Sedona Domes—A Landmark Monolithic Dome Home in Arizona

Sedona Domes is a well-known, rambling home composed of ten Monolithic Domes in Sedona, Arizona. It has become a popular destination for travelers to the area because of the highly-rated Airbnb vacation rental created by owners Laura Lee and Paul Robear.

The landmark’s many domes feature a mix of shapes and sizes, including a three-story vertical prolate ellipsoid at the entrance, several small silo-shaped study nooks and various tunnel and soap-bubble-shaped transitions between domes. The famous house sits on three and a half acres (1.5 ha) with stunning views in every direction.

Initially named Xanadu of Sedona, the home was built in the early 1990s by Ken Johnson and his brother, Dale. The brothers attended a Monolithic Dome Builders Workshop and worked on the unique design with Dave South and Larry Byrne. They also purchased the Airform from Monolithic.

In 1995, David B. South, co-inventor of the Monolithic Dome and the founder of Monolithic, wrote, “Xanadu is being finished rapidly by Ken Johnson in Sedona, Arizona. Last December, we visited Ken, and the building was in the final stage—chaos, where everything needed to be finished and cleaned up. The exterior building and interior are beautiful, despite lacking the carpet and finishing touches.”

South said, “The domes are an eye-catching sight on the approach to Sedona. Xanadu rises above the horizon just before the city of Oak Creek. The domes are a light tan—complementing the rocks in the area. Sedona’s spectacular beauty is also complementary to the domes. Xanadu is over 5,500 square feet (510 m²) in size and has an interior courtyard. It is a beautiful home in a beautiful location.”

Sedona Domes has changed hands a few times since then. At one point, the domes were painted a rainbow of colors. The current owners opted for a new, clean white coating for their home.

The current owners’ Airbnb includes some of the most dramatic and fun areas of the home—the courtyard, a meditation labyrinth (dubbed DomeHenge), the huge great room with grand piano, a dining area, a fireplace and conversation pit, a primary bedroom with ensuite bath, a kitchen with breakfast area, another bathroom, and a loft that can accommodate four or more guests.

All heating and air conditioning ducts, electricity, and plumbing are underground.

Over the years, many feature stories have been written about the home, such as A 10-Dome Home with Breathtaking Views on The Travel Life or A look inside the dome home of Xanadu in the Sedona Red Rock News.