Decorate With Dark Academia in Your Home

Try the latest TikTok Dark Academia trend in your home with these helpful tips for how to achieve this romantic, Old World charm in your home on the cheap.

July 18, 2022

By: Jennie Andrews

Shop This Look

Photo By: Jennie Andrews

Ways to Bring the Dark Academia Trend Into Your Space

Want to try out the latest TikTok Dark Academia trend in your space? If musty libraries, Ivy League aesthetics and English Romantic poetry are your style, look no further than this moody aesthetic. Check out how to emulate this style in your own space with these fun how-to videos and styling pointers.

Learn More: How to Achieve the Dark Academia Look in Your Home

A Darkly Chic Gallery Wall

Thrifted, repurposed and hand-crafted elements come together to create a chic gallery wall in this Dark Academia-inspired bedroom makeover. Copy the look by using HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams in Darkroom for the perfect moody hue, part of the 2023 Color of the Year Collection. Find out how to create your own gallery wall here.

Learn More: Dark Academia Gallery Wall

Moody Colors and Fabrics Define Dark Academia

Rich colors and luxurious fabrics like velvet, leather and patterned rugs combine to create an opulent feel.

Learn More: Trend Alert: Dark Academia

Use Vintage Items for a Dark Academia Look

Dark Academia is a great way to repurpose vintage items into decor as in these items used to style a bookshelf. Find out more ways to make old items new again in this DIY video.

Learn More: Upcycle Tips for Dark Academia

Natural Elements Deliver a Gothic Look

Source items from the natural world to create a Dark Academia ambiance. Here, feathers in a silver dish sit on a coffee table. You can find striking decor elements in your own backyard. Branches and eucalyptus, discarded birds nests and mica-inflected stones used as paperweights all bring nature inside.

Add a Velvet Canopy for a Cozy and Stylish Effect

A DIY canopy made from velvet curtains accentuates this cozy bed. Find out an easy way to create your own canopy headboard here.

Learn More: Velvet Headboard

A Bedroom Defined by Cinematic Ambiance

Natural light mixed with dark, moody colors like rich greens, golds and eggplants and lush textures create a chic, dramatic look.

A Globe and Antique Books Give Old-Fashioned Flair

Thrifted antiques and vintage books lend character to a room.

DIY Faux Vintage Book Covers

DIY antique book covers turn modern books into instant classics. You can fake the look of vintage with this clever DIY for faux-antiquarian book covers.

Learn More: Vintage-Style Book Covers

Vintage Laboratory Items Add Retro Charm

Vintage science beakers make great vases.

Botanicals and Living Plants Add Character

Watercolor botanicals and a concrete head planter accent this desk. Hit up thrift stores, Halloween shops and garden stores for Dark Academia accessories.

Natural World Specimens

Moss, dried mushrooms, seed pods and other items can be used to create a decorative taxidermy jar.

Create a Faux Taxidermy Plaque

Faux taxidermy bugs are a whimsical touch in this bedroom. Make these insect plaques with this crafty DIY.

Learn More: DIY Faux Taxidermy

Make a Butterfly Shadowbox

Another great faux taxidermy project: Fill a shadowbox with delicate fabric butterflies.

A Plaster Hand DIY

A simple DIY project, this plaster hand displays vintage jewelry. Learn how to make it here.

Learn More: DIY Hand Sculpture