Detached building ideas for office/man cave

[Green Chile]

I'm looking for inspiration and ideas from anyone who has built a detached building on their property for their office and/or man cave area. If you know of any online forums, books or other inspirational ideas, I would love to hear about that as well. We are looking at building or buying a different place in the future and I'm gathering ideas and researching ahead of time.

 

[mauserhunter]

My first question would be can you shoot around where this building will be and how far, there's some really nice 2 story shed/pole barns. Would be cool making a shooting platform, check out barbourcreek long range shooting and hunting school. Of course all depending on your budget and layout.

 

[Green Chile]

It’s not likely to find a place that would allow long range shooting but that would be incredible. I’m familiar with some of the private shooting school setups as I used to be on a pro staff team. Curious to hear any builds you have done or that have inspired you. My goal in posting most topics is to generate info that will help a lot more than just myself.

 

[Rare Breed]

It’s not likely to find a place that would allow long range shooting but that would be incredible. I’m familiar with some of the private shooting school setups as I used to be on a pro staff team. Curious to hear any builds you have done or that have inspired you. My goal in posting most topics is to generate info that will help a lot more than just myself.

@JES Adventures is the perfect person to reach out to given he recently did exactly this

 

[Rimbaud]

Great idea for a topic. Excited to see where this one goes. We are building a house now, on the water, and I've managed to get a study with gun cabinet on the main floor, and a gun room/reloading bench/gear room on the lower level with custom cabinetry. The stand-alone building with a place to shoot is the dream.

 

[K-man]

No matter how big you’ll build it you should go %30 or %50 bigger. You will need it. Or at least have a plan for a future addition. There are many ways from steel framing to post and beam and conventional studs. Steel may be the best choice for a larger building to stay free-span. Post and beam has more character, conventional may be the least expensive if you are covering with drywall. Local building codes may affect your choices too. Good luck choosing one. What size are you looking for?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

This is a very nice new build, separate building project.

Drillbit's Trophy Room Build

Hello all. I've been a long time reader of Africahunting and learned so much. Thank you for the amazing stories and pictures. I went on my first safari in July of this year at Limcroma. Had a great time and took 8 animals between my son and myself. We've run out of room in our house and...

www.africahunting.com

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@Green Chile if you are considering build an entire new house, why not incorporate the trophy room as part of the house? That's what I did and that's the room we spend the most time in.

 

[Green Chile]

@Green Chile if you are considering build an entire new house, why not incorporate the trophy room as part of the house? That's what I did and that's the room we spend the most time in.

Great question! I’m the only one in the house that loves taxidermy. My thought was to have
the house be the wife’s style and have a separate space for me that I can also work from with video calls, etc. Also, it’s more likely to buy a place and add another building than to build from zero.

 

[mauserhunter]

As a kid dad and I had a nice shed decked out, think it was 16"x16" single floor. Work benches on 3 walls, one side 2 or 3 reloading presses for pistols and rifle another way was for shotshell presses, the 3rd a 12x36 lathe, mill, all kinda of tools and other equipment. Each wall had large cabinets or racks, had a few chairs even a 2 person sofa and dad's lasyboy recliner a TV and radio, AC and a bunch of other things to keep me busy. Miss that shed.

 

[Green Chile]

This is a very nice new build, separate building project.

Drillbit's Trophy Room Build

Hello all. I've been a long time reader of Africahunting and learned so much. Thank you for the amazing stories and pictures. I went on my first safari in July of this year at Limcroma. Had a great time and took 8 animals between my son and myself. We've run out of room in our house and...

www.africahunting.com

I hadn’t seen that before. Nice build but it kind of stopped right when you expected more. Old topic from 2019 and the forum member quit posting after that.

One of the reasons I’m thinking about this topic is I just got back from Africa and I told myself that this is the trip where I start leaving all of the trophies behind. However I had such great luck that I just couldn’t leave them. So the collection continues with some really nice examples. Hunt report to come when I get the video clips to share here.

 

[Hunt anything]

Interesting, I’ve been trying to figure out how an addition to our house as a new trophy room. If I do act it may have to be a detached building but that would be a last result. Sooner or later I’ll need a place to display in the neighborhood of 8,000 Indian artifacts mostly in cases that hang on the wall. I would like one room for trophies and a separate room for the artifacts.

 

[Green Chile]

Interesting, I’ve been trying to figure out how an addition to our house as a new trophy room. If I do act it may have to be a detached building but that would be a last result. Sooner or later I’ll need a place to display in the neighborhood of 8,000 Indian artifacts mostly in cases that hang on the wall. I would like one room for trophies and a separate room for the artifacts.

Excellent. I welcome the additional questions that may benefit anyone else considering a project of their own. I will have questions as we go but feel free to add to the topic. I don't have anything purchased or decided. This is research.

 

[Green Chile]

If there are archived build topics that I have missed, feel free to link them here. Also, I'm sure there must be some interesting forums out there for discussion of building man caves, cool garages and outbuildings, etc.

 

[RESERVE RANCH]

I 2nd @K-man and you need to build it big enough or have an expansion plan. Other than that, climate control is essential so budget for spray foam insulation as it will save you a lot of money on electricty down the road.

 

[Zambezi]

I think pinterest might be a good place to start. Search the site for best man caves. That should give you some good ideas and will link you to suppliers etc etc. as well as points to consider when building.

 

[Throwback]

Green Chile - First off, great topic. I have been kicking this around in my head for at least ten years, with evolving ideas. I converted an area in my current home and learned some things along the way. Can you clarify what you want out of this area specifically? For example, where I have gotten to is that in our next home (probably in about 3-5 years) this area for me must serve the following purposes:

- Gun Room (to store and display guns)
- Area where I clean / work on the guns
- Trophy Room
- Man Cave to hang out in

This means a room with high ceilings (trophies) and a walk in area closet with gun racks that I can open up for display, but can still keep locked up and possibly discreet (fake bookshelf door, etc for gun room).

For the gun cleaning area I have learned that an ideal area would probably be an area adjoining the gun room, that I can walk away from when in the middle of a cleaning/scope mounting etc... and just leave the gun, tools, etc... sitting out and come back to it later so you dont have to pack up everything to lock up, etc. So you have to be able to secure it. I currently have an exhaust fan for this area too, as an example of small detail.

To hang out in this area it can have a sink and bar fridge, maybe a TV and at least a small amount of furniture. Some folks may want a bar and a pool table.

I would also highly recommend putting it on the first floor for convenience, particularly if you are also storing ammo in there (something else to consider).

Last thought for now, I have found I like having a few different "areas" as explained above because you have the option to go with a few different "themes" of how to paint, decorate, etc... I have a dark hunter green paint for one area, but I also love khaki color too so I have that for a different area, etc... The gun cleaning area is more a work shop looking area where the rest of it is more formal, dark wood, framed pics, old maps, etc.... - Just some thoughts.

 

[Green Chile]

Yes to Pinterest. I've been catching some ideas there. I post the topic here since we are practical people that have blended life and hobbies in similar ways.

 

[Green Chile]

Can you clarify what you want out of this area specifically? For example, where I have gotten to is that in our next home (probably in about 3-5 years) this area for me must serve the following purposes:

- Gun Room (to store and display guns)
- Area where I clean / work on the guns
- Trophy Room
- Man Cave to hang out in

Great questions. I am thinking in a similar vein to you...I would like to have an area that is for my hunting and gun related interests as well as an area to relax in and probably office in remotely. Now, depending on the home, the office might be better suited in that space but I'm keeping an open mind. I do like the idea of having a vault door and gun storage and reloading area...I'm not a bar kind of guy and the pool table is a little cliche to me...I could take it or leave it. I love comfortable seating, good lighting, taxidermy on wall and on pedestals spread around...no murals or large dioramas for me...oh, and I forgot to mention some good shelving ideas for lots of books.

 

[Throwback]

Great questions. I am thinking in a similar vein to you...I would like to have an area that is for my hunting and gun related interests as well as an area to relax in and probably office in remotely. Now, depending on the home, the office might be better suited in that space but I'm keeping an open mind. I do like the idea of having a vault door and gun storage and reloading area...I'm not a bar kind of guy and the pool table is a little cliche to me...I could take it or leave it. I love comfortable seating, good lighting, taxidermy on wall and on pedestals spread around...no murals or large dioramas for me...oh, and I forgot to mention some good shelving ideas for lots of books.

Understood on the bar and pool table.

A few lessons learned:
- Lighting is everything;
- Storage for gun cases and hunting gear probably needs to be more than you would initially estimate. Some gun cases might be display material;
- I would mount long guns horizontally, flat on the wall vs. vertical (as I have now). If you do go vertical put them at a 45 degree cant or something so you get to see them while in the rack;
- Pistols flat on the wall, and felt lined drawer or similar for ones not wanting to display;
- I would store ammo in shelves where you can see it easily;
- I would put a tv, does not have to be huge;
- think about future purchases on guns = expansion, etc...
- consider if a fire were to break out;
- small safe for other valuables.

Cheers