Darragh Ó Bradáin

Up until now, my writing setup has been my laptop tray which I bought in Lidl one January, and my couch, with an optional cushion for my free arm. It’s served me well and I’ve achieved a lot with it. It’s not always ideal when I need a bit of quiet time. The time has come for me to think more about the long-term. I need somewhere that offers me isolation for the writing projects that require it (The Eternal Journey). I also need comfort for the sessions that might last a few hours (TEJ plus everything else).

Enter my garden room, and a new armchair from Jysk. I brought the laptop tray with me and tried a few options out before settling on a recliner. The tray fit perfectly and that’s really all I needed to know. The garden room already has my musical instruments, my books, and my exercise equipment, for those times when my brain needs a break from writing. I can put on some relaxing music, make a cup of tea, and settle in for a few hours of work. With its timber walls, the room already feels cosy, so the chair feels like the final piece of the puzzle.

The chair sits facing the windows, so when I’m writing on a cold, wet December evening, I can look out at the rain and take in the peace. I’ll take the rain over the sun any day. There’s something really beautiful about watching heavy rainfall hit the ground while you’re warm and comfortable indoors. It would be easy to get lost in thought while staring out the window, but some might say that’s exactly what’s needed to set the mood.