As much as I try not to, it seems like all roads lead back to the Man Cave. Ah, yes! The place where guys go to watch football and drink cold brewskis. Well, sort of. You see, the term "Man Cave" has really evolved -- in my mind, at least -- to something just a little cooler than that. Most guys, whether they admit it or not, dig design. And I mean all guys, straight ones, too! I created a perfect example of that this week on VH1 for Jason Dundas, the pop culture correspondent on their hit show, Big Morning Buzz Live.
VH1 reached out to me because Jason's doll of a colleague, Carrie Keagan, thought we needed to hook a brothuh' up with some decent office digs! Um, yeah! When I got down to his office in Times Square I realized how much he really needed my help. Here he is, this young and cool guy and he had one of those offices that was painted the perfect shade of puke green, cheap ass (and huge!) office furniture and lighting that could make even the hottest supermodel look like crap. You know, that really bad florescent blue hue I'm talking about, right? Yeah, that kind!
After meeting with Jason, who is a real gem, I realized he desperately wanted a cool, hip hangout. He didn't need typical office furniture, tons of file cabinets or an executive desk. He needed a cool place to chill and that's what I gave him. Nowadays, offices are not the same rooms they were even just ten years ago. We live by laptop, cell phones and Red Bull. We are "on" more hours of the day but with less stuff. Besides, he's a host of a VH1 show, not a corporate exec on Wall Street.
I started with amazing peel and stick wallpaper from Tempaper, which comes in modern and fabulous designs. You will need two people to do this, don't kid yourself. I added very cool furnishings from The Foundary, where I can get items up to 70% off of retail and delivered right to my door! Love. In this makeover, I used Control Brands furniture which has a great design pop at killer price points. I added some pillows and accessories, too. But where Man Caves come to life are with the electronics. You MUST have good music. My personal favorite is always going to be Sonos. They are the gold standard in wireless music systems. Now you can even get their new Play 3 at Target for a great price. Don't scrimp here. Another deal breaker is a big ol' flat screen. I got a great deal on a 42" Panasonic from auction site, Beezid.com. You can add a new flashy laptop, I used the Lenovo IdeaPad in bronze with all the latest Windows software. I also gave Jason a brand spanking new Windows Phone which is sure to give even the most die hard iPhone devotees a run for their money. The apps are fabulous, the graphics are very cool and the look is very current. Love it, another big Cachet pick!
Gaming is also important... you need to trick it out with either an XBox, a Wii, some Dr. Dre Beats, and a bunch of cool gadgetry for your laptop from Logitech will add the final touch on the tech. Everyone loves tech and gaming, not just smelly college freshmen, sorry! If you have the space, I totally recommend adding a mini fridge to store some of those cold drinks. Beer, wine or Diet Coke? Take your pick.
At the end of the day, It's about being comfortable, chic and moving beyond some horrific hodgepodge of furniture that might or might not include a milk crate in your home office. Whether you're working, watching the World Series or just kicking it, there is no reason why anyone -- including the guys -- shouldn't be doing it in style.
We're knocking on 2012's door, it's not that hard. I promise.
Here's how! Let's go to the video, shall we?
http://on.vh1.com/tV7kBF
Check your local TV listings for more of Courtney Cachet's style ideas and tips. You can catch her frequent appearances nationwide on TV, where she dishes out all the latest in home and lifestyle! Keep up with her on Facebook and join the conversation! or her new site http://www.courtneycachet.com