hi everyone welcome back to our channel the number one place for people who love design
arts and all things creative I'm Jacqueline and I'm an interior architect and designer here at
D and B and today we're looking at all things dark Academia this video was requested by one
of our lovely subscribers and it's for all of you who want to know what this style is
and also for those of you seeking to conjure a dark Academia Ambiance in your home if you're
not new here then you've probably already seen our video on the Romantic Academia style
however as we're going into the darker gloomy months of the year where everyone's starting
University again I thought that it was the perfect time to talk about this mysterious
aesthetic and add it to my Autumn series on the channel because Autumn is dark academia's
season after all dark Academia has grown as a concept and lifestyle over the past couple
years and right now there's over 1.7 million posts on Instagram but it's only recently that
we started to see it infiltrate mainstream design and actually influence the home decor
that you see in shops so if you're interested in creating a dark Academia room let's jump in
for those of you who don't know what it actually is in layman's terms dark Academia is a look and
subculture that romanticizes learning its romantic academia's Moody mystical sister it's an academic
aesthetic that incorporates Gothic Styles literature poetry Arts architecture music and
general Gothic related topics and is related to finding beauty within the darkest places
if I were to pick a place in the world that really showcases dark Academia it would be
Edinburgh the capital of Scotland this city is the personification of dark Academia we went there a
couple of years ago to visit family and there's such a historic Gothic feeling throughout the town
and in terms of dark Academia movies and TV shows think Harry Potter Queen's Gambit Dead
Poet Society the chair The Theory of Everything and Goodwill Hunting I'm sure you get the idea
think Gothic and Romanesque architecture stacks of classic books the Victorian era and spending
the day admiring artwork in a gallery if I were to describe the aesthetic I would
say it's gloomy Gothic inspired extravagant Collegiate with a pinch of spooky undercurrents
what started as a literary genre eventually turned into a social media storm and became a lifestyle
the first aspect to think about when carrying out your dark Academia Room Makeover is of course
which colors should you choose now because dark Academia dwells a lot in the Victorian
era New England and British universities look to those places for color inspiration
as the style implies dark cues are going to take prominence deep Browns Emerald Greens
spiced orange midnight blue golden beige Merlot and mahogany Reds and of course black tones too
foreign
I think that it's first important to decorate the walls around us and to really bring about a dark
Academia Vibe think about Plastering your walls in flock wallpaper by the end of the 17th century
flock wallpapers as we know them had appeared by the third quarter of the 18th century there was
hardly a Country House in England that didn't have at least one room decorated in a similar
way and I think that this is a perfect example of drawing on the Vintage aspects in the style
dark Academia also draws inspiration from literature and education and if
that Sparks your fascination with the aesthetic maybe decorate using
a wallpaper that resembles books or for a more authentic feel you could create
your own Gallery wall with literary and cultural findings of your own
or if you're looking for a more demure approach to wall decor Victorian wall
paneling may be the right fit I think that this is quite good for homes that are very
modern because it automatically creates a nostalgic atmosphere and this is actually
a pretty simple DIY project that can be done using wooden molding strips
when looking at the materiality of the space in terms of soft textures I think that it
would be on brand to emulate Fabrics found in preppy clothing such as corduroy plaid or
Tartan velvet and Tweed so look to using those textiles when picking furniture for your home
now that we've established a color scheme and dressed the room with textiles we can
start to piece together the interior by adding Furniture more than anything the dark Academia
aesthetic calls for Woods in particular Dark Woods such as mahogany Walnut ebony dark teak
or stained Oak the more elaborately carved the furniture the truer your space will be to the
style look for pieces in vintage shops online and in markets that have clearly been made in
another time in history for example Gothic entry storage benches bookcases with glass
casing Victorian dresses vintage stationery organizers worn coffee tables Chesterfield
leather armchairs and of course this wouldn't be complete without a desk
or writing Bureau the key takeaway is that you're looking for pieces that ooze character
foreign but of course the easiest and most pleasing part of a dark Academia makeover
is when we can start to bring in home decor pieces and an integral part of that is of course lighting
for decorative lighting chamber stick candle holders are hands down the top item I think or
when thinking of a dark Academia room perfect for reading under Candlelight or adding to the dark
Academia Ambiance regarding task lighting which is lighting that will be used for the majority of the
time within the space ornate chandeliers or aged wall sconces will not only add to the drama but
also be practical for everyday use my last point on Lighting in order to create Moody lighting it's
key that you choose bulbs that are dimmable that way you can achieve a shadowy cozy interior with
ease if we want to build on the Mystique of the space and bringing those mysterious Vibes even
more involved gemstones and crystals in the mix the Harry potification of the style if you like
General items to bring this scheme together would be vintage sewing machines look for
Singer sewing machines as a start Globes decorative book ends Greek busts or plinths
vintage tea sets in a dark color preferably telescopes are military spheres brass photo
frames glass cloches with trinkets inside antique clocks and gilded mirrors because an
array of curios will allow you to add your own touch while creating intrigue foreign
however I should probably say that if you're personally into this lifestyle and aesthetic
choose to highlight your hobbies as home decor pieces let me explain sometimes with
this aesthetic I see people throwing all kinds of interesting items associated with activities into
their Interiors but isn't this lifestyle about exploring cultural and educational passions that
you love yourself chances are if you love this aesthetic you probably already have a
hobby that you love so rather than pick a random assortment of objects that look dark academia-y
select and highlight your favorite pieces instead maybe you love writing in which case and
buy a vintage typewriter of course reading can be highlighted with decadent bookcases or if painting
is your voice you could create a small Art Studio space to really express your love for it
I think my main point which I'm trying to say is just be mindful when it comes to choosing
smaller activity-based pieces for your home it's about having a passion and interest in
your chosen subject and evolving your skills and being a constant learner like I said in
the beginning a lot of these home decor pieces are actually in mainstream stores now but if
you're really struggling to find things hunt in vintage shops or on Etsy okay so with this
style we tend to think gloomy rain and wanting to stay inside our homes as if we were students
in Edinburgh watching the rain out of our windows however in true Jacqueline fashion
for the horticulturalists I wanted to mention some plants and flowers to dress your space or
even plant in your garden rose bush archways or just any Archway in general really gives
an enchanted feel to a garden on the interior of flowers in Amber vases are old Apothecary
bottles help to time with the golden beige sepia tones I mentioned in the beginning roses baby's
breath and dried thistles are just some examples of how to piece this bouquet together foreign to
bring your interior together you should of course have some artwork on display my Top Choice is for
creating a dark Academia inspired interior are antique portraits Botanical prints and Celestial
artwork I think that these all really give you an intellectual and Old World feel to your space
to save you time and money you can actually now purchase dark Academia Gallery wall prints
in a pack which makes it 10 times easier to decorate I feel like this video wouldn't be
complete if I didn't recommend some kind of literature right after all dark Academia is
dedicated to scholarly learning that being said here are some recommendations to read
but also put on display in your space the historian The Picture of Dorian Gray
the secret history ninth house a lesson in Vengeance the atlas six
a deadly education ghosts of Harvard Renaissance Gothic and the library of the Dead
you want even more inspiration for books or home decor I've linked some other YouTube
creators down in the description box that you may find helpful what do you guys love
most about the dark Academia look please give this video a like or leave me some
kind of emoji down below to let me know that you enjoyed the video and if you love interior
design home decor and all that creative stuff feel free to subscribe or join us on patreon
that's it for today's video though guys and I will see you in the next one bye foreign