One thing that every 21st century man needs is a man cave. Not everyone can have one because not every house has room for one. However, if you have a basement or a loft space you could convert it. If you have a spare bedroom that is not used, you could easily convert that too. You could also convert a garage that isn’t used. A man cave lets you get away for an hour or two into your own space, and just "do your own thing". Ideally, your man cave should be large enough to accommodate your mates when they visit too.

A man cave can even be of benefit to the lady of the house because when you do have your mates around they won’t be sprawled all over the lounge, and if your mates bring their wives or partners with them, the ladies can do their thing in the lounge or conservatory, while you lot do your thing in your man cave.

Of course, planning a man cave takes a bit of thinking about. It might even be a good idea to call in an interior designer. There are companies who do undertake interior design in Cardiff and who would doubtless be delighted to help with your plans. They may very well come up with ideas that you hadn’t thought about, as two heads are better than one.

If you are thinking of taking the plunge, it’s best to get the little lady’s approval first, but you can point out the benefits to her, in particular that you and your mates will be out of her way. Here are some of the things that you could include in your Cardiff man cave.

Quite obviously, you need a TV, and the bigger the better. A wall-mounted one would be best, because then it is out of the way, and you can mount a larger one on the wall when it might not be convenient to have it on a TV stand where it takes up more space. A TV allows you to watch the football or horse racing away from the lounge, and that’s another benefit for most women who simply cannot understand our obsession with football and racing.

Another obvious item you need is a bar and barstools, and the bigger the better with this too. The bigger the bar, the more drinks you can stock, and the more drinks you can stock, the more mates you can have over. If you haven’t got room for a full-sized bar, at the very least you need a fridge. You don’t want to have to go up or downstairs to the kitchen every time you want a cold beer. (NB: another benefit for the lady, since her kitchen fridge will have more space because it won’t be full of your beer cans). You will also need to choose barstools: there are tons of designs for bar stools, but ones with leather tops are the most comfortable.

Another great item for your man cave is a recliner. You can use your cave just to relax and get away from it all, and you might not want to watch what’s on the TV. Then again, you can relax on your recliner and watch the TV as well if it’s on the wall. You’ll also need a wine table or side table to put your drink on, and the remote as well. In addition, you will need extra seating for your mates, such as a settee and a couple of armchairs.

Another suggestion is a dart board. Well you’ve got a bar, and how many bars don’t have a dart board? Not many. You could also include a card table which you can use to play poker, blackjack, gin rummy, whist, crib, or anything else.

Don’t forget to add some personal touches. This is YOUR space and you can shine a light on yourself. How about the photo of you holding that huge carp you caught last year? Or the shield that you won for the golf club Christmas competition? You can also add some movie posters if you are a movie fan. It is your room, after all, so you can make it a reflection of the man you are.