The Dark Academia design style has been lighting up the imaginations of all who see a perfectly moody AI-generated pic, and my imagination is no different. As its “Academia”, a natural space that lends nicely to the style is a home office. My home office happens to be tiny. But I didn’t want to let that keep me from the inspiring color and design choices in Dark Academia. First off was deciding wall color, and I settled on a lovely shade of blue by Farrow & Ball. It was scary going for what is a “darker color” in a room that small with no exterior windows (just one to the ventilation shaft of the apartment building). But I steeled my nerves and carried on, and I’m so glad I did. The color was the perfect somber but cozy shade of blue that I was looking for.
In order to create that cozy, enveloped vibe I listened to the public and decided to break the fifth wall – that is, paint my ceiling! Yes, a full color soak, color drench, or color rinse – whatever you’d like to call it. Once again, a scary leap to take, but paid off. It all came together when I installed my beautiful lamp from Maisons du Monde. Here is a dupe if you’re not located in the EU. The lamp kept within the Dark Academia vibe, but added a touch of old glamour.
I bought a Billy bookcase in the dark blue color, and to add that dark glamour element, I decided to wallpaper the back with a lovely vintage-inspired wallpaper. As the bookcase would later be filled with books, the design only subtly peeks out from the back, and I love the impact it has.
The final element that I decided to add to create the Dark Academia style was a gallery wall. In a small room, it can be a bit overwhelming to have one large picture. I found that my scattering several different-sized pictures in a seemingly random pattern makes the decor feel more natural to the space. And it’s also a great budget decor move, most if not all of my pieces were found at antique markets and secondhand stores for less than 15€. And it makes such an impact when you first enter the room.
The remaining styling was to add some high-quality office organisational compartments – these were the ones I got. A desk mat is also a great way to inject pattern and personality into a home office space. I got this beautiful one from Society 6 in the old Aubusson style. The rest of the decor pieces are best-sourced little by little, as they appear to you. I have been working in my lovely Dark Academia office for almost a year now, and I can give it my whole-hearted approval.