Best Garden Dome for a Writer's Retreat

Why a dome suits the writing life

Every writer knows the value of a room of one's own: somewhere quiet, separate and conducive to actually getting words down. A garden dome makes an inspired one.

• Separation from the house. The single biggest gift to a writer is distance from domestic distraction: the fridge, the laundry, the people. A dome at the end of the garden is away, a place you go specifically to work, which does wonders for focus.
• Light and nature. Writing surrounded by daylight and greenery beats staring at a magnolia wall. The view, the changing light and the calm of the garden feed the imagination and lift the mood through long sessions.
• Quiet. At the end of the garden you're away from the comings and goings of the house, so it's a calm space to think. Rain is audible on any hard shell, polycarbonate included, but many writers find a steady patter on the roof more soothing than distracting, and a rug and soft furnishings soften the sound.
• Yours alone. A dedicated creative space you can make entirely your own: no sharing, no clearing away, just your desk, your books and your thoughts.

Setting up the retreat

• The desk and the view. Position your desk to face the best part of the garden, so you look up from the page to greenery and sky rather than a wall. A good chair matters for long sessions.
• Calm, uncluttered furnishing. Keep it serene: a desk, a comfortable reading chair, shelves for books and a rug. Soft furnishings warm the space and quieten it (our guide to furnishing a garden dome has more ideas). Clutter is the enemy of focus, and the open dome lends itself to calm.
• Light for working and dreaming. Daylight by day; for early mornings and dark afternoons, the free Ambient LED lighting kit that comes with every dome plus a good task lamp (see our garden dome lighting ideas). A dimmable lamp lets you shift from focused to reflective.
• Climate for year-round work. A thermostatic electric heater for winter mornings, kept well clear of the panels, and the roof vents, windows and sliding door for summer airflow. Comfortable whenever inspiration strikes.
• Power for the modern writer. A proper supply for a laptop, lamp, heater and Wi-Fi, so the words, and the research, keep flowing. Have a registered electrician install any mains supply (in England and Wales it comes under Part P), with outdoor-rated fittings and RCD protection; our electrics guide explains the options.

Which specification for a writer's retreat?

Ultra is the natural choice and our pick for most gardens. Its panels are 30% thicker than Original and its bolts, nuts and anchors are stainless steel, so the retreat is ready for windy spells and winter weather as well as long summer afternoons. Original suits a sheltered garden, and Extreme, our strongest specification with 3 mm panels (twice as thick as Original), is available for any home retreat where you want the top specification, and is our recommendation for exposed, coastal or high sites. Whichever you choose, the panels are solid, UV-protected polycarbonate.

On size, the Mini (2.7 m across, 5.7 m² of floor) takes a desk and a reading chair, while the 3.5 m Standard in Ultra, with 9.6 m² of floor, leaves room for bookshelves, a small sofa or the occasional visitor.

A quiet word on kit

If your retreat holds a good laptop, a nice desk setup or a small library you treasure, bear in mind that the sliding door doesn't lock as standard, so it isn't the place to leave valuables overnight. Bring the laptop in at the end of the day, or keep valuable kit somewhere secure. The dome is your sanctuary to work in, not a safe.

Frequently asked questions