Man Cave Room Makeover: How to Design a Dark & Moody Lounge

I gave my brother the ultimate gift: a room makeover! I crafted a man cave for him with a stylish board-and-batten wall, updated lighting to add ambiance, and new, luxurious leather furniture for extra comfort.

If you want some great room makeover ideas, read on to see how I transformed his space into the ultimate man cave.

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1. Scoping out the spare room

I started with this spare room in his house. It was collecting dust and toys and I knew the room had a lot of potential. It’s an odd space at the front of the house but too large for an office so it became a playroom and storage room.

But my brother wants a more sophisticated space. I was going to split the room in two so he could have a more upscale space and the kids could have a play area, but I have other ideas.

2. Picking the paint color

We picked out the paint color. It’s called Chimney Smoke by Valspar (from Lowe’s) and it has a cool undertone, perfect for a relaxed man cave.

3. Creating mood

We painted from ceiling to floor to create a dark and moody, cavey ambiance.

4. Adding character

I added a DIY board-and-batten wall. It’s a classic and timeless look that instantly elevates a space. It’s some work to measure it and get it right but it’s worth it. Then we mounted the TV on that wall.

6. Finding the right ceiling fan

My brother wanted to keep his ceiling fan. I found an amazing fixture that had acrylic blades that blended into the fixture!

7. Adding more lighting

Lighting can make or break a room. And with the paint so dark it was important to add in additional ambient lighting for a chill vibe.

I added gorgeous floor lamps and accent lighting, such as wireless picture lights that can be controlled and dimmed with a remote.

Room makeover

I hope you got at least one new room makeover idea from this project. My brother is in love with his space and all the cool ideas I incorporated.

Let me know what your favorite room makeover idea was from this man cave and leave it in the comment section.