So, now you’ve got your man cave all finished, but it really doesn’t look how you envisioned it. Like, was it supposed to look like an actual cave? Despite following your plan to the T, the whole place still doesn’t really meet your aesthetic standards. What could be missing? You didn’t take lighting into account, did you? Whoops.
Light can make or break a space’s aesthetic. If your man cave is located in a particularly secluded place in your home – like the garage – you might notice how very little light actually makes its way into the area. Styling your lighting to accentuate the way you’ve designed your space can make it look less than a cave and more like the swanky retreat you’ve dreamed of.
TV Backlight
- SUPER BRIGHT AND SAFE TO USE: This 20ft strip light includes 360 bright LEDs. And the working voltage is 12V (A UL Listed Power Adaptor is included), extremely Low Heat. It is touchable.
- DIMMABLE: Controlled them by switch dimmer( included), convenient to adjust brightness.
- EASY INSTALLATION: Self-adhesive back with adhesive tape for safe and easy application.
If you have a wall-mounted TV in your man cave, consider adding some backlighting to that bad boy. It’s really not that hard to achieve. Just cop some LED tape light and stick a few lines behind your TV against the wall. Not only will the lights keep your eyes and head from hurting during a movie, they’ll also add a unique aesthetic to your space by drawing attention to your TV.
Pendant Lighting
Do you have a game table in your man cave? As an essential part of any man cave, your game table should have a unique location in your space. Putting that thing front and center makes it more inviting and bumps up its aesthetic appeal. Of course, the best way to achieve that would be with a pendant lamp.
are exactly what they sound like – a lighting fixture that dangles from the ceiling, like a necklace pendant. To install them, just take out a light bulb fixture and replace it with your pendant lamp’s attachment. Sure, there’s a little wiring involved, but even guys with the most rudimentary handy skills can get it done.
Bar Lighting
- READY TO USE - VERY FLEXIBLE – Easy to uncoil and use, DIY- Includes mounting hardware (15 mounting clips & screws) – The ropes are flexible and bendable, easy to bend for quick and easy mounting on your favorite place
- EASY TO EXTAND – If you need longer length you can easily connect up to 6 strands of the same model tube lights with end-to-end connectivity (Connect up to 150ft total length)
- HIGH END QUALTY AND WATERPROOF - Our RopeLight are UL Listed, made of pure original V0-class fireproof PVC, pure copper wire and high-quality bulbs. UV-resistant, cold-resistant, Rated IP65 Waterproof protected from rain or snow but it should not be used under water
The objective with bar lighting is simply to outline the areas of your bar. Rope light can be a great way to achieve that. The beauty of rope light is that you can get really creative with it. Add red rope light to shelves to make your booze stand out with an inviting red glow, outline your bar with warm white rope light to make it come alive from the rest of the space. For a cool, stylish aesthetic, try adding blue rope light under bar tables for a subtle sophistication.
Display Lighting
- Best selling and most highly rated MR16 on Amazon with over 5 years of Happy Customers. Saves $1180 per Package in Energy Costs!!
- Full Aluminum Case Construction for the best heat dissipation and longer life. Dimmable 50 Watt Replacement using only 7 watts; High power LED per watt.
- 3000K Soft White Soft LEDs match halogen bulbs in brightness and color and work in dimmable and non-dimmable fixtures.
Track lighting can be an easy way to showcase your best stuff. Bulbs like the MR16 are often the most popular, allowing you to create something like a spotlight to highlight your favorite stuff. Track lighting also works great when propped up against things like framed vintage posters or autographed sports shirts that you may have hanging up against your wall.
Keep in mind though that the distance of your track lights to the subject you’re trying to highlight will play a role in the overall effect you achieve. The farther away your track lighting, the wider your beam angle should be in order to avoid creating a focal point that’s too tight.
Mood Lighting
- No Hub: Control your home from anywhere via My Leviton app - simply replace your existing light switch (neutral required).
- Capabilities: Schedule lights to adjust when you want, including sunrise/sunset, easily create lighting scenes, utilize the auto-shutoff feature and vacation (randomization) mode. Easy Wi-Fi lighting for your whole home
- Voice control: Works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants (sold separately). “Alexa, dim kitchen light to 25%”.
Mood lighting can be easily achieved by simply adding dimmers to any fixtures in your space. Dimming out the lights can work great for movies (if you haven’t installed TV backlights) or for simply making your cave feel more comfortable and cozy.
If you’re just a practical guy, you should also know that dimmers actually help you cut back on electricity costs. They can also help extend the lifespan of your lightbulbs, which of course reduces your expenses in the long run.
There are a lot of dimmers available on the market, and they do come in different models and types. Make sure the dimmer you’ve chosen is compatible with the rest of your fixtures. Otherwise, trying to dim the lights might result to dimming issues and annoying buzzing sounds every time you try to adjust the brightness in your space.
Shelf Lighting
Almost every man will have some sort of memorabilia in their man cave and of course you need some sort of shelving to show it off. You can always have a go at installing the shelving yourself. The effects speak for themselves.
Final Thoughts
Just because it’s called a ‘man cave’ doesn’t mean it has to look like an actual cave. If you feel like the aesthetic in your space just doesn’t look how you want it to, consider the lighting. Adding just the right lights to highlight specific areas in your man cave can make it look comfortable, sophisticated and classy. Plus, if you’re choosing the right stuff, you can also bring down your electricity bill, no matter how much time you decide to spend in your cave.