The man cave nerve centre
After what seemed like an age (in fact in total only around a full day spread over three) I have finally managed to get the man cave reorganised. In truth the changes are quite minor - it was more of a tidy up than anything else - but the impact is significant nonetheless. The first change is that I have done away with the smaller dining table that I used as a modelling work station. The space vacated was then filled with a new storage unit which is much more efficient by virtue of the four shelves it contains. For the most part nearly all of my modelling had been carried out using the larger dining table - 5ft by 3ft - as I like to spread out when painting etc so losing the dedicated work station was not a great sacrifice. Of course it will now mean that I will have to put everything away should I want to use the table for a game but that is a minor issue. The new storage unit now has all of my modelling equipment and materials in one place which is certainly more convenient than previously.
Most of the boardgames. The right hand side is the new section - you can tell by the very light coloured end panel and lighter coloured shelves! For the record the bottle of Pimms is not mine….
The main bulk of my boardgame collection is now concentrated in one place, as are those games that will require some construction to get to the table.
Three shelves of modelling supplies and some odds and ends - mostly spare copies of Flat Top along with my treasured copy of Waddington’s Campaign
The main gaming table has stayed where it is - originally it was along the opposite wall - and I have taken the opportunity to lose a couple of office chairs so now there is only one. In the unlikely event that I have a guest in the loft then naturally I will import a chair from somewhere if needed!
The one thing that did surprise me though, was that despite all of my recent disposals there is STILL rather more ‘stuff’ than I thought!
I suppose my ‘front loading for retirement’ might have been rather too effective….
Time for a rethink methinks….
25 comments:
I have a 12x4 wargames table. In theory it should never need to have anything on it. In practice, it fills very quickly... I applaud your attempt, hope it's more long term successful than any of mine have been...
Very neat and tidy, Dave!!!
Looking very tidy. I am currently planning a reorganisation once Coat D'arms is sold and I have fully retired. This should let me reorganise the "hobby room" which is attached to the main game room and get all the figures and scenery in one place.
It will also be a good test to see if I could fit everything I have for wargaming and a 6' x 4' table into a 12' square room. I think it might be possible without the laser cutter which would go anyway if we eventually downsized.
Hi Rob,
I have a 6ft by 4ft fold up table that overlays the dining table if needed but that would about as big as I could go. It suits my usual game size. Most of my modelling takes place at the gaming table and is usually on trays so moving it off to set up a game would be the work of moments. I appreciate te space I can use to spread out when painting etc.
All the best,
DC
Hi Ray,
I was very pleased to get it finished as unless you keep on top of it all it can get very messy very quickly!
All the best,
DC
Hi Mike,
The looming spectre of downsizing eh? That is something we will have to think about in due course and for me that will mean a further cull to the collection. I have been scaling things back by degrees and am pleased that I am doing it in stages as my interests condense into certain periods.
Books are my weakness sadly!
All the best,
DC
Now you are making me feel guilty - I need to tidy !
Hello there Good Soldier Svjek,
It was certainly needed and as usual I feel a lot better now that it has been dealt with! Once the spare bits of furniture have gone there will be a lot more room to move around in.
I tend to do a lot of my writing in the man cave and having it tidy removed the guilt factor!
All the best,
DC
David,
Of course my Military books are all in the study, and fill 1.5 bookshelves so wouldn't fit into the room as well but then I'd expect to still have a study. Downsizing isn't imminent but it is something we have talked about.
Hi Mike,
I don’t have a study as such - the closest I have is the small room at the front of the house we call the office. Same of us re the downsizing but be seem to talking about it more and more often these days!
All the best,
DC
A very nice space there David and always good to have a tidy up now and then, although one does tend to get a bit of a shock at how much stuff there is try and store! My own new games room is rather small (roughly 7'x8'), so I have had to dispose of some books that have just sat there unlooked at for years. No figures moved on yet, but I imagine that will happen in due course. Just nice to have nearly everything in one place:)!
Very nice, David, isn't it nice to have the time for stuff like this? The up side of redundancy....😀
Much much better organized than my stuff, which is spread out throughout my flat and basement. My current half hearted attempts at declutering and sorting may well mean years of occasional effort to achieve a similar result.
Looking very neat and tidy David…
Very unlike the chaotic mess that my room/house is in…
It’s good to see that you have taken ‘front loading’ to your heart 😁
All the best. Aly
An excellent collection whose organisation puts my dishevelled mess to shame! Some excellent treats to be spied amongst those shelves!
Hi Steve J,
It is nice to have one’s own space - and even nicer to have it tidy! Seriously though, I am a lot more productive in a tidier environment so hopefully I can get some stuff dealt with!
All the best,
DC
Hi David in Suffolk,
So far the best part about redundancy was the stress free and pleasant trip to Ikea - which led to the great man cave sort out!
I am conscious that I have a few things to catch up with so hopefully now i will be able to do so.
All the best,
DC
Hi Mark,
I tend to start tidy until over time it all becomes a bit of a shambles, at which point my morale and productivity dips alarmingly!
Having a clean slate so to speak, means that I can push on regardless as I have a load of bits and pieces to tackle!
All the best,
DC
Hi Aly,
I felt so much better having done this and es, front loading has been a great idea - probably too much so if I am honest!
All the best,
DC
G’Day Paul,
I must admit that it was good to be able to see everything in its proper place. Curious to know what caught your eye though!
All the best,
DC
Whenever I see pics of other gamers libraries I always scan the shelves to see which of the titles I have and if there are any books that “need further investigation” (to establish whether they would be useful additions to MY book collection).
I retired recently and, some days, you just don’t know how on earth you ever had time to work - because there are so many other things to do, such as gardening, walking the dogs, household chores and recently watching sport of TV 😉😂🤣
Cheers,
Geoff
"I must admit that it was good to be able to see everything in its proper place. Curious to know what caught your eye though!"
All sorts, most of which we have spoken through over the years - copies of Flat Top, your Space Hulk and Adv Space Crusade, books we have in common, and your Aeronautica Imperialis collection which I am coveting as it is currently both OOP and an inconveniently timed focus game for us also! In fact, we are porting campaign systems from historical aerial games into AI to flesh out the narrative a bit more. Fun!
Hi Elliesdad (aka Geoff),
I have certainly been pretty busy since ‘Der Tag’ and the domestic chore list has taken a welcome battering!
I am curious to know if you saw anything that needed adding to your own shelves!
All the best,
DC
G’Day Paul,
Great minds thinking alike - even from the other side of the globe!
All the best,
DC
Excellent idea to reorganise David, it definitely feeds the mind somehow, and there I was thinking there was going to be a masterclass in pimms as a stunning paint wash!
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