In celebration of that most manly of months, Movember, I’ve been thinking a lot about a man’s place in interior design.

More often than not, men aren’t emotionally involved in home decorating. They don’t usually care about the colour of the couch, whether the towels match the bathroom fittings and which piece of art should be hanging in the entrance way for guests to see “on arrival.”

Men do, however, like to claim a spot in the house for themeselves: the ‘Man Cave’. My husband for example, yearns for his own ‘man cave’ and would love to build his own version so that he can disappear for days on end to indulge in his creative projects.

While this male’s paradise can be a nightmare for many design conscious significant others, there are ways to have a Man Cave that’s masculine and functional as well as chic.

Here are a few tips for how you can make sure your man’s cave doesn’t compromise the look of the rest of your home.

1) Acceptance. Accept the fact that this little piece of your home is going to have less-than-attractive elements. While tricks can be utilised to minimise the ‘impact’ of consoles and cords, this is not your space to design.

 2) Cabinets are your friend. Whether your Man Cave is a converted garage or a spare room-cum-office, entertainment centre type cabinets mean that, once games are over and matches are finished, you can shut a little door on all that Audio Visual equipment (which is often the biggest eyesore in the Man Cave!).

3) Masculine wall decor can be tasteful. Frame vintage maps, old movie posters (of his choice) and car ads to create a personalised ‘art wall’ with a masculine feel.

4) A manly shelf can be pretty as well as tough. Shelves are a low-cost and easy way to add depth to the walls of your loved-one’s Man Cave. Ikea has a great range, some of which also incorporate storage, and they are very easy to hang. On the shelf, try putting manly plants like cactus, sports trophies and, if you’re feeling daring, animal skulls (easily purchased fully cleaned and treated from online auction sites like eBay).

4) Manly furniture is some of the most beautiful. Vintage chesterfields, sideboards with hidden bar compartments and oak or teak-look coffee tables all have a masculine feel that’s more James Bond and less Monster Garage. Timothy Oulton from the UK has just launched his amazing vintage designer furniture range in Melbourne. It’s perfect for the man cave with a quirky touch!

5) It’s all about the way you present it. As long as you keep Bruce Wayne and the aforementioned Bond in mind while you’re considering colours, textures and accents, you should be fine. A Man Cave is, after all, a space for a man, so don’t be afraid to use strong, rich colours — after you’ve asked your man, of course.

Happy man caving fellas!