I like to watch a show called Man Caves on the DIY network and today they had a show worth blogging about. Typically I watch these shows and feel a tremendous amount of jealously because in Florida we have no basements and as long as I live here I will never have a “Man Cave”. The task was to convert the homeowner’s garage into a man cave. Now this is something I could do here in Florida. The homeowners lived in Chicago and he and his wife had a major disagreement on Chicago’s best team. He was a die hard White Sox fan and she grew up rooting for the Cubs. The plan was to create a space where the two of them could co-exist and show off the memorabilia from both teams. The show teamed up with the MLB network and brought in former ball players Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams to help out. The first major project was to dig a 9×5 foot hole (they never mentioned how deep) to hide the pool table. A removable steel floor could be put into place to allow parked vehicles during the cold Chicago winters. The pool table would then be raised by a 1300 lb hydraulic lift. They repaved the concrete floor and hung drywall to give the space an indoor look.
The MLB network was involved so of course they had a little surprise for the home owners. The gang treated them to a Chicago White Sox game where the husband got the once in a lifetime opportunity to throw out the first pitch. They kept telling him no matter what don’t throw the ball into the dirt. Sure enough his nerves got the best of him and he bounced it to the catcher.
Back to the garage, a local company customized the new cabinets to hide all the garage belongings. The customizing was in the cabinet doors that featured images from Chicago and the stadiums. A representative from the company said any image could be imprinted on to the cabinet doors. To show off the durability of the cabinets, the host signed one of the doors with permanent marker and by using lacquer thinner (very strong stuff) they were able to erase the signature. A unique floating floor was installed over top of the newly repaved concrete. The flooring is a friction lock system that is easy to install, takes abuse well and is easy to clean. It was made of cork and looked incredible. They also installed a JBL sound system, a collection of clamp lights to give that stadium lighting look, and a knotty pine garage door. MLB network matching leather chairs and a 42 inch flat screen decked out the rest of the space. What more could you want for your “Man Cave”?
I stopped watching the show when we moved to Florida because I no longer have a basement to dream about. This show demonstrated that it still could be a possibility I just need to think outside of the box. It could be a garage and I imagine there are some creative things I could do with my lanai. Just depends on your definition of what a “Man Cave” is. So the dream remains alive! If you follow our blog you know that I have already begun my “Man Cave” project by finishing my floor.
Remember to contact the “Sarasota Realtor” if you have Real Estate interests in Sarasota and the Bradenton Florida area.