For many of us, when planning our very own man space, propping up a shed in the back garden or taking over the spare bedroom just isn’t an option. And there are still a select few of us that believe the garage should be reserved for cars, and cars only.
That’s why a lot of blokes are finding new, inventive ways to incorporate a retreat into the home, without having to sacrifice existing rooms in the house, or break the bank on costly renovations.
This was the case with Melbourne’s Clive Bird, who, when planning a new build on a block of sloping land, found a novel way of using the incline to unlock space which would have been unavailable with a flat foundation.
When building this house-on-a-hill, Clive enlisted the help of builder and ‘sloping block specialist’, LP Warren Homes. The team excavated slightly further into the existing land, and installed concrete flooring and lined the walls to fashion an impressive ‘L’ shaped hideaway to house Clive’s workshop and wine collection.
“A man space was always a big priority for me, even when we were buying the block of land,” Clive says.
To try and give you a mental picture, the land slopes across the width of the house, not front to back. By evening out the surface on one side, Clive was able to have a street-level garage, with the main floor of the house sitting above. Some further excavation to the back of the house created the opportunity for his man space – a perfect storage and getaway solution essentially bordered on one side by solid earth.
“From working with the builder, we found that we could create an entirely new room by just excavating a little further under the house,” he adds.
Although the excavation was only minimal, the result is anything but – now Clive has his own dedicated area which he says has freed up a wealth of space in his garage.
Not only that, but because of the location of the room, it maintains a consistent temperature most of the year, without the need for any climate control.
“Because my man space is effectively surrounded by earth, it is very stable in temperature and atmosphere,” explains Clive.
“These fantastic steady conditions make it perfect for storing wine and means that I can be comfortable in there no matter what the weather is like outside.”
This venture wasn’t entirely untouched territory for Clive, who also had a man space in his previous home; however, he feels he has truly cracked it this time around.
“My previous house had a space that was similar, but I don’t think it was quite as good. This time we were really able to take it to another level, with greater lighting and shelving for everything,” he says.
“The other great thing is that it really didn’t cost much; the builders barely excavated any further than they would have, so I only had to factor in some additional man hours, some extra concrete, and general chippy work. With a little extra effort I essentially gave myself a second garage.
“Then, when I moved in, the room was pretty much as you see it now, I just had to paint the floor, find a spot for my workbench, hang up my tools and build some wine racks.”
Clive says he whole-heartedly recommends the endeavour to any bloke thinking of integrating a space into a new build. He even goes as far as saying it’s an “absolute no-brainer”.
“If you have a house with space underneath that’s high enough to walk under, it’s such a fantastic opportunity, at modest cost, to have your own workshop and storage area. You can keep your garage almost entirely devoted to cars and bikes, because all your tools, workbench and clutter are all tucked away in your man space.”
However, as well as using it for these practicalities every bloke has, sometimes he’ll just find any excuse to get down there.
“There are times when I have a spare half an hour and I just want to get away from everything, so I’ll put on a CD, tinker around and just tidy up a bit. I find that it’s similar to a garage in that it’s never as tidy or as organised as you’d like it to be and it’s always a work in progress.”
And he says this is the only room in the house he is able to get this quality time. His space provides a solitary quality that other rooms in the house just can’t match.
“I might go for a run and then do a few push ups in there. Sometimes I’ll even find myself having a quick kip after a long day. It’s just a fantastic space that has no particular application, but it’s all mine. You find that with a garage, other people will park their cars in there and leave stuff on the floor, but with my man space, nobody goes in there, so that doesn’t happen.
“Whether it’s a garage, a garden shed or a purpose-built man cave, having a place you can go, organise your stuff, tinker around with odd jobs and get a bit of quiet time is really important. I find it’s very therapeutic and really allows me to clear my head.”
