Table Of Content
The finishing touch to this Sarah Solis-designed dark academia desk is the lighting. Dark academia is a subculture of design that feels bookish, moody, and reminiscent of dark libraries, antique books, and soft candlelight. “I have been noticing more darker aesthetics pages popping up than before,” Elizabeth says, noting that both her Instagram and TikTok have been more popular this past year. Soft, velvet material and moody green tones deliver an elegant dark academia aesthetic room for your studying or working pleasure. These beautiful golden bookends will help you build a mysterious, modern dark academia bedroom full of well-read books and artful decor.
School Spirit(s)
Always try to opt for darker woods such as walnut or mahogany (probably not a coincidence that these wood tones happen to be very on trend right now!). Remember that you can save money by sourcing reproduction items which are much more affordable. Fill your rooms and walls with anything that piques your interest and, where possible, position them with similar items. Vintage trinkets fit very nicely with this style, particularly vases, a variety of candlesticks, ceramics and glassware. In a Dark Academia scheme, carefully curated collections are key. Regardless of which paint color you land on, for the perfect Dark Academia aesthetic you’ll want to embrace a shadowy atmosphere which will mean incorporating dark hues and deep tones into your palette.
How to Decorate Your Home Dark Academia
But for years afterward, the term remained relatively unknown, and it wasn’t until 2015 that the genre, and the subculture it created, really took off. Imagine the tweed-wearing, bookish students of Cambridge and Oxford in centuries gone by; the kind who study mysterious manuscripts by candlelight, uncovering the dark secrets of the past. But worry not; in this post, I’ll explain all about this trendy subculture and how it made it out of obscurity and into the spotlight. Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past. In 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
Decorating Academy
When choosing paint colors for a dark academia-themed room, think, well, dark. This stately blue, Benjamin Moore’s Old Navy, adds depth in a calm, assured way—especially when used in large doses, like wall-to-wall bookcases in an office or library space. Still, while it may seem like a newer style, it has had a loyal following for years—albeit a more niche one. Justin and Kelly Swain, the couple behind the TikTok account The Dusty Druid, have been crafting their home for six years with a dark academic vision. “Our home definitely pre-dates the increased popularity of the look simply because curating this look takes time to look authentic,” the couple tells AD. “It feels like an anti-trend in a way because it isn’t constantly changing, doesn’t encourage the need to have the newest, coolest item in decor, and has a classic feel to it,” they add.
Last week in my 2023 Interior Design Trends post I mentioned that I wanted to dive deep in another design style, and I wasn’t at all surprised that Dark Academia was the most highly requested. The bright green from plants is a great way to add color and life to the otherwise quite heavy and dreary aesthetic. Use them sparingly or heavily to add life and dimension to the sometimes monotone aesthetic. Gray is a great color to achieve the demure of dark academia without the oppressiveness of an all-black color pallet. Again, for a lighter approach to dark academia without straying too far away from the aesthetic's core, pair rich golds and bronzes with ivory as opposed to white. Dark academia kids love to learn (maybe why so many of us are Ravenclaws?).
Warm + Cozy Amber Jar Candle
Part of the dark academia aesthetic is being well read and informed, so keeping up with the news is a huge part of this lifestyle. One way we as a community can help widen the inclusivity, diversity, and breadth of the aesthetics is to read news not just from one source, but from a wide range of sources. This book has pretty much been hailed across social media as the dark academia aesthetic bible. The Secret History has dark academia written all over it.
Dark Academia Home Decor Is Taking Over For Fall & Winter — And Beyond - The Zoe Report
Dark Academia Home Decor Is Taking Over For Fall & Winter — And Beyond.
Posted: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Infuse a little dark academia into the rest of your life.
I mean – it’s literally about a dramatic, magical school. From the moody vibes of the house common rooms to the old, withered spell books, to the architecture of Hogwarts itself – it’s all got dark academia all over it. The dark academia aesthetic is raging in popularity across social media, from Instagram to TikTok to Pinterest and beyond. Think English boarding school, Edgar Allen Poe, plaid vests, and Doc Martens sort of a vibe. 'Enhance the artwork with vintage-style frames to complement the classic style,' she adds.
They're the antithesis of the modern, all-white uncluttered homes that have dominated trends for the last decade. Ink black cabinetry (Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams) and rich emerald walls elevate this home office to the top of the class. Channel your best Beauty and the Beast impression by adding a rolling library ladder to a dark academia-designed space.
Hang classic artwork
Secretary desks are both functional and beautifully styled in this look. Dark antique furniture is of course featured in this look. It’s roots go back to the upper class European culture of the 19th century, and the architectural elements are very much those gothic looks mixed with a more modern American prep look.
This oak-finished pine wood desk is the dark academia room inspo you need to make it happen. We also sprinkled in a few pieces of dark academia room decor built to last and stay in your home for a long time. "It can be tricky to find the right dark hue, but once you do, you have a good starting point to select other elements like fabrics and wood tones," she says.
This simple piece of dark academia room decor is a must-have to show off your plants, books, and antiques. Another Texas designer, Laura Williams, loves the rise of the style and likewise believes it's here to stay given the rush of people being more interested in dark academia design. 'I like to use antique portraits and especially nineteenth-century portraits of gentlemen. These types of nineteenth-century portraits help create a moody aesthetic. Putting several of these portraits together can produce a library, clubby feel. To emphasize this feeling, I like to use patterned wallpaper on the ceiling,' Michelle explains.
