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If November could be expressed as a decorating style, Dark Academia would come pretty close to fitting the bill.
Though it’s been attracting some buzz lately, the origins of the style aren’t really that new. Victorian and Edwardian decor styles figure as influences, but it’s anything but traditional in the usual sense. Its roots go back to the pre-war Ivy League academic life of musty old libraries, shabbily furnished study rooms and cluttered professors’ offices. It took off during COVID, when people were drawn to interiors that were comforting, but with room for individual self-expression, putting it right in tune with 2025.
Some credit Goth counterculture and movie and television icons like Harry Potter, Tim Burton and Wednesday Addams for fuelling Dark Academia’s appeal among young adopters on TikTok. But the overarching trend covers more ground than that.
“It’s not an easy style to define,” says Lindsay Thornton, a Toronto designer and owner of Cornerstone Custom Build. “At first, it makes you think of a dark, slightly creepy look, but it actually takes its cues from academia and old libraries and schools in Europe or New England. So it’s really about a deep, Old World feeling of comfort.”
Rooms designed in the Dark Academia style are often ornately detailed, marked by bookshelves lined with antique leather-bound books, old portraits in gilded frames, stuffed owls on stands, candlesticks, typewriters, globes and magnifying glasses or telescopes. Walls are dark, whether painted or finished with wallpaper or wood panelling. Sofas and chairs are tufted, overstuffed and upholstered in soft, tactile fabrics; lighting is moody, warm and subdued.
“It’s not an overly elegant trend; it’s approachable,” observes designer Vanessa Ferro. “There’s a whimsical element to it that’s quite charming, even fantastical – it has a touch of the unexpected.” Along with bookshelves, one might find glass curio cabinets filled with framed collections of pinned butterflies, old medals, fossils or groups of small-scale treasures on display as if in a museum vitrine.
However, unlike Maximalism more broadly (of which it’s an offshoot), there’s a distinct method to the madness. “The key is that the decor is very carefully placed,” says Ferro. “It’s never jumbled or just piled on; everything on display is there for a reason. It’s collected and curated.”
Some Dark Academia fans become collectors, combing bookshops and antique stores for finds to add to their collection. “It’s a great style if you love thrift shopping,” Thornton says.
A predilection for rich, dark wall colour helps too. It’s no coincidence that most of the major paint companies have chosen dark tones for their 2025 Colours of the Year. Sico’s Starry Night, a purplish near-black, or Behr’s blood-red Rumors, would suit a Dark Academia interior. Cinnamon Slate, Benjamin Moore’s 2025 pick, is a bit lighter; still, this complex brownish-plum hue has an air of faded gentility and Victorian melodrama that’s in keeping with the theatricality of the style.
According to Ferro, classic Dark Academia paint tones include burgundy, plum and navy; charcoal works for a slightly more contemporary spin. Woods are painted or stained in dark colours, especially walnut, oak and mahogany. Wallpaper is popular, especially used with wainscotting or wood panelling; patterns, meanwhile, take their cues from William Morris or older Victorian styles and tend to be dark and moody. “Botanicals or trailing vines, stylized animals or even hidden motifs work as well,” she adds.
When it comes to lighting, rooms designed in this style rarely have bright flush-mount lights, pot or track lighting. Instead, Thornton says, “picture a Victorian parlour or cigar room with lots of lamps and low mood lighting.” Table lamps can be mismatched in size and style; silver or gold candlesticks, or even candelabras, add anotherold-fashioned and romantic layer.
Antique and vintage furniture are another hallmark. Look for old desks with multiple drawers, tall bookcases and glass-fronted cabinets. Deeply upholstered sofas in worn leather with buttons or tufting and eccentric profiles such as extravagant rolled arms are also a staple; they should look like generations of young scholars have sat on them.
“The more lived-in the better,” says Aman Than, creative director of Aman Than Interiors. Textiles are deeply comfortable and tactile, she continues, and straight out of the private-school tradition. “Velvet, wools in deep colours like black, green, burgundy, blood-red – all those deep, delicious colours and textures are part of it,” notes Than. “Also, tweeds, plaids, houndstooth, as well as silk draperies, even fringe.”
According to Ferro, layering textiles, patterns and other elements adds to the feeling of sumptuousness. That includes mixing panelling and wallpaper, “contrasting textures and patterns in fabrics, and (piling) furnishings with multiple pillows and throws.”
For those who aren’t quite ready to go full Dead Poets Society, a toned-down version can retain the coziness of the style without theatrics. Powder rooms lend themselves naturally to a style like this, allowing for plenty of personal interpretation and whimsy without requiring a larger commitment.
Alternatively, a guest room or study is a great place to indulge in aDark Academia fantasy. Start with dark or black walls; hang some old thrift-store paintings or prints, and add a bookcase filled with old hardcover books and a comfortable vintage-style sofa covered with pillows. Finish with one or two unexpected touches, perhaps a side table with stylized animal feet or an antique globe or typewriter, and a reading retreat takes on a time-honouredair.
As Than points out, “The great thing is, this is a style you can keep building (on) and adapting, and adding your own personality to over time.”