The man cave essentials that matter come down to four things: one main game table, comfortable seating facing a big screen, a bar or snack station, and decor built around a single theme. Everything else is a finishing touch.

The 10 items below are ranked by how much use they get in the game rooms. Greater Southern Game Room & Patio has outfitted game rooms across metro Atlanta for more than three decades from two full showrooms in Atlanta and Alpharetta, with our own delivery and installation crews. Start with the anchor piece and build the room around it. 

What You Will Learn About Man Cave Essentials:

• Which pieces earn their floor space, from the pool table down to the dartboard
• How to spread the cost across phases instead of furnishing the room in one purchase
• How to check basement access, stairwells, and doorways before you buy
• Whether to recover an existing pool table or replace it
• When to bring in a professional for delivery, leveling, and layout

It doesn’t matter what you call it: a hubbyhole, man room, man den, king’s lair, male sanctuary, mantuary, or man cave. Every man needs his own space where he can relax and unwind, watch sports, pursue his hobbies, or hang out with his guy friends. Often a man cave is in the basement, but a den, spare bedroom, attic, media room, or extra garage can also make good male retreats.

But just having a dedicated space set aside does not make a room a “man cave.” The space needs a plan and the right furnishings. First, you need to come up with a theme for your man cave: Do you want a place where you can watch sports? Play table games? Have poker parties? Or just relax with a cold drink at the end of the day? Then you will need to choose the furniture, accessories, decor, and other furnishings that fit in with your theme, and that is where a showroom visit saves you from expensive guesswork. 

We think you should go all out. Make your man cave a place you’re really proud of, because it is your reward for a busy job and a long list of household responsibilities. 

But where do you even begin finding everything you need for the perfect man cave? You probably already have one of the main items: a big-screen TV. You need one so you can watch your favorite sporting events, binge-watch a TV series, or play video games.

But what about all the other essentials for your man retreat? That’s where we come in. Greater Southern Game Room & Patio has everything you need to transform a basement, spare room, or other space into the most decked-out, unbelievably cool man cave you’ve ever seen. If you want more layout inspiration before you shop, our guide to chic game room ideas for home entertainment pairs well with this list. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of the most important items to include in any man cave: 

The 10 Essential Man Cave Items, Ranked by Use

Man Cave Essentials at a Glance

All 10 items are ranked by how much use they get, in the same order as the sections below. Check the space each piece needs before you commit to it.
 

 
• Pool/billiard table
  
  1. Every man cave should have a pool or billiards table. It is the one piece that pulls everyone off the couch and keeps the room social all night. Even the most reserved guests like to have some interaction with each other, and a pool table gives them an easy way to do it. Whether the game is 8-ball in the side pocket or 5-ball in the corner pocket, it’d be hard to find a guy who doesn’t like playing pool. We recommend choosing the best quality table you can afford; the better the quality, the happier you will be and the longer your table will last.

  Construction, felt, and room fit are what separate a table you keep from one you replace, so we walk customers through all three before they choose. Our pool table buying guide breaks down style and sizing, and our look at the best high-end pool table brands compares the makers we carry. While you’re shopping, don’t forget to buy a rack for your pool cues and some spectator chairs.

   

• Game table and chairs
  Another great reason to gather people is poker. Chances are, you’re going to want to host some poker parties in your man cave. You could choose a simple folding poker table, a poker table top to place over a traditional folding card table, or a more elaborate, solid wood Texas Hold ’em poker table.Convertible game tables are the smart pick for smaller rooms because they switch from poker to dining to board games without a second piece of furniture. If you are still deciding, our guide on where to buy a good game table is a helpful next read. While you’re shopping, you might also want to buy a poker chip set and an automatic card shuffler.
• Comfy lounge seating
  At the very minimum, you’re going to want a super-comfy reclining chair in your man cave where you can sit down, kick up your feet, and watch a full game without moving. Of course, man caves aren’t usually designed for one person. Usually, they’re meant to be gathering places where a group of friends and family can hang out together. This means you need seating for several people. Choose furniture that is comfortable, spacious, and durable.We suggest having at least one recliner with a cup holder (which may be your personal “throne”) and then at least one sofa or sectional (ideally two) for your guests. If you can swing it, buy ottomans to go with the sofa so your guests can have a place to rest their feet. For tiered rows, power recline, and row spacing, our home theater seating buying guide covers the details our specialists get asked about most.
• Full bar
  There’s something about playing cards or watching football that makes you thirsty for a cold one! This is exactly why you should have a full bar in your man cave. We think a 60-inch wide bar unit is ideal, so you have a place to store all your glassware and beverage mixers, along with snacks like pretzels and peanuts.Having all your bartender supplies and munchies inside your man cave saves you from having to leave the area to go get food when you’re in the middle of a big game. Pair the bar with matching barstools or a pub table so the room has a second place to stand and talk away from the TV.
• Jukebox
  When you’re not watching a sporting event or the Three Stooges on TV, you’re going to want to have some music playing in the background. We recommend a vintage jukebox. Not only do these jukeboxes put out a lot of sounds, but they also look good too.You can go with either a totally retro jukebox where you can see the actual record being played or a modern jukebox that you can stream from your phone. A vintage cabinet needs a grounded outlet within reach and a few inches of clearance behind it so the front can be opened for loading and service. If floor space is tight, a wall-mount unit or a soundbar on the back bar covers the same job in a fraction of the footprint.
• Table Games
  Every guy loves the thrill of table games, so you should have at least one in your man cave. Air hockey, foosball, ping pong, and shuffleboard tables are all great choices. If you’d like several different game tables but you’re working with a set budget or don’t have that much space, you might go with a combination table or a ping pong conversion top.Our shuffleboard buying guide explains lengths, playfield finishes, and climate adjusters.
• Pinball machine
  You may already have a game console, and that is definitely good to have in your man cave. But for some more classic fun, we suggest adding a pinball machine. Choose your favorite childhood game or perhaps a newer favorite, and browse our current arcade and video game lineup for titles in stock.There’s something about all the clanging bells, clacking flippers, and other sound effects that helps a guy really unwind after a hectic day. Plan the access along with the floor space. A machine weighs roughly 250 to 300 pounds in one piece, needs a grounded outlet, and has to sit where a player can stand at the front and where the playfield glass can still be lifted for service.
• Dart board
  Probably every guy enjoys a friendly game of darts. Dart boards don’t take up any floor space and they’re relatively inexpensive, which makes them a nice addition to any man cave. Not only that, their typical black, red, and green color scheme adds a classy, decorative touch to your man-space.You can opt for a traditional bristle dartboard with steel-tipped darts or a modern electronic dartboard, and a dartboard cabinet protects the wall behind it. Be sure to place your dart board away from the main walking areas in your man cave.
•  Popcorn Machine
  When the guys come over to watch the game or play poker, you’re going to want to be able to offer them some really good snacks. Sometimes you may just open some bags of chips. Other times, a better idea is a batch of freshly-popped popcorn. We suggest having a popcorn machine in your man cave to always be able to make a big batch of theater-style popcorn.Not only do these machines make great-tasting popcorn, but the machine itself can also add to your man cave decor. Set it near the bar so the aroma carries to the seating area and the cleanup stays in one corner.
• Wall decor
  Every man cave needs some wall decor to add to the mood. Depending on what theme you’ve chosen for your space, you might hang a few sports pennants or framed jerseys from your favorite team (Go Falcons!), a mounted deer head from your last hunting trip, or some film and pop culture memorabilia.No matter what your theme, we think a couple of pub or beer signs also look really cool, or a “Welcome to the Man Cave” sign. It just gets you in the mood for kickin’ back and having some real fun. Details like these are the must-have man cave accessories that separate a finished room from an assembled one.

How Do I Decorate My Man Cave?

Decorate your man cave around one theme, then let the furniture and accessories follow it. Start by naming the room’s primary use, whether that is watching sports, hosting poker nights, or playing table games. Then place the largest piece first, whether that is a pool table, a shuffleboard, or a row of recliners. Seating faces the screen, and the bar goes along the wall closest to the door so guests are not walking through the game area. 

Next, control the lighting and the surfaces. Dimmable cans over the seating and darker wall colors keep glare off the TV and make the space feel like a retreat instead of a spare room. Rugs and upholstered seating soften the echo in a basement, and one wall of team or hobby decor gives the room its personality. 

The five themes we build most often in Atlanta and Alpharetta homes:

• Sports bar. Bar unit, barstools, a large screen, and team decor.
• Classic billiard room. A slate table, traditional wood tones, cue racks, and lamp lighting.
• Retro arcade. Pinball, a jukebox, and cabinet games, ideal for odd-shaped rooms where a full-size table will not fit.
• Home theater. Tiered recliner rows and acoustics first, with darts or foosball off to the side.
• Indoor to outdoor. A game room that opens onto a patio, with all-weather seating, a fire pit, and outdoor games just beyond the door.

A themed room with three well-chosen pieces beats a crowded room with eight mismatched ones.

How to Plan Your Man Cave in Four Steps

1. Measure the room first. Note ceiling height, door swings, stair turns, and any support posts. Basement stairwells decide what can actually be delivered, so measure before you fall in love with a table.
2. Place the anchor piece. Position the pool table, shuffleboard, or seating row your theme calls for, then mark its full clearance on the floor with painter’s tape and walk the room. If you cannot draw a cue back or recline a seat without crossing the tape, the piece is too big for the space. 
3. Set the hosting zone against a wall. A standard bar needs about six feet of uninterrupted wall, and barstools need 12 to 18 inches behind them to slide out. Keeping the snack station on the same wall means food and drinks never cross the play area.
4. Hang the lighting last. Billiard lamps sit roughly 32 to 36 inches above the playing surface, low enough to light the felt and high enough to stay out of a shooter’s eyeline. Wall art and signage go up after the furniture is placed, not before.

If you would rather not measure alone, bring your dimensions to either showroom or schedule an in-home consultation and we will lay the room out with you.

Why a Man Cave Is Worth It, and Why Homeowners Buy From Us

A well-built game room is one of the few home upgrades that gets used every week. A quality slate pool table, a solid wood game table, or a professionally installed shuffleboard will still be in service in twenty years, which makes the cost per night of use remarkably low compared with going out. Finished basements with a dedicated entertainment space also show well to buyers, especially in North Atlanta neighborhoods where families look for flexible living areas.

Our history in home recreation traces back to the late 1920s and the founding of Franco Novelty Co. Two full showrooms let you rack a set, sit in the recliners, and slide a puck before you commit. We carry the brands the industry respects, including Brunswick, Olhausen, Legacy Billiards, Plank & Hide, Canada Billiard, California House, and Stern Pinball, and we back them with in-house pool table service, releveling, recovering, moves, and cue services, plus a to-the-trade program for designers and builders. 

If budget is the hurdle, we offer promotional financing subject to credit approval, and our team can phase the delivery so you are not buying the whole room at once. 

When to Bring in a Game Room Professional

Some parts of a man cave build are best left to a specialist. Call us before you buy if any of these apply to your space:

• Your access is a basement stairwell, a tight turn, or a doorway under 32 inches
• A slate table needs to be assembled, leveled, or moved
• Your existing table has a slow roll, loose pockets, or worn felt
• You want a full room layout with seating, bar, lighting, and games planned together

Slate is heavy, unforgiving, and expensive to repair, and an unlevel table ruins play. A three-piece slate bed has to be shimmed and checked across every seam, and a table that plays true on delivery day can drift if the floor moves, which is why we level on site rather than at the warehouse. Our crews also carry the pieces down the stairwell, protect the trim on the way through, and take the packaging with them when they go.

Call the Atlanta showroom at (404) 352-3088 or the Alpharetta showroom at (678) 240-0007, or book an in-home consultation and we will handle the measuring, delivery, and setup.

Where to Buy Man Cave Essentials in Atlanta and Alpharetta 

Ready to start building your man cave, or upgrading the one you have? Visit either our Atlanta or Alpharetta store. We also sell chess sets, video games, billiard lamps, pub tables, bar stools, and other man cave essentials. 

Bring us your dimensions and we will build the plan around them. Atlanta showroom: 1465 Chattahoochee Ave NW, (404) 352-3088. Alpharetta showroom: 7691 North Point Pkwy, (678) 240-0007. Or book an in-home consultation if you would rather we take the measurements on site. We deliver and install throughout Atlanta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Cumming, and the surrounding North Georgia suburbs. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Man Cave Essentials

How much room do I need for a pool table in a basement man cave?

Add the length of your cue to each side of the table. A seven-foot table generally needs about 13 by 16 feet, and an eight-foot table needs roughly 13.5 by 17 feet with a 58-inch cue. Shorter cues reduce the requirement.

Is a pool table or a shuffleboard table better for a small man cave?

A shuffleboard usually wins in a narrow room because it only needs clearance at the two ends, so it can sit against a wall, while a pool table needs open clearance on all four sides. In a long, thin room, a nine to 14 foot shuffleboard is usually the practical choice.

What is the difference between a slate and a non-slate pool table?

A slate table uses a ground stone playing bed that stays flat and rolls true. Non-slate beds are wood or composite and tend to warp with humidity, which is a real risk in a basement, so slate is what we recommend for any table meant to be permanent.

Should I recover my existing pool table or buy a new one?

If the frame and slate are sound, new felt and refreshed cushions restore play for far less than a replacement. Replacement makes more sense when the table is non-slate, the rails or pockets are failing, or the size no longer fits the room. Our service team can inspect the table and tell you which way to go.

How long does it take to get a game room set up?

In-stock game tables and seating move quickly, while custom felt, custom finishes, and special orders take longer. Ask us for current lead times before you plan a party or a holiday around the install date.

Last updated on August 24, 2026