Inside My Dream Writing Shed (As Built In The Sims 4)

Writing is something you can do just about anywhere. You don't need a specific or fancy setup to tell your stories, as proven by the hundreds of writers who write on the living room sofa, at the kitchen table, in bed, or even on the go.

This remarkable adaptability doesn't stop us from envisioning our dream writing space, which might be the way we'd renovate a room in our house to a far-off destination we'd love to visit for a writing retreat.

While I do have a Pinterest board teeming with plans for my ultimate home office and have built and decorated it several times over in The Sims, my truest dream writing space is admittedly a bit unconventional.

I want a writing shed.

Please cut me some slack. I'm not the best Sims builder and I only gave myself 90 minutes for this one.

Ever since writing sheds started popping up in my social media feeds, the idea of having my own has only become more and more appealing. They're exactly what they sound like: an outdoor shed you write in.

For writers, writing sheds can provide a home office in a somewhat more convenient and less expensive way than constructing an entire additional room, and I imagine they can also be good for writers looking for a boundary of sorts; the brain may come to recognize the shed as a workspace the way we shift into work mode after clocking in at the day job, creating a mental boundary while establishing a physical boundary for writers experiencing interference from family members or roommates. It's a great option for those who want to get out of the house without having to go far to do it.

For the purposes of this post, I'm going to be completely ignoring legalities like zoning permits and my lack of construction know-how and designing my dream writing shed as if I spammed the MOTHERLODE the cheat because this is, at the end of the day, a fun little thought experiment (for now, ideally).

And speaking of the MOTHERLODE, I tool the liberty of building a mock-up of my dream writing shed in The Sims 4, sticking to base game items and owned DLC.

Outward Appearances

Chances are, if I were to actually have a writing shed, I'd be picking out a prefabricated one, at least as a base. But if I had full creative control, I'd want my writing shed to feel like a cute little cottage.

A pink one, specifically.

If I could write anywhere, whether for only a week or forever, it would be the English countryside, so I'd love to have my writing shed look as if it belonged there.

I do subscribe to the idea of waiting a year when you move to see what grows in your new yard before uprooting anything and planting new blooms. However, I'd totally want to plant a garden surrounding my shed no longer how long I'd been wherever it's built, full of my favorite flowers like hydrangeas, lilacs, and lavender, and as many plants commonly found in traditional English cutting gardens as I can manage to grow on this side of the pond (and without having inherited my grandmother's incredibly green thumb...).

I enjoy writing outside, too, so I could see myself getting a small table and chairs, too. With an umbrella for shade, of course.

I'd also lay down a pathway of flagstones leading to the shed's door, in a much more winding math than I can manage in The Sims—bonus points if they can somehow be heated to spare me from shoveling them in the snow!

Catio

Although Willoughby is an indoor cat, he isn't entirely deprived of the great outdoors thanks to his catio.

For anyone not in the know, a catio is an enclosure designed to let your feline friend safely spend time outside while ensuring they can't run off.

Willoughby loves his catio and since he's my loyal writing assistant, my ideal writing shed would be incomplete without one.

The catio at my writing shed would be a major upgrade to his current one, with more ledges for him to lounge on, and I'd also want to design it so he could come and go between his space outside and inside the shed for the days he's wanting a little more "Mom Time" at my side; there would, naturally, be a bed for him to curl up in by my desk when he does want that extra attention.

The main thing is his safety, so I'd want to make sure the catio would be easily accessible for me, too. And now that I think about it, that outdoor table and chair set could go in the catio, too.

The Heart Of It All

With the exterior more or less settled, it's time to at last explore where the magic happens.

The pink color palette would carry over to the inside of my dream writing shed. I'm a little limited with paint colors in The Sims, but I'd be opting for a dusty rose gold tone with creamy white accents. I typically prefer darker woods for furniture, but I think warmer tones would work better for the space I'm envisioning.

Ideally, I'm able to get a writing shed with a window to put my desk by, and that desk would have to have ports for my laptop's cord and other gadgets like my phone because I'd be working with limited outlets.

The posters in my Sims demo essentially stand-ins for a bigger plan. The framed one in this image is meant to be a representation of my framed Mr. Darcy print. As for the assortment of posters included, I love the idea of displaying scaled-up prints of my books' covers and character art in my writing space someday.

Depending on the size of the shed, I'd also want to create a cozy reading nook with a daybed—which I know Willoughby would be laying claim to at the first opportunity.

Overall, I'd be keeping things minimalistic in the writing shed. I want it to be a space of productivity and creativity, so I would want there to be as few distractions as possible.

And because I live in New England, my writing shed would need to be winter-ready, insulated and ideally heatable (solar power seems like the way to go but in reality, this is all just one big thought experiment so I don't have to have that part figured out just yet).

Amenities And Other Considerations

While the decor in my dream writing shed is minimalistic, it wouldn't be without some extras and a dash of Avril flair.

Crystals have been part of my writing space for years, so you'd surely find them scattered throughout the writing shed (and you'd see them in my Sims model if I had the Crystal Creations DLC).

By the way, if you're interested in learning more about specific crystals for writers, check out this post where I highlight some of my faves!

It's a running joke that I have more coffee in my body than blood, so having a coffee bar would be a must, as pictured on the right.

In reality, I probably wouldn't install a countertop like this, opting instead for a buffet sidebar of some kind, but The Sims doesn't allow you to place coffee pots on non-countertop surfaces so I'm making the best of it in this example.

There'd also be a mini fridge for various add-ins like flavored creamers, oatmilk, and a selection of syrups, cocoa mix, and teas at the ready—really just whatever I'm in the mood for.

I also incorporate aromatherapy into my writing space, so there'd be a wax warmer somewhere in the shed for additional fragrance.

Having a writing shed is a newer addition to my writerly bucket list but, if this post is anything to go by, I've already got a few ideas—plus a wishlist on Ama for when that day comes.

Having a writing shed IRL may still be some years away, but at least I've got a virtual rendering built up in The Sims to procrastinate in!

Would you want a writing shed of your own? What would yours be like? Let me know in the comments below!