Man Caves
Giant TV screen with surround sound. Check. At least one wet bar trimmed in mahogany with a touch of teak. Check. Plush leather chairs and sofas against the lush richness of jatoba or wenge wood flooring. Check. Pool table, poker table, assorted signs and pendants. Check. It's a long way from a primitive cave, but just right for the modern man. So how did this all get started?
In The Beginning
"For a man's house is his castle, and each man's home is his safest refuge," said Sir Edward Coke, The Institutes of the Lawes of England, in 1628. The problem with Sir Edward's famous quote, of course, is that most men share their castles with wives and children.
When Turkish tobacco became all the rage in Victorian England, smoking was considered too indelicate for feminine tastes. The logical thing for the well-to-do gentleman was to create a smoking room: a place where the men could be boys and the women could be elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What features define a modern man cave?+
A modern man cave typically includes a giant TV screen with surround sound, at least one wet bar trimmed in mahogany with a touch of teak, plush leather chairs and sofas, rich hardwood flooring such as jatoba or wenge, and a pool table, poker table, and assorted signs and pendants.
What wood species are commonly used in man cave design?+
Common woods featured in man caves include mahogany and teak for wet bar trim, and jatoba or wenge for rich, lush flooring.
Where did the concept of the man cave originate?+
The concept traces back to Victorian England, when Turkish tobacco became popular but smoking was considered too indelicate for women. Well-to-do gentlemen created smoking rooms where men could retreat away from the women of the household.
Who said "a man's house is his castle"?+
Sir Edward Coke wrote the phrase in The Institutes of the Lawes of England in 1628, stating that a man's house is his castle and each man's home is his safest refuge.
Why did Victorian men create smoking rooms?+
When Turkish tobacco became fashionable in Victorian England, smoking was viewed as too indelicate for feminine tastes, so gentlemen created dedicated smoking rooms as male-only retreats within the home.