Happy Fathers Day!

In honor of Fathers' Day, this post is dedicated to one of the most recent interior design developments 'The Man Cave'. If you want to keep your man and/or father happy, set aside space for a Man Cave.

Defined as a room, space or corner of a dwelling specifically reserved for the man of the house, a Man Cave is also a personal refuge and an emotional sanctuary away from females, the pressures of family life and other responsibilities. As far as I can tell, the use of the term Man Cave first appeared in 1992 and has gained steam ever since. Man Caves are now so popular that a weekly television show is dedicated to creating, renovating and decorating this male space.

Traditional decorating rules do not apply to Man Caves. Instead of choosing between a modern, Asian or French country theme, these rooms revolve around a favorite sports team or hobby. Memorabilia and guy toys take center stage.

What are the most coveted Man Cave features? The most highly rated gear and gadgets were listed in The Boston Globe article 12 Man-tastic Man Caves.

• Flat screen TV (75%)
• Recliner (69%)
• Stereo (68%)
• Refrigerator (67%)
• DVD player (67%)
• Computer (65%)
• Bar (64%)

Is there room for a Man Cave in a smaller Jewel Box® Home? Absolutely! Pick a comfortable corner for a lounge or easy chair. Put a side table to the right of the chair and a magazine holder to the left and let your husband stake this out as his personal space. When your honey is in this room, the kids, dogs and even you are not allowed within the Man-space corner. And to make your guy's space a little nicer, buy an inexpensive back massager that fits in the lounge chair which he can use while relaxing. At least my husband seems to like it!

Enjoy the gallery below of Man Caves. All photos come from 12 Man-tastic Man Caves.

Every room in a Man Cave needs a flat screen TV.

Tasteful stripper pole theme. But my guy
will have to live without this.

Not only for lounging, this Man Cave has a climbing wall.

Very nice! The garage as Man Cave for a guy with many interests.
Notice the motorcycle, football gear, beer collectibles and guitar.

Gotta love the custom Caddilac couch!

The perfect Man Cave baseball lounge.

There are no rules about color combinations in the Man Cave.
If he likes it, then it works.

A great Man Cave for the golfing afficionado.

Even a corner can become a Man Cave.

Football Loving Man Cave.

A great screening room, but maybe a little too nice for a 'real' Man Cave.

The James Bond look.

A proud Man Cave owner!