Man cave's (or mantuary's, the criminally underused alternative) are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. According to recent studies, spending time alone is beneficial to men's stress levels, which means creating your very own space in the home is the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day! If you'd love to transform a room of your home, but have a significant other who'd be less than impressed, have a look at these tips on how to get away with building a man cave of your own.

Make some compromises


While you might absolutely love the idea of dedicating a space in your house to watching movies, drinking beer and generally chilling out, you might have a hard time convincing your partner to get on board. If your wife or girlfriend is a fan of all things girly, consider making a compromise by agreeing to silver glitter wallpaper in the bedroom in return for some creative freedom of your own on an area of the home. Even better, build a new bathroom in your hideout and give her the main bathroom all to herself - a sure fire selling point!

Assess your space


Unless you go by the name of Drake and your home has space for a game room, home theatre and private gym, it's unlikely that you'll be spoilt for choice when looking for a room for your new hideaway. Some popular places to build a man cave are in the garage or shed of your home, as they're often large enough to fit everything you need, and far away enough from the main part of the house for some alone time. If you don't have an empty garage or shed going spare, think about building a bomb-shelter style man cave in your back garden. It may leave you with some extra work and expenses, but the results can be amazing and covert enough to keep your other half happy!

Get inspired


Once you've established where about you'll be housing your new den, it's time to seek some inspiration to get the ball rolling. Search for images of man cave's online and create a folder of your favourite decor and features you love. You might find that you're more into a certain style, such as a more rustic, DIY themed space rather than a light and airy room. Think about what your favourite ways to unwind are and incorporate these into the space. This could be by mounting a large wide screen TV on one of the walls, building your very own library, or investing in some gym equipment and a surround sound music system. Finish everything off with some personal touches such as posters of your favourite films, football memorabilia or anything else that you hold close.