STANDARD daily edition
an honest-to-goodness design affair
standard stag thursday, november 8, 2012
Thinking Outside The Xbox
The Man Cave Manifesto john mcentire
I will technically in fact no longer be stag when this column is published. The past couple weeks, I have admired my bride-to-be guide a nearendless stream of strangely shaped kitchen gadgets and previously unthinkable color schemes into my formerly undomesticated albeit comfortable living space. I was lost like Ariel when she found a fork. I quickly demanded a space in which I could house all manner of the unadulterated cool. Fearing correctly that I might get into too much trouble, she gave me the porch. I greedily accepted and plotted my next conquest. I envisioned a basement, safely insulated by earth, furnished by the extraordinarily creative. I will one day replicate this Mosin-Nagant crate coffee table found on AimSurplus’ blog. The coffee table is softly lit from the inside, illuminating the Russian rifles it once carried to the battlefronts of World War II. And consequently the only piece I actually have to make myself. These other testosterone-fueled selections have a rustic spirit, along with professional execution. With the right story though, you’ll have all your buddies believing you’re a lot cooler than you actually are.
1. Rustic Heritage Bookcase by Misty Mountain Furniture - What is a would-be revolutionary without ample shelf space to house the compendiums of his causes, or his Far Side Gallery collection? Unlike that great idea you had to nail a few fence slats together, Misty Mountain sands their barn wood smooth, taking pains to maintain the weathered patina and circle saw marks still visible.
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2. Steam Industrial Desk Lamp by Peared Creation - The flickering fluorescent garage light-of-choice for most male hideaways is a mistake. It is completely unsuited for fraternizing in comfort. Peared Creation fashions these lights out of prohibition-era bottles, switched on by turning a gas pipe valve. Give your own little speakeasy the low, brown, it-feels-like-we’redoing-something-illegal underground glow. Simply awesome. 3. Reclaimed Wood Wine Rack from VivaTerra - A good booze rack is hard to find, and short of crafting one out of railroad ties large enough to encompass your friends’ requirements for visiting, the next best thing is to pick up a few of Viva Terra’s wine racks. Don’t let the votive candleholders cloud your vision for how impressive this would look packed with thirteen bottles of whisky. Or Keystone Light, your choice.
Bottle Cap Candlesticks