Get The Dark Academia Aesthetic For Your Apartment

Our personal aesthetic tells the story of who we are, or who we’d like to become. We pick a specific outfit because of how it will make us feel or seem to others; we choose a particular haircut because it lends itself to our lifestyle and identity. And so it is with our dwelling. We dress up our apartment in order to make ourselves feel at home, in our home.

The aesthetic we choose for our apartment has the ability to bring life to our days, to allow us a haven to retreat to when the world gets overwhelming, to have a space we call our own and feels like our own. One aesthetic that was love at first sight for us? Dark academia — moody, inviting, magical, romantic, mysterious, artistic, and enchanting as it is.

Wouldn’t we all love to have our apartment described as such? Well, here are a few ways you can embrace the dark academia aesthetic.

Books, Books, & More Books

The first and most important thing you can invest in to get this look is your own personal library of books, both lovely to behold and smell. While Kindle and Audible are incredibly convenient, we often forget that real books aren’t just for reading, but they’re also decor – the perfect kind to surround yourself with for a homey feel. Having a physical reading collection is also a good conversation starter and a simple way for people to instantly know more about you. And even when you’re alone, you’ll certainly find joy seeing each book’s worn spine and remembering the wonderful adventures you’ve taken with them.

Shelves

This may be self-explanatory after the first suggestion – but every treasure collection needs a beautiful home, doesn’t it? Try upping your shelf game and seeing them not just as a place to put things, but a home for your treasures, as well as an opportunity to lean into your aesthetic. They don’t need to be expensive, either. There are countless gorgeous shelving units on Amazon, as well as used ones on Facebook Marketplace – or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try your hand at making them!

A Reading Chair

Now that you have a collection of books, you, being the literary queen that you are, need a comfy throne on which to peruse and dive into them. A lovely leather (or faux leather) or any other cozy reading chair will fit the dark academia theme of your apartment perfectly – and you’d be surprised how many excellent options there are at your local Goodwill, on Facebook Marketplace, or on Amazon.

A Desk

Every great writer, thinker, student, or creative needs a place dedicated to their work. A desk not only offers us yet another chance to build our aesthetic, but a space where we can pursue our dreams, study hard, or ponder for hours on end. If you’re in a smaller space, covered desks are a perfect solution because no matter how messy of a worker you are, you can pull the cover down and immediately enjoy a cleaner-looking home and a mental break from work.

A Fake Deer Head

Every grand British library or study has the noble head of a graceful deer looking over its inhabitants, inspiring awe to all those who behold him. A fake deer head bust will easily add a bit of wild beauty to your domain.

A Gallery Wall (Or Two)

Art is what makes survival worthwhile, and just might be the thing to inspire warmth, whimsy, and beauty in your space. Etsy is a wonderful space with thousands of artists selling handmade works, and Amazon has countless framed art collections to choose from – but if you want to be adventurous, you can go treasure hunting at your local thrift shop to find a priceless piece for dirt cheap. Building a gallery wall takes time, but it’ll be worth it.

Candles

Note that I said candles – plural. One will simply never be enough. In addition to adding a lovely golden glow and pulling the visuals of your apartment together, a candle’s pleasant scent interacts with our most potent sense, all while pulling together your dark academia aesthetic in a magical and visceral way.

A Luxurious Bedspread

In many apartments, especially in bigger cities, our beds are actually in our living room, meaning they have the power to detract or add to our look. Finding a bedspread in a classic, dark floral print, or even a comforter with gorgeous detail will not only keep your look consistent, but prepare you for more beautiful dreams.

A Bouquet Of Dried Flowers

Flowers have a special ability to tie any room together, adding a dash of color and beauty. But to make your flowers really fit the dark academia look, dry them out — this is more simple than it sounds. Purchase a bouquet of your favorite flowers (mine are roses, a classic that never gets old), put them in water and a vase as you usually would, and once they begin to wilt, hang them upside down. Over the next couple of days, they’ll dry up but stay just as lovely and won’t’ slouch. Then return them to their vase sans water, and voila — you’ve got a dark academia bouquet.

Wine Bottles

Wine bottles offer a sense of dignity to the space they occupy — as if they contain grace and wisdom rather than a beverage. They’re also perfect aesthetic-building pieces, and incredibly versatile ones at that. To add some simple flair to your kitchen or shelves, you can line up empty wine bottles with particularly pretty labels, or you can find some empty bottles on Amazon and use them as candlesticks holders for an undeniable dark academia flavor.