I haven’t made a decoration post in a long while, and honestly I’ve missed it.

Autumn interior has always been my favorite, maybe because it’s my favorite season or it just fills the room with extra-coziness with all its warm colors. However, this year I decided to change things up a little and create some “dark academia” vibes in my room instead of merely autumnal.

What is Dark academia? It’s a literary aesthetic, inspired by education, writing/poetry, arts, gothic architecture and classic literature. It kind of became a lifestyle for those, who are interested in everything listed above, people, who, like me, adore the atmosphere of older times and try to recreate it whether through fashion or decor.

To properly get the idea of dark academia think of antique educational institutions, like Oxford, Cambridge or the Ivy League universities, their dark but cozy campuses, old libraries and dormitories, the vintage style of the students or just people in general. It is appropriate for every season, but autumn seems to be the best period for this aesthetic, cause it adds more mystery and comfort at the same time.

Since you’re now familiar with the concept, let me tell and show you, how you can recreate the dark academia style in your own house. For more inspiration you can check Pinterest or watch some films with this atmosphere, in order to fully comprehend and feel it.

So, the most important thing in this subculture is studying and literature – hence books. The older, the better. Someone wise (don’t remember who exactly) has once said: “a room without books is like a body without a soul”, and I absolutely agree with that. Books bring essence to your home and make it whole. I’ve always believed that they can serve as decor as well, especially if you color coordinate them and add some figurines or other decor items. If the covers or spines of the books are pretty, consider yourself twice as lucky.

Another interesting idea is to create a paper-wall, full of old, yellow pages of books. To be frank, I could never tear pages from an actual book, so instead I decided to do an imitation of it with printable pages, hand-written letters and music sheets. Afterwards I used coffee to make them look like an old parchment.

Next, add lots of antique objects. It can be an old clock or a mirror, lamps, keys, bottles, anything that feels right for you. You can borrow some stuff from your parents or grandparents, it’ll be much cooler if the decor is actually old and not just a replica. Flea markets or thrift stores are also a great place to find such kind of decors.

And of course, the statue of David. It is the symbol of dark academia. I don’t know why people picked it instead of many others to represent this style, but it really does look cool. But of course any other statues or figurines are always welcomed. I love these columns or pillars, call it whatever you want, that I got years ago from Italy.

Dark academia reminds me a lot of Hogwarts, especially of its classrooms and cabinets, full of different and interesting things to examine. So everything connected with academical inventory can work here, like a chess set, quill and an ink bottle, even a typewriter or a telescope if you have one.

I’ve been wanting to get a little vintage globe for a while, and it goes with my whole style so well! Old maps and atlases can be used as well. Plus, they can help you learn geography much better or remember where all the countries are situated.

I think I’ve mentioned this in pretty much every decor post, but candles and twinkle lights are a must, at least for me. They just never fail to add magic and mystical atmosphere to the place, making it so much better and comfier. Candles are perfect for dark academia, cause with no electricity in older times, people used lots of candles, especially for night study sessions. You can put them in antique candle holders or even lamps, or use the artificial ones instead. I really like the long white candlesticks in a black holder, they look amazing especially after melting a little.

You can also find special candles with a wooden wick. When you lit them, they start crackling like a real fireplace, which is awesome.

Mood-boards are another great way of transferring the atmosphere. You can print various photos or movie stills, add some more book pages, stickers and voila! You get a whole beautiful image that will inspire you every time you look at it. What I love the most about mood-boards, is that you see things and places that are far-far away, even in an imaginary world, but somehow you bring them home, making them a part of your interior, if that makes sense.

As I mentioned before, dark academia is hugely influenced by art and classical music. If you have an instrument or any art supply, like a wooden easel, palette, a set of paints in an old box or case, they’ll work perfectly. Also, if you keep them in sight, you’ll more likely use it, since we tend to forget about our stuff, when they’re hidden away somewhere in the drawers.

And of course, the most important thing is the right color scheme. Since it’s called dark academia, you should expect lots of dark and nude colors. You can choose which tones you want for your place. I personally went for warmer colors – different shades of brown, burgundy, cream, yellow and black.

Don’t forget about the textiles – pillows, blankets (especially plaid ones), curtains and rugs. They’ll make the place warmer and much cozier and will be ideal for dark academia.

In a word – experiment, try different things and find whatever you like the best. Styles don’t have any specific rules, plus you can always mix them up with each other and create your own individual cool style.