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'Hello, happy place.' Holly Wainwright and 8 other women show us inside their 'Mum Caves'.

Ah, mum life. It’s messy, it’s stressful, it’s overwhelming, there’s always something to do and nowhere to hide away from it all… until now.

Enter the mum cave.

Much like the man cave, where men assemble their things and do, er, man stuff, the mum cave is a way to provide some much needed personal space.

Across the world, women are creating spaces in their homes – whether that be an office, a shed or the corner of a room – and transforming them into their happy places. 

Mamamia spoke to nine women with mum caves to ask about the concept behind them.

Enough convincing? Start picking out the furniture!

Holly's mum cave

When Mamamia's own Holly Wainwright moved out of the city and finally lived in a house with a garden, what she still needed was a little space of her own – a studio-office where she could write her books and record her podcasts. A spot separate from the house, giving her just enough distance from distracting dogs, children and loads of laundry she was actively avoiding.

This spot was going to be in the garden. In the form of a shed to replace another shed. There was an old tin shed in the bottom corner of the garden, and it was the perfect spot for an overhaul.

Holly asked for recommendations and found SheShed Cabins, a company that specialises in good-looking shed/studios. She and Brent bought the kitset of the Star Cabin 3x3m and found an ace local builder to put together her author-oasis.

Once it was up, Holly turned to her followers to vote on the colour she should drown the shed in. ICYMI, a bold royal blue was chosen – and boy does it look grand in the backyard.

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Image: Holly Wainwright's Instagram. 

She's now filling up the insides with all she needs to write her next book and record Mamamia Out Loud every day. So far she's got her vintage writing desk from Facebook Marketplace, a podcast table and an armchair she's stolen from another part of the house. But she's still on the hunt for a desk chair, bookcase and some artwork to warm up the space.

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For a proper snoop around Holly's shed you can watch the video below.


Video via Holly Wainwright's Instagram. 

Laura’s mum cave

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They can also be referred to as 'she sheds', which is what Laura calls hers. Image: Supplied.
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Image: Supplied.
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"I am the only woman in a house of boys and I just felt like I had nowhere to go. We were looking at moving house to get a fraction more space but we otherwise loved our family home. The She Shed was the perfect compromise - I can sneak out into it with a cup of tea in hand to do some stretching, to read or write and just escape my loveable but noisy household.

"I’ve filled it with ‘girly furniture’ but otherwise, it’s a pretty neutral space that one day my teenagers may takeover, but for now it’s ‘mum’s sanctuary’ and it really makes me happy!" - Laura.

Meg's mum cave

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Meg's studio. Image: Supplied.
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"I have one and love it. It’s my little studio. It’s actually a stand alone double garage next to our house which has a garage and man cave for my hubby. Our daughter has a living room downstairs so we each have a cave to retreat to be creative and enjoy alone time. I use mine every day. It’s my therapy." Meg.

Kasey's mum cave

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Kasey's happy place. Image: Supplied.
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"Mine is my office - I'm an artist/designer, so I work from home. But it's also my happy place. My cat is my best employee!" - Kasey.

Jessica's mum cave

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Image: Supplied.
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"I’ve turned my office into my own special place to disappear when I need to get away but I can’t because - 4 kids. I ride my spin bike in here and play my guitar. All my books and photos are in here. It makes me happy." - Jessica.

Caroline's (almost) mum cave

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Her shed in progress. Image: Supplied.
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"I am near completion on restoring an old horse stable into a business for me. It will be both a She Shed and a self-esteem building business for me. Inside is a bedroom with an early century wardrobe placed at the back of the room, that I have restored. The mirror to the wardrobe will be the door leading you into an amazing bathroom." - Caroline.

Helen's mum cave

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Helen's reading nook. Image: Supplied.

"Half of this small room is my husband's wardrobe, but this half is all mine. I've got my music, my laptop and my books. I can see out across my front garden to the street, so I get a bit of warning if I am about to get disturbed with a delivery.

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"I deliberately chose a wingback chair because one of my favourite things to do is fall asleep whilst reading, and the chair catches my head." - Helen.

Cass' mum cave

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"Not a shed but halfway there." - Cass. Image: Supplied.

Angela's mum cave

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Angela's Mummy Corner. Image: Supplied.
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"Mine is called the Mummy Corner and it's where I work, play around on guitar, read etc. It's the corner of a room and it helps me to know there is one part of the house that I can keep tidy and organised, even if the rest of the house is a disaster. I recommend all mums having a spot of their own - even a shelf will do.

"When I first set up the Mummy Corner, even just walking past it made me feel instantly calm because it reminded me I had a calm space." - Angela.

Do you have a mum cave? Let us know in the comments.

This article was originally published in February 2020, and was updated on July 29, 2020 and February 20, 2023. 

Feature image: Supplied.