The Men's Room

From guy grottos and bro-bunkers to men dens and man caves Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ we roll back the stone to reveal the clandestine retreats of modern Man.

Words by Juliet Austin.

Back in the days of blokey blokes and girly girls, when men were men and women baked pies, seldom was there a need for the man of the house to undertake ritualistic territorial displays – after all, a man’s house was his castle, right? Fast forward to today’s world of gender equality, political correctness and domestic engineering, and you could be mistaken for thinking that the testosterone tower has been toppled. Think again.

All but relegated to Neanderthal dwellings in the garage or banished along with his prized sports memorabilia collection, mammoth flat screen TV and punching bag to the basement, Man’s world has come under fire in recent times for committing the cardinal sin of not fitting with the design scheme. But never fear – in true “Man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do” style, men are fighting back, reinventing the last vestige of male domestic power in the form of their own sacred space: the manctuary.

A designated room channelling an unequivocal yet subtly understated ‘my cave, my rules’ philosophy, the modern manctuary is a far cry from the dank, kegerator-clad ‘Men Only’ hovels of previous decades. In fact ‘grunt appeal’ has been subsumed by a decidedly more refined and debonair approach to lining the lair, proving to those cynics among us that, despite occasional looks to the contrary, the Y-chromosome has indeed continued its evolution. As New York Times columnist, Nicholas Wade, writes, “Far from being in a state of decay, the Y-chromosome is the fastest-changing part of the human genome and is constantly renewing itself.” What he calls this “furious innovation” is clear for all to see in the futuristic pads and hedonistic hangouts springing up in desirable residences the world over.

Sporting suave finishes, state-of-the-art gadgetry and signature décor, the art of manliness looks in serious danger of getting its mojo back. Stand forewarned girls – the boys are most definitely back in town.

DECORATING THE MEN'S DEN

DREAM SCREEN XBR-84X900 4K LEDTV www.sony.com
	SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED Twisted Spitfire Shaker www.thomaslyte.com
GAME ON Cristallino foosball table www.teckell.com
	CHECKMATE Ridotto games table www.davidlinley.com
REGAL RHINO Animal Chair Collection www.maximoriera.com
	TOUCHDOWN! Handmade leather football www.leatherheadsports.com
AUDIO SPACE O'heocha Design D2 Saturn www.oheocha.com
	BOTTOMS UP Bar measure & ox horn mug www.sirjacks.com
BAR NONE Tini Time Cocktail Cabinet www.davidlinley.com
	RACK 'EM Billiard Backlight www.edouardcassegrain.com