorated with a masculine feel, with a theme that fits the vibe. And for the ladies, there is the she-shed concept as well.
Traditionally, man caves were set up within the house; today, they’re just as likely to be in a shed (mostly wooden), or sometimes in the garage. That’s where the idea of man cave sheds comes in. Many opt for this when there isn’t enough space inside the house, spoiling themselves with the extra room.
The bigger the structure, the better—but any size can work, especially when you know what it’s for and what to put in it. Check out some of our favourite man cave shed ideas and tips for inspiration:
The bigger the structure, the better—but any size can work, especially when you know what it’s for and what to put in it. Check out some of our favourite man cave shed ideas and tips for inspiration:
Turn it into a rustic garden bar
A private pub in the comfort of your garden is sure to provide you with a space to relax and entertain. Whether with your friend and family, or in your own company. It’s exactly what you need if you love mixing drinks and hosting.
A wooden shed suits this concept, thanks to the material’s natural quaint charm. It looks the part with its grain and texture, and it’s easy to customise while keeping that authentic look.
Say, if the wood panels are too light, adding varnish will do the trick. From there, you can furnish your man cave shed bar with the essentials. This includes a table for prepping and serving, and equipment needed for bartending.
Our BillyOh Nightjar, for one, gives you the perfect-sized table for drink prep and serving. It features a classic L-shaped design, with a spacious size of 1.2m x 1.2m. This bar table offers enough surface area for 2-4 of your pals to gather around, so don’t forget the stools. What’s more, it’s made from log boards, so it fits the theme perfectly (and would also suit a log cabin-style shed).
Tips: The layout above shows different variations of how you can place your bar table in the shed. Take inspiration from what else you can add to your setup, but be sure to keep the available space in mind.
Set it up as a garden gaming room
Are you up to play a game—focused and away from the distractions of the house—and level up? Treat yourself to a place where you can build your ultimate gaming setup, man cave style. Perfect for cranking up the surround sound without disturbing the rest of the family.
For this transformation idea, you’ll need to work with your shed and put in some effort to make it happen. First on the list is installing electricity, as it will be your main power source for gaming and lighting. Once that’s done, insulation comes next (if your shed isn’t insulated) for year-round use.
Ventilation is equally crucial, and with electricity, you can install fans or even an AC. This is especially useful if your shed’s window doesn’t open, resulting in poor airflow. At that point, the room should be ready to be furnished. You can check out our guide, ‘Crafting the Ultimate Log Cabin Games Room’ for more ideas—and yes, it works for sheds too!
Make it your private gym shed
A man cave experience isn’t just for leisure; it’s also great for focusing on fitness and wellbeing. Enter a gym shed concept, which perhaps is on a more grown-up side of the man cave shed ideas. It might be for you if you’re keen to have your own space for working out and focus on your overall health.
Equip your man cave shed with equipment and/or machines that are aligned with your routine and goals. Feel free to get creative with this one because you know what works best for you!
Don’t skip on storage, though, so the room stays neat and organised. Another thing you don’t want to forget is ventilation. Without it, the space can get hot, stuffy, and damp, which isn’t great when working out.
Here’s a helpful guide to ‘How to Ventilate Your Garden Gym’ for more information.
As a workshop for your hobbies
A man cave gives you the freedom to build, experiment, and enjoy your crafts. Think of it as a garden workshop, but with a bolder setting than a typical one. You could go for an industrial-style workshop, with dark tones to give it that edge.
There are lots of hobbies that would be right at home in a garden workshop:
- Model making and painting
- Car or bike customisation (especially in a wooden garage)
- Building furniture
- Arts and crafts
- Board games and tabletop wargaming such as Warhammer
- Model train sets
- Brewing beer or cider
It’s also a good idea to add furniture pieces beyond your trusty workbench. If space allows, a leather corner sofa could be a fantastic addition. Metal cabinets instead of the usual wooden design will add a bit of drama, too.
Add personal touches like sports memorabilia or anything related to your hobby. This will make the space feel truly yours. If your shed’s large enough, placing a large area rug or two can help define different zones. You could have one area for lounging, while the other is dedicated to your creative projects.
Tip: If your man cave workshop focuses on DIY and repairs, here’s a checklist of everything you need.
Garden Rooms Might Suit You Better than Sheds
Sheds are great, but most don’t come insulated or well-ventilated. That means extra effort on your part to insulate and ventilate them properly, so you can make the most of the space and be comfortable even in cold weather. It will be worthwhile, that’s for sure, but for convenience, other options might be more your style.
You can’t go wrong with log cabins as something else to consider. For one, these structures are made of thick wooden log boards, good for insulation. Plus, it ventilates well, thanks to windows that you can open to let in some airflow. There are plenty of size options to suit your garden and budget, too.
Take our BillyOh Fraya Pent Log Cabin, for instance. It’s among the warmer garden rooms with log thickness options of 28mm and 44mm for better insulation.
It’s got wide double doors and big front windows, so there’s loads of natural light coming in. The layout also gives you one roomy area to work with. Meanwhile, the front overhang adds a bit of shelter outside—handy if you want to have a spot to take a breather. Fraya’s flat roof and clean lines are also a boost in terms of its appearance, giving off a more modern look than sheds.
Another favourite from our selection that could work as a man cave is the BillyOh Dojo E unit. It’s fully insulated using a hybrid insulation solution for comfortable use all year round. Even better, the reversible design lets you choose building orientation. And did we mention it comes with an extended raised platform? What a garden room for a man cave, indeed!
Want to find out more about this option? Check out our garden rooms buying guide for everything you need to know.
If your current shed is in good condition to function as your man cave, make use of it. However, if you feel it’s better suited for storage and your garden can fit another building (or swap the shed), these options are worth considering.
Regardless, we hope these ideas help lay the groundwork for building your man cave. Good luck!
