Man Cave Wall Art Ideas: How To Style His Favourite Space

A man cave goes wrong in the same way every time: one enormous poster on an otherwise bare wall, and nothing else.

Walls in a shed, garage or garden bar are usually brick, board or bare plaster, so the fixings matter as much as the art. Here's what to hang and how.

Honest note: we make cards, pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. Portraits, neon signs and shelving are recommendations from elsewhere.

Shop the cards that go with these

Shop prints Cards for dad Funny cards Pin badges

Prints and badges, designed and printed by us

Funny quote prints and enamel pin badges, printed in the UK - the filler pieces around the big one.

Let It Be by The Beatles music lyric print featuring a grand piano illustration on a white background, unframed. "Let It Be" By The Beatles Inspired Music Lyrics Print (Piano) £8.00 "Let It Be" Beatles lyric print featuring a guitar illustration and song lyrics, displayed as unframed wall art. "Let It Be" By The Beatles Inspired Music Lyrics Print (Guitar) £8.00 Everybody In The Kitchen Getting Tipsy (A5 - A3) Everybody In The Kitchen Getting Tipsy (A5 - A3) £8.00 Hip Hop Don't Stop Poster (A5 - A3) Hip Hop Don't Stop Poster (A5 - A3) £8.00 Graphic music lyric print featuring a giant open mouth and lyrics from Lola Young's song Messy. Cause I'm Too Messy And Then I'm Too Fucking Clean (Music Lyric Prints) £8.00 A colourful typographic wall print with the words There's Only Room For One Dickhead In This House And That's Me. There's Only Room For One Dickhead Wall Print (A5 - A3) £6.00

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The focal piece

  • A humorous custom portrait - him as a Viking, a king or a Tudor nobleman - hung at eye level behind the bar or the chair. Tongue in cheek, and the first thing anyone comments on.
  • One big piece beats four medium ones on a small wall.
  • Put the focal piece where people look when they walk in, not on the wall behind the door.
  • Keep the frame heavy and dark on brick; light frames disappear.
  • Centre it on the furniture below, not on the wall.

What else goes up

  • Team scarves, shirts or a framed programme from a match he was at.
  • Bar signs, brewery prints and beer mats pinned in a grid.
  • Old tools, number plates or a road sign, if he's that way inclined.
  • Quote prints - one, not six, or it turns into a motivational corridor.
  • Enamel pin badges on a felt board, which is the cheapest way to fill an awkward gap.

Arranging it so it doesn't look like a jumble

  • Pick one grid wall and one free-for-all wall. Don't mix the two approaches.
  • Eye level means centre of the frame at 145cm - lower in a room where everyone sits.
  • Keep 5 to 8cm between frames in a grid.
  • Lay the whole arrangement out on the floor first and photograph it.
  • Hanging prints without damage - Read the guide

Fixings, damp and lighting

  • Brick: a masonry bit and a brown plug. Board: hang off the studs or use toggle fixings.
  • Sheds and garages get damp - glaze anything you care about, or accept it'll cockle.
  • Don't hang paper prints on an uninsulated outside wall.
  • Warm bulbs and a lamp or two rather than one strip light.
  • A dimmable string of lights above the bar does more than any additional print.

Shop prints

Found your words? Now find the card

Shop prints Cards for dad Funny cards Pin badges

How to write it so it lands

  • One funny focal piece, then fillers.
  • Glaze anything in a damp shed.
  • Lay the arrangement out on the floor first.

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We make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in house. These are from other shops we rate, and buying through the link costs you nothing extra.

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Frequently asked questions

What wall art goes in a man cave?

One funny focal piece - a custom portrait of him as a king or Viking works well - plus framed match programmes, bar signs, a quote print and a pin badge board to fill the gaps.

How do you hang pictures in a shed or garage?

Brick takes a masonry bit and a brown plug; board needs a stud or a toggle fixing. Glaze anything you care about, because sheds and garages get damp.

How high should man cave wall art hang?

Centre of the frame at about 145cm, or lower if everyone in the room is sitting down. Centre it on the furniture rather than the wall.

How do you stop a man cave wall looking cluttered?

Use one grid wall with even 5 to 8cm gaps and one deliberately busy wall. Mixing both approaches on every wall is what makes it look like a jumble.

What lighting suits a garden bar or man cave?

Warm bulbs, two or three separate light sources and a dimmable string above the bar. A single strip light kills the whole room.

Do you paint the custom portraits yourselves?

No. We design and print greetings cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. A custom royal or Viking portrait mentioned here is a recommendation from elsewhere - the only things linked to our own shop are ours.

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