the complete guide to academia interior design
Savannah College of Art and Design
If you’ve found your way to this corner of the internet, you may be wondering…
How can I perfect the Dark Academia interior design style without breaking the bank?!
As we are hopefully heading out of the heat wave of summer, I’m already thinking about fall, and my mind is starting to shift from bright colors to rich moody colors that are muted, earthy, and subdued.
Hitting August always has me thinking about getting cozy in sweaters again, and waiting for the first leaves to change. The fantasy of preparing for colder months is slowly creeping into my head as I think about how I will create my cocoon of coziness this year.
Fall is also a time for new beginnings, school beginnings that is. And so enters the style that was coined almost 15 years ago to give us that feeling of nostalgia from school days, while also making us feel comforted by the past, enter Dark Academia interior design.
What is dark academia interior design?
In its essence, dark academia interior design is a revival of the gothic age with a twist — a focus on school. Picture Harry Potter’s Hogwarts castle. This gothic structure has a ton of dark rooms, stained glass windows, and spiraled towers. You can almost smell the mustiness of old books that have been on the shelves for hundreds of years. You can almost see the family crests and trophies that adorn the walls alongside the globes.
If you’re anything like me, you’re more than ready to shift into this paradigm for the fall, and I’m here to tell you all you need to know to master this style in your home without breaking the bank. With a few tweaks throughout your space here and there, you can lean into this style that brings nostalgia and romance to your space even if you’re on a budget.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR SPACE DARK ACADEMIA STYLE
STEP ONE: Begin with a color palette.
As an interior designer and color expert, it may not come as a surprise that I always like to start with color palettes when planning out a new interior style for my space. This doesn’t mean I go straight into painting the walls—I start by selecting 4-6 colors and use them as jumping-off points for curating art and decor!
As I mentioned above, dark academia colors are muted, with heavy undertones of greys and blacks. Think smoky greens to deep reads and leather browns. All of these colors ignite that call to the past of old libraries of dark study halls from colleges with Gothic structures.
Below is a color palette using Benjamin Moore Paints that can give you inspiration. Head over to your favorite paint store and grab some swatches of color to start!
Use this color palette to find pillows, throws, candles, and curtains to bring the moodiness to life. Remember to always check out Etsy or local home decor shops to support sustainability and small businesses as you shop for decor!
STEP TWO: Find gothic collectibles!
Head to your local thrift stores or estate sales and start adding to the style with collectibles. If you want some guidance on estate sales, I have a free downloadable guide HERE on scoring at estate sales.
Let’s start with the collectibles I recommend focusing on to perfect that dark academia look, starting out with vintage trophies.
Trophies from Wareouse 55 Vintage Market, Aurora, Illinois
Vintage trophies can be symbols of achievement or endeavors of the past, often seen in almost every corner of schools that embody dark academia! Place them on top of a stack of books, on a bookshelf, or wall shelf to embody the look. Vintage trophies can also act as playful decor for storytelling, even if you don’t plan on making your entire space the dark academia interior design style.
Next up: antique books.
Unsplash in collaboration with Getty Images
Antique books add a sense of intellectual curiosity to your decor. I always tell my clients that the best pieces of decor spark conversation, and antique books are no exception. Although leather-bound books can be pricey and hard to find, I always love collecting any antique books with red, blue, and green covers, especially when it comes to dark academia style.
*PRO TIP: Search for gothic fonts or gold lettering on the spine of the book for those extra dark academia details!
Antique books are great for stacking on shelves, coffee tables, or anywhere you know they can act as a conversation-starting centerpiece for guests!
Next up: vintage globes.
Sergey Sokolov
Curating a collection of vintage globes represents your love for worldly cultures and travels. With ever-changing global politics, it’s especially interesting to see how map boundaries and countries have changed over time.
Style your globes on end tables, desks, or bookshelves so you and your guests can access them for fun talks of travel.
Next up: Silver trays and candelabras!
Adding luminosity with glowing metal like silver or pewter creates texture and highlights the moody character of a space with a touch of bling.
If you can find trays, platters, and candlesticks or candelabras in these metals, think about keeping the patina that highlights the decorative features of the piece.
STEP THREE: Collect antique prints, oil paintings and photographs!
I know this can sound out of reach with a tight budget, but you can score if you repeatedly hit up thrift stores or estate sales. Look for old portraits and photographs that might be class photos of high schools or colleges or paintings of faraway lands, ships on the sea, or equestrian activities.
*PRO TIP: Pay attention to the framing of each print, painting, and photograph — beautifully carved or antiqued gold leaf frames can be just as important as your art when they’re up on display!
Try a gallery wall effect for this collection to show off your interest in sportsmanship or your knowledge of the past. Grouping pieces together adds visual drama to the room — a must for anything dark academia!
Place your trays on any table and use them to stack books, plants, and candles. If you have candlesticks or candelabras, make sure to buy beeswax candles and burn up to 3 hours for a drip effect that will add to the moodiness and ambiance of your dark academia space.
5 WAYS TO USE COLOR IN YOUR DARK ACADEMIA SPACE
Consider color drenching your room — paint everything from your baseboards to the walls and ceiling all one color. This will give you the ultimate drama-filled space! I told you our color mood board would come in handy.
If you are hesitant about painting a whole room, try accenting the space by painting the ceiling a dark muted color from the color palette.
If you would like to add a pattern, stick to the color palette and try peel and stick wallpaper if you don’t want the full commitment. One of my personal favorite peel-and-stick brands on Etsy for the dark and moody is ComfyNoodles I love the botanical themes on this wallpaper.
Use color contrast. One gorgeous way to get the dark academia feel is to paint the walls one color that contrasts with a color on the ceiling. You can be bold and audacious in these choices but I always prefer going towards deeper golds or caramel paint colors to contrast with a deeper hue. Refer to my color palette for inspiration!
Add dried flowers or plants to your decor. Not only will this add texture and volume to your space, but it will also be a fun way to pop in a color!
Even if you don’t want to have a whole space dedicated to dark academia, you can always designate a smaller room or corner, and let the fun of collecting and curating begin!
If you want to embody dark academia in your home, here’s how I can help:
And if we haven’t met yet, it’s nice to virtually meet you – I’m Kat, an interior designer and founder of Urban Lark. I turn spaces into statements and I’d love to do that for you. Here’s how we can connect:
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