Toys for our celebrity boys

It’s the ultimate man fantasy to have a place in his home where all his bros can loosen up and have a good time  a man’s cave or a den, so to say. But it’s no more a mere fantasy. Those who have enough money are investing in making it come true. A complete den equipped with a personalised bar, recliners and other gadgets, this space reflects the personality of the man who owns it.

Kapil Razdan, director of the interior design firm has designed for Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli’s residence, and Mahender Singh Dhoni’s sports fit gym, feels that a man cave is a way for men to get back their spaces in little ways that they can. “A home used to be a man’s space but after industrialisation, he started spending most of his time at workplace. Home was left to the woman, the reason it became a feminine space. Men started looking towards bars and gyms, but even they lost their appeal with the loss of exclusivity as they decided to be more inviting for women. That’s what a man cave is about, men trying to get some of that space back that they can call their own,” shares Kapil.

Very often, the sports area or the space around the home bar takes the shape of a man cave. And once it’s reclaimed, it’s time to furnish it with cool boy-toys. Interior designer Megha Mirchandani shares that furnishing the man cave is not a cheap affair if he wants to do it right. “A bar is a must for he will be entertaining his friends over a round of beers, or scotch. A fully equipped bar will cost upto Rs 5 lakhs, and an onyx-covered one can even go up to Rs 10 lakh. For a complete den, it can go anywhere from Rs 50 lakh to as much as he can spend. It will require a large screen TV to watch games, great sound system and some really comfortable seating.”

But that is just the bare minimum as Radhika Aggarwal, corporate vice president, adds, “A man’s cave is no more just about a man watching sports with his friends, it’s a complete entertainment zone. Specific to men, we have noticed a sharp increase in sales of high definition projectors, neon lights, recliners, massage chairs, pool tables, play stations etc. These are the elements that complete a man’s cave.”

When it comes to seating, comfy recliners and massage chairs are a hit as men don’t care if it looks pretty as long as he can just sink in it and relax.
Shelly Grover, MD of a high-end massage chair brand, shares, “A person with affluence wants to indulge in things that give pleasure and relaxation. While recliners are popular, but it’s like an entry level car while a technologically advanced massage chair is like a Mercedes. With inbuilt high quality speakers, great customised apps for different massaging programs controlled by your iPhone, this toy is surely for a rich man.”

While Kapil agrees that comfort is one big criterion, a man cave is more about the other toys. “While women hold the leverage in making decisions for the rest of the house, it’s one place where they don’t interfere. He can install a cool Jacuzzi, a table tennis table, a play station, his favourite vintage graphic posters and some statement pieces that reflect his personality,” he says. “One place where men spend a lot is the audio-video system. BOSE and JBL are not even the entry-level systems; we’re talking about Meridien, Zeppelin and Bag End. You can spend Rs 85 lakhs to four-five crores for this, or more. Another popular thing these days are Mirror TV’s that can cost between Rs 7 lakh - Es 9 lakh. So for the whole audio-video system, the upper limit can sometime cross the budget of the rest of the house.