Dark Academia Bedroom: Check-List for the Bedroom of your Dreams
The Dark Academia trend has taken hold of the Internet. It's an aesthetic that many would like to see on their walls as well. But what if you're not enrolled in a castle or an Ivy League university? No problem!
What you need for your Dark Academia bedroom
- Collect small things at the flea market. It's not important how much budget you have for them, but whether they fit together. Small statues, old brass or cast iron candlesticks, writing utensils and sealing wax, dark wood typesetting boxes - and anything that looks old is allowed. The main thing is that you might think it came from the antique trade.
- Dark Academia's color palette ranges from brown, beige, ivory white, and Bordeaux and navy blue. Even a rich fir green looks good in combination. Just everything we know from Ivy League schools!
- Books, books, books. This trend is all about mirroring a certain sophistication and what better way to do that than with books. Want to find some nice ones to use as decor? You can find books with old gothic fonts in antique shops, flea markets, or private sellers online.
- If you want it to be as authentic as possible, don't use fairy lights or other light sources that didn't exist at the beginning of the last century.
Candles are the way to go, but please make sure it's not dangerous!
The Bedcloth for your Dark Academia Bedroom
What would be a bedroom without a bed and the bed cloth? Nothing! Exactly. The material is crucial here because silk satin or flannel is not suitable. Instead, you should stick to the classic fabrics: linen and cotton. These are not only skin-friendly but also particularly breathable in both summer and winter. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Grandma and Grandpa already knew what was good. In addition, both linen and cotton are degradable.
- For the bed trying to fall back mainly on stone-washed linen or cotton. For the big-budget, we recommend: Fleur d'Andeol otherwise, there are magnificent finds to make on eBay.
- Old bedding often had initials embroidered on it. You can also add your own touch here and embroider your own.
- You can often find old bedding at flea markets or vintage markets. If it is no longer in good condition, take it to a tailor to mend holes. Foxing stains can be removed very well with oxygenated bleach. Then place it in the sun to remove the yellow.
The Canopy in your Dark Academia Bedroom
An old but useful tool to keep bugs and alike at bay. In old castles, it was often common to have a canopy over the bed.
But having your own? How about that?
Nothing could be easier! Install hooks in the ceiling, use twine to hang long poles at the hardware store, and hang simple white drapes over it. Attach some ribbons to it to drape it into shape. You can also create different textures by layering different materials above each other. Max out your own creativity and play with it!
You will be delighted about the outcome when you take before and after pictures from your bedroom to see the slow transformation and how much of an impact just a few meters of fabric can make.
Also, don't forget to think about heavy curtains in general. Mix lighter fabrics with heavier ones like velvet and see how they contrast with each other. It is a delight to pick them in the first place but hanging them up and seeing a room's transformation is one of a kind.
The Book Shelf in your Dark Academia Bedroom
Okay - so let's get into the real stuff. Bookshelves and books themselves are - as we described - one of the most important ingredients for your bedroom. They just add a pinch of sophistication to the whole world you are about to create in your bedroom. But what to buy? How about to dive into the literature of women who made history! And there are quite a few.
- Pride & Prejudice (the classic) by Jane Austen
- Sylvia Plath (all of her poetry books!)
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
- Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane
- The Artificial Silk Girl by Irmgard Keun
But also quite well-known decadent literature from the late 19th century that transformed the fin-de-siecle
- Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
- Zauberberg by Thomas Mann
- Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans
If you can get a hold of the old copies from an antique shop it would add a special touch to your bookshelf. Especially, when they have a leather cover with golden letters.
Small decorative objects for your Dark Academia Bedroom
Dark Academia can be seen as a kind of counter-movement to the current of minimalism, which has dominated the trends for several years. Dark Academia relies on a large number of small objects that, when put together, create a large whole. It is important to note that you really only use objects from a certain era to keep it authentic.
Things you can collect from flea markets, eBay and Facebook Marketplace would be the following:
- old typewriters
- apothecary bottles and jars
- art supplies like palettes, tubes of paint, paintbrushes
- old globe
- framed vintage maps
- a compass
- musical instruments
- old notebooks
- old cameras
- sculptures made of clay or plaster
- metal candlesticks
- old postcards with black and white motives
- calligraphy
- feathers
- copper engravings
- dried flowers
- books
- embroideries in frames
- small perfume bottles from the period
- petit point embroidery bags
- delicate hand mirrors
- small ceramic boxes or sculptures
How to make dry flowers for your Dark Academia Bedroom
Making your own dried flowers is not only quite easy but also remembers you of someone who might have given you the flowers at a special moment. And now you can keep them forever! (Or let's say till they break but that takes some time.)
The best flowers to dry are:
- Roses
- Hydrangeas
- Billy Buttons
- Baby's breath
- Banksia
- Larkspur
The Furniture for your Dark Academia Bedroom
Last but not least, let's talk about the furniture that should not be missing in any Dark Academia bedroom. Here you should make sure that they are made of solid wood. Fittings from the last century, of course, make them even more beautiful. But if you want to trim a dresser, for example, to "old", you can do it by buying furniture hardware and handles on eBay or in hardware stores that look old and give it a vintage touch. The more it has the vibe of "heritage" to it the better!
Furniture pieces you might need:
- Rocking chair
- Crystal chandelier
- Vintage lamp for your bedside table
- Bedside table with a drawer
- old bed with a bedhead that allows you to sit on it
- a small desk
- valet stand
- a voluminous wardrobe
- an old armchair
- If the room is big enough, then a chaise longue is definitely worth investing in and gives the whole thing a "dandy" touch.
