Man Cave Details and How to Mix Art

Because so much of the challenge was spent focusing on the remodel of the space, I wanted to talk a bit today about the finishing touches.  Good bones go a long way, so adding some in here was important.  But layering on furnishings, art, and accessories is what makes a space your own.

Before we move on to the smaller pieces, I just wanted to update you on a few things.  Now that we’ve had time to actually live in the space as someone who never sits down to watch a movie, I’ve actually watched two movies in the last week! I can really shout my love for the carpet and sofa.  The Garner is incredibly comfortable and just the right depth and height for lounging – but not so low that you’re struggling to get up out of the thing.  Kids have been climbing all over it, and we’ve already had a spill or two on it with not a single sign of wear.

I don’t know that I can ever go back to man-made material carpet again.  This all wool beauty has no oder at all good to know we’re not breathing in a bunch of chemicals and I was pleasantly surprised at how soft it is.  So many of our wool rugs are kind of scratchy to sit on, but this carpet is like butter.  If you’re looking for carpet right now, it’s National Karastan Month and most of their carpet is at it’s lowest price of the year, with $1,000 back on several choices.  You can learn more here.

As I started to think about bringing some color into the space I was really drawn towards the idea of blue.  It’s a favorite choice of mine, but it also felt really fresh mixed with the taupes, browns, and blacks.  I knew I also had to get some red in there because it’s Micah’s favorite.  I often infuse color in big, bold ways, but when I start with a neutral backdrop I like to bring in color in smaller doses throughout the space.  Art and pillows were the easiest ways to do that down here.

The Arianna Belle pillows are great little statements against all of the dark leather.  This is a man cave, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have something a little softer in pattern to juxtapose all of the harder, more masculine lines.   The floral is something unexpected that ties in a lot of the colors and brings interest.

 

There aren’t many flat surfaces to style down here just the coffee table and the bar so I knew art was going to be crucial in bringing in the personality.  Micah and I both have unique taste when it comes to what we like, so I was pleasantly surprised at some of the things he was drawn to.

 

When dealing with the art I wanted to focus on bringing in color and personal elements.  When I saw this Ballon piece by French artist, Jerome Romain, I had an inkling that Micah would like it.  It’s a little dark, but still lighthearted and he was instantly drawn to it when I showed him a bunch of works.  It brought in the red and I decided to build off of that.  Since this is a colorful painting I went with the simple charcoal drawing of the man framing it in copper to tie into the speakers and then this vintage football shot printed on aluminum.  The ocean piece by Nicole Cohen and the inky abstract by Lindsay Letters frame out the collection in the blue.  While the color is interesting the subjects don’t distract from the other pieces.

Micah likes the mountains he used to snowboard a lot before having a family so the piece Phillip Cason did for the space is a nod to that.  It’s huge (3×6) but the simplicity doesn’t distract from the gallery on the neighboring wall.

The art on the wall next to the bar was the last one I found, but definitely my personal favorite.  The traditional subject has just the right pops of color for the room and the composition feels modern.  It was the perfect finishing piece.

If you’re still reading, bravo!  Sometimes these details are a lot to take in, but I think it’s important to share the thought and “whys” that go into a space.  Reading posts like this by other bloggers is what has helped me maneuver my own design processes.  Let me know if there’s anything else I missed, you can find sources for all of the other items in the space at the bottom of this post.