Even the most die-hard family guy needs some alone time. Take Kirker Butler. The Los Angeles–based writer longed for a quiet retreat where he could craft his TV scripts while still being close to his wife and young daughter. “I wanted some bells and whistles, too,” admits Kirker, who hoped a big flat-screen TV, a leather recliner, and shelves for his sports memorabilia and collectibles would make the room just as much man cave as office.
Shown: The designer cleverly incorporated the footings as the bases for mahogany bookcases and a raised reading nook.
Desk: Crate and Barrel. Chair: Design Within Reach.
Before the Renovation
Unfortunately, the only spot available was a dreary storage area off the garage. The space, which had once held a gas furnace, was small, with uneven floors and large concrete footings designed to anchor the house in an earthquake or a landslide.
Shown: The concrete footings gave the dreary, unfinished storage space a bunker look.
Glow with the Flow
The 14-by-16-foot space had previously been used for little more than stowing drippy paint cans and holiday decorations. Once home to a gas furnace, the dreary storage area off the garage had uneven floors and felt more like a dungeon than a retreat. But Kirker Butler, an L.A.-based TV writer, saw potential: “I wanted some bells and whistles, too,” he admits—envisioning a big flat-screen TV, a leather recliner, and shelves for his sports memorabilia and collectibles that would make the room just as much man cave as office.
Designer Kyle Schuneman set about giving the dank room a library look with dark mahogany millwork and built-in shelving. General contractor Mark Aller laid a floating wood floor over the uneven concrete and clad the footings in drywall. Now the formerly cold, dark space is a treasured getaway for the man of the house. “I’ve been thinking about this space for seven years,” says Kirker. “It turned out awesome.”
Pro Tip: Kirker Butler advises that personalization is key to any basement retreat: “A man cave should be personal. I suggest a Star Wars collection from your childhood that your wife doesn’t want in the living room.” The bookcase backs were painted a pale color to keep the dark millwork from looking oppressive—a smart design move in a below-grade room where light is at a premium.
Shown: A new window, twice as tall as the original, was installed for more light and air. In the corner, a gas meter was boxed out with drywall and is now accessed through an exterior panel.
Window wall paint: Huntington Beige; Benjamin Moore
Relax and Retreat
A varied color palette of warm and cool neutrals helps highlight the architecture of the room. Golden-yellow paint envelops the cozy reading nook, while pale gray grounds its base.
Mahogany boards dress up the drywalled footings and help integrate them into the design.
Reading light: Restoration Hardware. Custom cushions and pillows: Larribas Upholstery. Reading nook paint: Bryant Gold; Benjamin Moore
Design Doohickies
Collectibles gathered over time make the space unique. Says Kirker, “A man cave should be personal. I suggest a Star Wars collection from your childhood that your wife doesn’t want in the living room.”
A Seat with a View
A recliner tucked into a corner provides a comfy spot for TV viewing. The bookcase backs are painted a pale color to keep the dark millwork from looking oppressive.
Sisal rug: Pottery Barn. Chair: Mortise & Tenon Handmade Furniture
Spotlight with Soft Lighting
The library gets plenty of soft, warm light from sconces installed on the posts dividing the bookcases.
Homeowner tip: “Put electric outlets everywhere—the walls, the floor, everywhere! Then, when you find a really cool lamp made out of a beer bottle, you’ll be able to put it exactly where you want.”—Kirker Butler, Los Angeles
Sconces: Restoration Hardware
The Men’s Room
The 14-by-16-foot storage space was used for little more than stowing drippy paint cans and holiday decorations.
Floor Plan: Before the Renovation
The 14-by-16-foot storage space was used for little more than stowing drippy paint cans and holiday decorations.
Floor Plan: After the Renovation
The comfy space now serves as study, office, and entertainment center.
What They Did:
1. Zoned the space with a half bath in the room’s only open area and bookshelves along the periphery. Concealed a gas meter (now accessed from outdoors).
2. Finished the footings by boxing them out with drywall and building bookcases on top.
3. Mounted a TV and hid a mini fridge inside the wall that leads to the mechanicals access area.
4. Floated a desk in the center of the room and added a recliner for TV viewing.
Mahogany boards were used to dress up the drywalled footings, helping integrate these structural elements into the overall design rather than leaving them as eyesores. The varied color palette of warm and cool neutrals also helps highlight the room’s architecture — golden-yellow paint envelops the cozy reading nook, while pale gray grounds its base.
Pro Tip: Mahogany boards were used to dress up the drywalled footings, helping integrate these structural elements into the overall design rather than leaving them as eyesores. The varied color palette of warm and cool neutrals also helps highlight the room’s architecture—golden-yellow paint envelops the cozy reading nook, while pale gray grounds its base.The gas meter, once an awkward obstacle in the room’s only open area, was boxed out with drywall and rerouted so it can now be accessed through an exterior panel—a simple fix that reclaimed valuable square footage in an already tight 14-by-16-foot footprint.
