Casa Doma Glamping

Smart storage and hidden utilities

The dome’s 7m floor plan might sound compact, but the interior tells a different story. Key design decisions include:

• Hidden storage space behind the kitchen, heat pump, and under the stairs

• Water tanks and filtration system tucked under the staircase, completely out of sight

• Electrical panel concealed behind a large picture frame

• Pull-out sofa that opens the living room while keeping an extra bed available, with bedding stored inside the coffee table

• Pop-up in-floor electrical outlets for a clean, uncluttered look

• Magnets to hold curtains back and keep the space feeling open

The loft: designed to actually stand in

One of Ashley’s most thoughtful structural decisions was extending the loft ceiling out over the couch, creating a larger bathroom footprint above while also adding enough headroom in the loft that she can stand fully upright. A staircase rather than a ladder makes it practical for everyday use and far easier for changing linen between guests.

Blackout, ambient lighting, and the panoramic view

The panoramic window is one of Ashley’s favourite features of the dome, and she’s made the most of it. The window frame was spray painted black so it disappears at night, leaving the view of the lake completely uninterrupted. A blackout panel on the upper skylight keeps mornings comfortable and the interior cool. LED ambient lighting in the shower, bathroom, and stairs adds a sense of luxury without complexity.

Platform and winter planning

The dome was built on a fitted platform with a separate deck, leaving the underside accessible for skirting and insulation, a planned winter upgrade that will add heat retention and make the floors comfortable year-round. It’s the kind of forward-thinking build decision that separates a dome that works for one season from one that works for all four.

Fully Booked in the First Two Months

Casa Doma listed on Airbnb at $251 CAD per night (plus taxes and fees), and the demand was immediate. July was booked every weekend. August followed close behind and was nearly fully booked. For a first-year listing on a lakefront property in Nova Scotia, this kind of early occupancy reflects both the appeal of the location and the quality of the space Ashley built.

The business model is intentionally flexible: Ashley uses the dome as her own summer cottage and rents it out when she’s not there, with the rental income helping offset building costs and ongoing expenses. Future plans include a shed and skirting the dome’s underside for improved winter thermal performance, investments that will extend the dome’s season and increase its year-round appeal.

Read the instructions more than once, and watch the videos

Before construction begins, go through the assembly instructions multiple times and watch any available video walkthroughs. The build becomes significantly easier when the sequence is already familiar before you pick up a single component.

Plan the interior layout before you start

The dome’s curved walls and unique geometry reward planning. Sketch the interior layout in detail before the build begins — where the loft sits, where utilities enter, where storage will go. Decisions made on paper are far easier to change than decisions made mid-build.

Think about winter from the start

If you’re in Atlantic Canada or any region with cold winters, plan your platform, skirting, and insulation strategy from day one. Building in access underneath the dome for future upgrades, as Ashley did with her fitted platform, saves significant time and effort later.

Keep it clean, inside and out

Regular cleaning of both the dome’s exterior and interior extends the life of the materials and keeps the structure looking sharp for guests. It’s one of the lowest-effort, highest-impact things a dome owner can do.