We’re on the look out for London’s best man cave, but while we’re looking, here are the best that the internet already has to offer

The hunt for London’s best man cave starts here. A recent look at the UK’s Tiny House movement led us to continue our exploration of well-used small spaces, and so the idea to seek out the coolest man cave in the capital came about.

Keep an eye on this blog (you can sign up to our newsletter by scrolling down to the bottom of this page) for more info on how our search unfolds, but in the meantime, sit back and enjoy some of the best man caves we’ve uncovered on the internet so far. Let us know in the comments below if you know of any better.

See also…

• The history of the man cave
• From she sheds to shedquarters - a cosy place to call your own
• 6 freebies and giveaways for anyone moving house in London
• 14 problems that London renters will recognise
• Self-storage with a difference: all you have to do is pack

1. The micro man cave

Derek Diedrickson is known as a micro-architect (it’s not what you’re thinking – he’s a full-sized man), and he began creating little wooden forts as a child. Has he grown out of that yet? No! And good on him. The world would be a duller place without the likes of this fella. Take a look at the video above – this man cave may not have a bedroom or a toilet, but it’s just about the coolest outdoor hideout you could build with a saw, a chisel and a bit of 2×4.

2. The jazz man cave

Could it get any smoother than this? Descend (yes, descend) into this Mr Mase man cave, replete (yes, replete) with Technics decks, a Fender Precision bass and an unending Paul Hardcastle forever-loop. Mr Mase, we salute you.

3. The beer barrel man cave

There’s a seemingly natural assumption that man caves and beer are inseparable. Hard to argue when you’ve set yourself up with one of these, although we can’t imagine there’s much room in that thing. 10/10 for reinforcing stereotypes, though.

4. The elevated man cave

According to ABC News, a Texan gentleman built this semi-tree-house because, ‘I’d been surrounded by women my whole life’. We’re not sure if that means Texan women are unable to climb trees… or stairs. Presumably these troublesome womenfolk just gather in groups beneath the stilts and gaze upwards. Seems fool-proof to us…

5. The warp-speed man cave

Who lives in a man cave like this? Boba Fett? Captain James Kirk? Buzz Lightyear, perhaps? The answer, surprisingly, is far closer to home. Owned by someone in South East London, to be precise, it was advertised by Rightmove as part of a £3.25 million gothic pile, not far from Crystal Palace Station. Let the countdown commence…

6. The ‘Stairway’ man cave

Rob Chapman, or ‘Chappers’ to his followers, is the frontman and guitarist for Brighton-based rock band, Dorje. However, he’s perhaps better known as a Youtube-based guitar guru, and many of his films are shot right there in his man cave. Filled to the brim with all things six-stringed, it’s enough to make lesser rock gods weep. Check out the video above, in which he kindly shows us around the cave itself.

7. The subterranean man cave

Want to get away from it all in one of the world’s hippest cities? Like so many other wealthy London folk, the architect who appears 1 min 44 secs into the above video found space an issue and decided to build downwards. His subterranean escape pod features a home cinema and a disco-tastic dance floor. Don’t come a-knockin’ when this man cave’s a-rockin’!

8. The £10 million man cave

The pad above not bling enough for you, eh? If you have £10 million lying around then you can take these architectural designs for a spin. 45-year-old Tony Lazarus was denied the ultimate man cave when planning permission was revoked thanks to two pesky old trees. Had he got his way, he’d have been luxuriating in a 25m swimming pool, surrounded by a wine cellar, a cigar room, a split-level gym (complete with sauna and massage rooms), as well as the obligatory home cinema. Y’know, just your average man cave, really.

9. The budget man cave

Bringing things back to a more affordable level, we really liked the budget man cave over on Bunk Bed Plans. Part garden shed, part Christmas grotto, this affordable little project was set up to screen film projections under a bunk bed. We dreamt of such things as children (which is probably why we’re still so excited by man caves).

10. The barbershop man cave

A photo posted by Shane Lynch (@shanelynchlife) on Sep 3, 2015 at 7:24am PDT

It may look like a barbers, but actually it’s a man cave with a barber in it. Or could it be both? Where does one stop and the other begin? Too confusing (and too damn cool!) We’ll all just have to visit the Elk and the Clipper, Portadown, County Armagh, to find out.

As always, this post was brought to you by Boxman, the London self-storage company with a difference: all you have to do is pack. Give them a call if you want to hollow out your precious space in preparation for the ultimate man cave!