5 Tips to Build the Perfect Fan Cave

Everyone has their “thing” - that event, game, or favorite experience to participate in and have fun with. It’s how you most want to spend your time. A reflection of your personality. And it can be a part of your home. Any space can be upgraded to the Fan Cave, whether it’s your den, living room, patio, or garage.

What Is a Fan Cave?

A Fan Cave is a room dedicated to enjoying your favorite pastime, with (or maybe without) your favorite people. It’s a game room, the rec room, a home theater, the pool room, the music room. For some, it’s the Man Cave, or maybe the She-shed. The unified, central theme of these special spaces is unique to the person or family who designed the room.

There’s a fan cave for everyone, from sports fans, to movie lovers, to cigar aficionados, and poker players. Whatever you’re a fan of, you bring to the look of the room, and function naturally follows form. The space is reserved for the activities you love, whether it’s watching the game or playing it.

The Rules of the Fan Cave

Of course, there are expectations of a room, those identifying characteristics that make it a true Fan Cave. The most important thing to keep in mind is that everything in it should match the room, from the theme of the room down to the boring details, like the size of the room. If it doesn’t fit the style, it doesn’t belong there. If there’s not enough physical space to include it, you should probably leave it out. The only hand-me-downs should be the collectibles that give the room personality, like a football jersey collection, or an autographed poster from your favorite movie. A fan cave is dedicated to a particular purpose, whether watching the game on the TV or playing billiards, and those activities have particular requirements to fully enjoy the space, beyond just the look of the room.

1) Include the Unique

The unique design of the room is the personality that comes from your own interpretation of the theme. Bring in your favorite sports memorabilia, adorn the walls with movie posters, or accent with tiny metal race cars and fuzzy dice - whatever suits the subject of your celebration as a fan. Find classic Norman Rockwell paintings of football scenes, stadium signs, and baseball prints, something to make your favorite things stand out.

From football to a home theater, set the stage with lighting. Include track lighting or recessed lighting to direct attention to the items you’ve collected and make the room a showcase to your favorite subjects. Highlight a wet bar with mood lighting, from pendants to neon signs. And no billiards room fan cave is complete without the traditional pool table linear chandelier over the pool table.

Everything can be customized to the look you want in your room, even the small details, like door hardware and lighting shades. Just because it’s called a Fan Cave doesn’t mean it has to be dark and boring, so paint the walls to keep things interesting. Self-adhesive wall decals are a quick and easy way to show team spirit. There’s a wallpaper design to meet every style, including your favorite sports, or movies and comics. Wallpaper borders are a simple option to set the tone, from sports to the cafe. Add the illusion of extra space with wall murals that fit the motif of your room, or just add to the ambiance by making the walls appear to be something they’re not, like urban brickwork, wood paneling, or stone.

2) Creative Comforts

The whole idea behind a fan cave is to have a room designated as a place to spend time enjoying your favorite things. The best way to make a room welcoming and comfortable is, of course, the appropriate seating. For instance, if you’re setting up a fan cave designed around enjoying movies, you’ll want comfortable sofas or couches, even recliners. A bean bag chair is essential for any fan cave with a home entertainment system in it.

If your idea of the perfect fan cave is to set up a sports bar in your basement, you’ll need comfortable bar stools and pub tables. Build a wet-bar, complete with a sink and faucet for easy clean up. Stock it up and store the necessities in cabinet spaces along the wall. Bar carts or islands can keep the extras at your fingertips during the game, and end tables are a convenient must-have. These little details make a world of difference when you’re trying to create an immersive experience out of your favorite things.

Another way to liven up the space is with ceiling fans. Find one in a complementary style, from mid century modern of a soda stand, to the rustic, craftsman style of a pub. There are unique ceiling fan designs specific to sports and other interests appropriate for any size or themed room. There are even ceiling fan styles with a tropical flare, if margaritas and flip flops are the retreat you want in your home. Make a bench out of a retired surfboard and set up a picnic table - as long as it’s comfortable, anything goes.

3) Drinks and Snacks

A good fan cave has everything you need, ready and waiting, without having to make any extra trips to the kitchen. Stadium hot dogs are an important part of every game-day experience, so cook them up in your fan cave before your friends show up. Bring home the entire concession stand fare, from pretzels, to pizza. Build a mini refrigerator into the bar and keep the extras handy, such as condiments or coffee creamer. Sodas, juices, or bottled water are easy to keep in stock with a beverage cooler behind the bar.

For more adult beverages, a kegerator is the way to go. Your favorite beer is available right on tap, with no messy cans to clean up later. Keep a coffee maker on the countertop, and a blender for pina coladas, or milkshakes for the kids. A wine cooler is good for keeping your collection at hand and ready to drink, while creative wine racks help put it on display, and barware keeps things classy at the game tables.

4) Prepare for the Main Event

Whether it’s for watching sports or movies, a fan cave needs at least one TV, along with the extras, like the stereo system and the blu-ray player. Even if the TV is mounted to the wall, once you start adding in satellite or cable boxes, and gaming consoles, you quickly realize that a proper entertainment system requires space and storage. That’s where the entertainment center comes in. Look for media cabinets that can accommodate your tech and the associated cords and cables, as well as any bluetooth wireless connections that are needed.

It’s easy to keep your fan cave organized. A smart home hub can be useful for coordinating all of the tech, making the operation simple and voice-responsive. Cord hiders and management covers keep everything looking sharp. A chalkboard or dry-erase board is a great place to keep track of sports stats and brackets. The right sized message board, or even a wall sealed with chalkboard paint, can offer an old fashioned and creative way to show off your fantasy football team.

A gaming table is a fun addition to any fan cave. Play a round of poker, or even chess at a comfortably sized, durable table. Some include drawers for storing the essentials at the table itself. Others have easily reversible tabletops that can be felt-lined or solid wood, so they can switch to a dining table when the game is over.

5) Everything in Its Place

It’s important to remember that the idea behind a fan cave is to have a room that looks good and that you can make good use of. It should be kept uncluttered and functional, ready to host an event, so you’ll need more than just a good entertainment center. Incorporate shelving units to keep track of the games and decorations that you collect. Select storage ottomans and decorative trunks that fit the theme.

One Last Rule

None of these tips advise on where a fan cave can be located in the home. That depends entirely on the space available, and on what you want to do with it. If there’s an enclosed, or even just partially enclosed, patio that could use an upgrade, it could be turned into a Fan Cave. The TVs can be protected against the elements. Set up an outdoor BBQ along with the kegerator, maybe swap out that leather sofa for some outdoor bistro sets instead, and the room can still take shape as a ready space to watch some football. The Fan Cave is your celebration of your favorite things, indoors or out. Be sure to follow the rules of the Fan Cave and no one will call a flag on the play.