It’s been a dream of mine since I was little to live in a large old house with a library full of books, and the dark academia aesthetic helped me realize that it’s not only possible but also right at my fingertips!
What is a dark academia aesthetic room?
Dark academia room is a trend that many people still don’t know about. The term is used to describe a room inspired by the dark aesthetic of old universities, colleges, schools, castles and libraries interiors. The aesthetic can also be associated with any type of dark and mysterious study session in the library or just in your home rooms, such as those you have seen in Harry Potter movies or Howl’s Moving Castle.
How to make your room dark academia?
Whether you’re taking on a full bedroom renovation, or simply looking for new items to add to your living room, the room aesthetic is a great way to bring some mystery into your home space. Here is some decorating inspo for turning your bedroom into a dreamy dark academia retreat. If you’re interested in the style, check out our dark aesthetics summer outfit guide.
Get rid of the clutter in the dark academia house and clean the space in detail.
A dark academia room should be cozy, timeless, thoughtful and refined. If you have a big old house to be converted, you should start with throwing away all the junk, organizing your clothes and possessions, and sorting treasures of matching vibe to be used to decorate your home.
When considering a Dark Academia aesthetic for one’s home, it is important to be wary of one’s surroundings. The first step is to strip any room of its old furnishings, including carpets, curtains, plants, and furniture.
The next step is to set aside any sentimental items that are not Dark Academia-related and replace them with new ones. For example, an old kitchen table may be replaced with a classic wooden desk, while a worn couch may be replaced with an antique armchair. The same applies to other furniture pieces such as desks and chairs; old ones may be replaced with Dark Academia-inspired pieces that match or complement the theme of the room.
Choose dark neutrals and earth tones for color scheme.
The color palette of the room should consist of neutral and dark tones, such as navy blue, dark brown, gray, dark forest green, burgundy and black. After the overall dark academia color theme is set, you can add pops of color into the neutral scheme.
However, if you live in a small dark apartment, studio or dorm room then you should not paint the walls in dark color. Instead, if the walls are currently painted in a dark color such as black or brown, they should be repainted or dressed up in a lighter shade to ensure the room looks bigger and brighter. The same is true for the ceiling, dark color with a matte surface is only good for a room with a high ceiling, while a light color ceiling of glossy finish will be perfect for a small room. Then you can bring in deep tone dark academia furniture and accessories to achieve the aesthetic.
For floor material, you can make your decision based on budget and choose from dark color linoleum, carpeting, hardwood or tiles. If you do not have the budget to replace the whole floor, you can get a pretty area rug to cover the existing aged flooring.
Forget about the paint cans. Instead, buy some wallpaper of classy patterns.
The walls can have wood paneling or elegant wallpaper with vintage floral designs for a more classy look. Similarly, the floors should be wooden or patterned.
Incorporate more leather and brass accents in your dark academia living room.
The dark academia aesthetic is a perfect interior decorating style for dorm rooms, study rooms or office rooms because of the academic-focused vibe preference.
Use antique dark wood furniture everywhere in your styling.
A dark academia room should be built around a desk and an armchair. You can include a fireplace, but it is optional. Other essential dark academia themed furniture includes:
- Study desk
- Bookshelves
- A tall, wingback chair
- A good mirror and a vanity table
- Vintage dresser
- Vintage couch or bed side table
Build floor to ceiling bookshelves to display books elegantly in your dark academia library, not in an overflowing mess.
A dark academia room is a combination of books, plants, antiques, paintings, other collectibles and natural lighting. Investing in good dark academia bookcases is a must. You need bookshelves as pretty as your collectibles to complete the display corner.
Replace your dark academia dining room curtains with drapes that reach all the way to the floor.
Shade your windows with blackout curtains. You can also hang heavy red velvet curtains with window scarves from the ceiling to the floor to add elegance to your dark academia room.
Invest in a faux fireplace.
A faux fireplace is perfect for a modern dark academia room that is cozy looking.
Make your bed a focal point of your dark academia bedroom.
The bedroom is where we spend the most amount of time, it’s our own sanctuary. It’s a space to relax and unwind after a long day and it’s the best place to curl up with a good book. With that in mind, it can be easy to forget about your bedroom decorating ideas, but why not make this room a design feature?
The beauty of revamping your dark academia bedroom is that you can use this space to let loose and experiment with quirky items or liven up the space with fresh colors.
Dark academia decor is a cool style to have in your bedroom. Follow these tips to achieve a dreamy dark academia bedroom aesthetic:
- Choose dark color for bedding set and bed sheets.
- Design the ceiling so to see decor when you lay in bed.
- Add a canopy for adding the touch of elegance.
- Indulge in layers of linens of different textures.
- Have layers of plush pillows and blankets to add depth.
- Let vines and ivy climb on your bed frame.
- Throw an area rug at the side of the bed.
- Get consistent color theme and decorating style for the bed and the room.
Add vintage (or vintage-inspired) accents.
When it comes to interior accents, everyone has their own style, whether it’s modern, chic, sophisticated or bohemian with a crossover of the dark academic genre. Even small changes can make your room more dark academia-like.
Setup a dedictated study nook.
Your room will feel like a reading nook in a cozy library.
Light your room with oil lamps instead of electric ones for your dark academia bathroom.
Use vintage-looking lighting sources such as chandeliers, candles or oil lamps that provide a warm glow to make your dark academia bathroom cozier. The ambiance is everything for a dark academia room mood setting.
Layer vintage or antique rugs upon rugs instead of having only one.
Your room will look so good in the dark academia aesthetic, old vintage or antique rugs are some simple additions you can make to your room for an aesthetic touch.
Decorate your dark academia library with a bust of old books from famous writers.
Dark academia decor doesn’t have to be expensive, you can start with collecting some old classic books from thrift stores, such as the complete works of Shakespeare, classic Penguin books and Sherlock Holmes books.
Get a statue of an ancient Greek philsopher for dark academia desk setup.
Dark academia is not all about books, it doesn’t have to be just reading room-related items on the mood board. You can add these dark academia essentials to the interior design:
- Antique oil lamps, or candles and candle holders
- Statues and figurines
- Dark academia posters and wall art
- Books, books and more classics books
- Record player
- An old-school typewriter
- Multiple reading lamps (desk and/or floor)
- A globe for the centerpiece of the room
- A fireplace with a mantle clock above it
- Vintage Persian rugs and carpets for the cold floor
- Dry flowers with careful staging can look nice
- Dark academia journals and notebooks of vintage paper
- Dark academia photo collage wall decor
- A large, open window (looking out onto a body of water or forest helps)
These elegant decorative pieces are also great dark academia gifts for fans, add them to your dark academia shopping list!
Decorate your dark academia study room with quotes and pictures of famous thinkers, scientists or philosophers.
Make sure to get some old dark color brass frames to display your old paper, book page, collection of butterflies, or quotes from famous writers/scholars. Even small changes can help you make your room feel like a dark academia haven.
Take your time when choosing indoor plants for your dark academia kitchen.
Don’t forget to add some plants. Indoor herbs and mushrooms taste wonderful in your dark academia kitchen. They also look great when you prepare your tea or coffee. You can also grow beautiful indoor plants for natural fragrance and decoration results.
Make sure your dark academia dorm room smells good.
You will spend a lot of time in the dark academia dorm room, so you need to keep the room smelling good for excellent study performance. Make sure to do the following tasks regularly on top of getting a special candle that smells like nice old books, and use room deodorizers.
- Clean thoroughly.
- Open your windows.
- Wash your sheets and laundry.
- Clean all upholstery.
- Turn on a dehumidifier.
- Spray room refreshers.
- Grow beautiful indoor plants such as jasmine or lavender for natural fragrance.
What is dark academia decor?
Dark Academia aesthetic room is based on classical architecture and the design of old castles, universities and library interiors, so expect to see a lot of dark wood furniture, preferably with intricate details and carvings. The decoration style is characterized by dark colors, rich textures, and a vintage-inspired collection. Dimly lit rooms with flickering candles, mysterious alcoves, and an eclectic collection of knick-knacks are all perfectly acceptable.
Where to buy dark academia decor?
You can find a lot of dark academia accessory websites. In fact, most items can be purchased at a cheaper price on Amazon or eBay. If you want to buy dark academia decorations at the lowest sale price (and do not care about copyright issues) then you can even explore sources like AliExpress or Wish.
Another good idea to support small businesses is to shop from your local game shop, home decor stores, flea markets, consignment stores, yard sales and Craigslist. You can even go treasure hunt in grandma’s home. Delivery time is usually the fastest when ordering from Amazon or local stores.
If you are into ethnic dark academia decor, handmade crafting and indie products, you can spend some hours in our DIY session or shop from Etsy to get project inspiration such as handwritten poetry books or handmade leather journals.