Avs Man Cave

SuperTheGreat

Swim Instructor
Jun 3, 2012
620
0
Colorado
Last night my friends and I watched Adam Foote's jersey retirement and in the process we finally broke-in the bar I've spent the last year and a half building in my basement. For the last 8 years I have had a plan to finish my basement, with a theater for watching hockey, football, and movies on one side, and on the other side a wine bar for my wife complete with a cellar and mocked-up outdoor "street" entrance. This past year and a half I was able to funnel some money and time into the project and finally I've got the bar part completed. This thread is the first I've ever created on HF and make no mistake, I'm definitely here to brag :)...which I wouldn't do at all if I had just paid some contractor to come in and build it for me. I have my hands on every piece of the entire process, from the design and vision to helping frame, run electrical, and drywall, to working completely on my own for about 95% of the project once drywall was complete. Every piece of wood & trim was cut, sanded, stained and nailed up by yours truly. Every stone put in place by my hands. The other 5% came with a little help from my dad (a retired finish carpenter) and about a 3 hour period one Saturday when my wife tried to help (yes-she will be claiming that "we" built the bar together :laugh:) - working a day here and a day there, sometimes an hour here and an hour there.

The reason I feel like it belongs here is because about two months ago my wife went back on her original decision that the bar was only for her and the girls, and decided that she was going to allow me to put a TV inside and do it up like a sports bar when a game was on. I was thrilled! I did a little research, picked a TV and a spot for it and got it up and running for Footer's jersey retirement and invited the boys over. Like the title of the thread suggests its an Avs man Cave for me, but it is easily changed over into a wine bar for the women. And like I said, I'm really excited for the project to be done and I am totally here to brag. So, here we go with pics:

Outside street entrance first:

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And the inside (Avs sports bar design):

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IMG_0377.jpg


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IMG_0374.jpg



If you want to see more, here's a link to my PhotoBucket album with more pics. Some are without the Avs theme, too. http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/jhcrabb/library/Wine%20Tavern%20Sports%20Bar?sort=6&page=1
 

Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
Sponsor
Dec 2, 2007
17,238
2,189
Wow! That is really cool man. I love seeing things like these as a young guy, makes me think about all the possibilities as I get older and what I want to do.

Did you built it yourself or just design it?
 

ChrisNI

Registered User
Sep 29, 2008
807
0
Orillia
That is fantastic!

Do you mind personal input? If not ignore below.

Is that a window where the tv is? If so then it makes my point redundant.

Where the tv is, does it not make everyone sit at an odd angle or make it harder to see for the person on the right hand bar stool? It just seems to switch the tv and the Forsberg jersey. Mount the tv up on the wall behind the bar and it would be awesome!

Anyway, great job dude it really looks fantastic and quite an achievement.
 

SuperTheGreat

Swim Instructor
Jun 3, 2012
620
0
Colorado
Thanks everyone. I'm really excited and looking forward to having lots of games in the bar, and for my two boys to grow up and watch with me and the guys as they get older.

Wow! That is really cool man. I love seeing things like these as a young guy, makes me think about all the possibilities as I get older and what I want to do.

Did you built it yourself or just design it?

I was inspired by a friend's basement (basically stole the idea from him - but he later admitted that he stole the layout from his neighbor :laugh:) I planned and imagined for literally 7 years while we had kids and felt our way through parenting little kids. Once the kids got old enough to be semi self sufficient and I found a way to make a little extra cash on the side, it was on. My father in law let me help him frame, run electrical, and drywall. The only thing in the whole room that was contracted out was the taping and texturing of the drywall. Once that was done, I consulted my dad's expertise. I knew what I wanted to do, and I went to him for a brainstorm session or two. He helped lay out the paneled wall behind the bar, helped flute the casings, and helped me hang the crown moulding. Other than that, it's all me.

That is fantastic!

Do you mind personal input? If not ignore below.

Is that a window where the tv is? If so then it makes my point redundant.

Where the tv is, does it not make everyone sit at an odd angle or make it harder to see for the person on the right hand bar stool? It just seems to switch the tv and the Forsberg jersey. Mount the tv up on the wall behind the bar and it would be awesome!

Anyway, great job dude it really looks fantastic and quite an achievement.

You're absolutely right! The TV is in a window bay, and is not at all in the ideal location. The bar was originally supposed to be for my wife and her wine friends. I had run electricity and a coax cable to the bookcase to the right of the window, thinking that she may let me put a tiny TV up there someday. For 7 years all I heard was that it wasn't going to be for me and the guys and no guys were allowed and that it was going to be a classy wine bar not a stupid sports bar. Then, when it was completely done, she flips her tune and tells me I'm allowed to put a TV in the room. Where the TV wound up was the result of doing the best with what I had after the fact. If I had to do it over again, the cable would have been run to exactly where you said - behind the bar where the Forsberg jersey is in the pics. Unfortunately, there's no way to get up in there and fish a cable through to that location without taking down lots and lots of woodwork and drywall. Plus, the ductwork for the house is right above the area behind the bar making that issue even harder to deal with after the fact. If only I'd known.....And you're right, the long side of the bar does pose a viewing issue, but I just brought my stool to behind the bar last night and we were ok. I figure I'll have only a few guys over for any given game and when I'm ready to have larger parties, I'll just have to finish the other side of the basement and make the hockey theater happen :). There's some pretty big plans in my head for that as well. Including mocked up lockers to hang all my jerseys :nod:.
 
Last edited:

PAZ

.
Jul 14, 2011
17,360
9,708
BC
Thanks everyone. I'm really excited and looking forward to having lots of games in the bar, and for my two boys to grow up and watch with me and the guys as they get older.



I was inspired by a friend's basement (basically stole the idea from him - but he later admitted that he stole the layout from his neighbor :laugh:) I planned and imagined for literally 7 years while we had kids and felt our way through parenting little kids. Once the kids got old enough to be semi self sufficient and I found a way to make a little extra cash on the side, it was on. My father in law let me help him frame, run electrical, and drywall. The only thing in the whole room that was contracted out was the taping and texturing of the drywall. Once that was done, I consulted my dad's expertise. I knew what I wanted to do, and I went to him for a brainstorm session or two. He helped lay out the paneled wall behind the bar, helped flute the casings, and helped me hang the crown moulding. Other than that, it's all me.



You're absolutely right! The TV is in a window bay, and is not at all in the ideal location. The bar was originally supposed to be for my wife and her wine friends. I had run electricity and a coax cable to the bookcase to the right of the window, thinking that she may let me put a tiny TV up there someday. For 7 years all I heard was that it wasn't going to be for me and the guys and no guys were allowed and that it was going to be a classy wine bar not a stupid sports bar. Then, when it was completely done, she flips her tune and tells me I'm allowed to put a TV in the room. Where the TV wound up was the result of doing the best with what I had after the fact. If I had to do it over again, the cable would have been run to exactly where you said - behind the bar where the Forsberg jersey is in the pics. Unfortunately, there's no way to get up in there and fish a cable through to that location without taking down lots and lots of woodwork and drywall. Plus, the ductwork for the house is right above the area behind the bar making that issue even harder to deal with after the fact. If only I'd known.....And you're right, the long side of the bar does pose a viewing issue, but I just brought my stool to behind the bar last night and we were ok. I figure I'll have only a few guys over for any given game and when I'm ready to have larger parties, I'll just have to finish the other side of the basement and make the hockey theater happen :). There's some pretty big plans in my head for that as well. Including mocked up lockers to hang all my jerseys :nod:.

It could still be done, just set up the cable box to a transmitter (where it sends the feed to the receiver, which hooks up to the TV).

Neverthless, Amazing job.
 

SuperTheGreat

Swim Instructor
Jun 3, 2012
620
0
Colorado
It could still be done, just set up the cable box to a transmitter (where it sends the feed to the receiver, which hooks up to the TV).

Neverthless, Amazing job.

Not sure how to go about that. Don't I have to have a direct HDMI connection between the receiver and the TV? You guys do have me thinking about how I could go through the furnace/water heater room with a cable, though. There may be a way......
 

Bonzai12

Registered User
Nov 2, 2007
14,142
1,718
Denver CO
That's outstanding work. Very awesome.

Have you considered putting in keg taps and homebrewing? You have the perfect setup for it.
 

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