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Hey there!  Today I am excited to unveil Anthony’s Man Room in it’s entirety!   This room (along with this room and this room) were very special spaces for me because I did them for clients that were not just my business contacts, but my friends!  When we first started working on the Taylor’s living space (more than a year ago) we were acquaintances that attended the same Crossfit gym, but not what you would call friends.  But now, well B and A.T. are one of my favorite couples.  As we have worked on each room, I have been able to learn more and more about this beautiful duo.  And of course, the more I learn about someone, the better design I can produce.  Why?  Because I believe the best designs communicate the story of the person who lives there.  Where they’ve been, where they’re going, and what has made them who they are today.  Anthony’s man cave has ended up being one of the most custom spaces I have ever done.  Let’s check it out!

Here are some before and after’s. . .

BEFORE

 AFTER

 BEFORE

AFTER

(Read about the whole custom bar area design here and here!)

BEFORE

AFTER

 As you can see, we did a ton of work in this space!  We didn’t keep a single piece of original furniture and we didn’t leave a single square inch untouched!  First, the whole room went a dark, dark shade of gray.  I wanted to create a nice contrast between the paint color and the other materials I knew I would be bringing into the space (mainly lots of wood and rusted steel/metal).  Once the paint was done and the layout decided on, we tackled the bar area (which you can read about here and here) and the main focal wall of the space- the wall where the three TV’s (one of Anthony’s only requests) would live.

I ended up creating three separate panels, one for each TV.  The two smaller TV’s were mounted in front of wood panels, while the main TV was mounted on top of the custom wall paper I had printed especially for A.T.  During a sneak peak post, I posed the question to see if anyone knew why I chose this particular wallpaper pattern.  Some of you are smart cookies and guessed that the shape mimicked the symbol Jay-Z (Anthony’s favorite singer) makes with his hands during his concerts.  Anthony finds Jay-Z’s story unique and especially inspiring and I was happy to honor that admiration in his man room.

Shelves were set in front of the two side panels to hold Anthony’s DVD collection, as well as provide a place to display some meaningful pieces from Anthony’s past.

On top of the bookshelf, you can find a collection of jerseys waiting to be worn, depending on which team is playing, of course. Also, a couple of football photographs and newspaper clippings from Anthony’s playing days at Booker T. High School and The University of Tulsa are present!! Go Golden Hurricane! 😉

Above the TV’s are two other shelves I had made out of steel.  I had them made because Anthony loves the Pittsburg Steelers and that was a great way to reference his love for the city and the team.  I added the organic rust pattern myself because I liked the movement it brought to the piece(s).  Both shelves hold special balls and helmets from Anthony’s career.

 Oh, and did you happen to notice that “TU” reflecting off the TV screen?

That’s coming from some marquee letters that live across the space.

The coffee table is actually a collection of four tables.  I wanted these pieces to be light a moveable in case the visitors in the space wanted to pull one close to hold their popcorn or a drink.

Each of the four tables has a black ARDEX top attached to it. You know I couldn’t create a room without using my favorite product!! 😉  The technique I used this time gave the tops a very natural, slate like look!

I placed a metal cabinet in the corner so Anthony could have some stylish concealed storage.  Above it, I framed Anthony’s college football jersey.  I added the rusted metal grate behind to give that gridiron feel and to speak to the other rusted metal in the space!

Instead of fancy sconces, I went a little more low key.  The simple brackets, wrapped & knotted cord, and bare Edison bulbs make for an interesting lighting set-up that I really dig.

And here’s a photograph that I photoshopped together to give you a sense of the whole space (minus one wall of closets).

Quite a transformation, don’t you think!?