Dark academia is an aesthetic and internet subculture that celebrates higher education, the arts, libraries, calligraphy, and museums all with a darkly romantic vibe. Think Oxford. Think Edgar Allan Poe. Think Muppet Treasure Island. OK, maybe not that last one. But if you vibe with the rest of it, you’ll love these dark academia decor ideas.
The decor style is perfectly encapsulated in old-looking books, a spooky candelabra, and anything else that looks like it came from a haunted thrift store. (Note: new business idea.) We rounded up some of the coolest stuff that celebrates this Halloween-esque aesthetic.
If you want your living space to look like you’ve moved to Thornfield Hall, Crimson Peak, or Dracula’s castle, check out these dark academia decor ideas.
20 Dark Academia Decor Ideas to Transport You Into Your Favorite Books
1. Frankenstein Light Switch Plate, $28.76
Pull the lever, Kronk! Or, uh, Dracula. If you want to enter your living room every day yelling, “It’s alive!” this Frankenstein light switch plate is just right for you.
It should be noted that if you want to enter your living room and yell, “Hi, Barbie!” this is the wrong choice for you. Here’s a ticket to Oppenheimer.
Available at Etsy
2. Nature Reclaims Prints, $9.97
There’s nothing quite as beautiful as watching nature reclaim what humans have left behind, like in these prints. It’s like watching Twitter combust right in front of our very eyes. Isn’t nature amazing? The world is healing.
Available at Etsy
3. Dances With Death Print, $11.70
This print is hauntingly beautiful, and encapsulates everything we love about dark academia. The skeleton figures atop a sheet of literature is what dark dreams are made of. Unless your dream was to actually read that.
Available at Etsy
4. Gothic Library Print, $11.69
What did we learn from The Beauty and the Beast? To not judge a book by its cover? That Stockholm Syndrome is very real? Sure, but the most important lesson is that you should marry a man only if he comes with a library. Or at least you can hang this painting up and pretend while you swipe on Tinder.
Available at Etsy
5. Victorian Entomology Illustration, $15.96
Bugs can make great decor. This Victorian entomology illustration works on two levels. If you’re an insect-phile and love Victorian things, this is a perfect addition to your house. And if your enemies have a fear of bugs, they’ll never step foot in your house again. It’s brilliant.
Available at Etsy
6. Edgar Allan Poe Poems Cabinet of Curiosities, $45.29
This wooden shelf is decorated with aged paper and filled with poems and symbols invoking the iconic sad boi, Edgar Allan Poe. We guess you could call it a shelf-portrait. But if you call it that, be prepared for everyone else to call you “Dad.”
Available at Etsy
7. “The Raven” Illustrated Poster, $19.99
Quoth the Taylor, “Evermore.” But quoth the raven, and you get this stunning illustrated poster. It’s perfect for filling that, ahem, blank space on your wall.
Available at Etsy
8. Dracula’s Castle Oil Painting, $32.00
You see Dracula’s castle, but we see yet another house we can’t afford in this economy. Oh well, at least we can afford this gothic oil painting instead. If you need us, we’ll be in our coffin waiting for interest rates to go down.
Available at Etsy
9. Dracula Book Stacks, $28.99
These handmade book stacks display a romantic quote from Dracula. Oh, sorry, did we say romantic? We mean absolutely terrifying. Dracula’s like that ex who texts you ten years later to ask you to try again. But hey, at least crossing oceans of time is more romantic than our ex’s signature “U up?” text.
Available at Etsy
10. Handbook for the Recently Deceased Pillow, $40.00
When you take a nap on this Handbook for the Recently Deceased pillow, you’ll have visions of sand worms dancing in your head. And instead of a rat king, it’s a creepy old guy who wants to marry your daughter. Oh, we meant Beetlejuice, not Woody Allen. But we understand the confusion.
Available at Etsy
11. Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s Window, $166.50
If you pronounce Frankenstein as Fronk-en-steen, we’re probably best friends. And if you think this handmade window into Frankenstein’s office is cool, we’re definitely best friends. Do we just need more friends?
Available at Etsy
12. Thornfield Hall Candle, $15.00
Most often, when we say we got lost in a book, it’s a figure of speech. But this Thornfield Hall candle will make you feel like you literally got lost in the halls of the incredible estate from Jane Eyre. If you stumble across your own Rochester, run. Because that man is a walking red flag, and you can do better.
Available at Etsy
13. Wuthering Heights Book Cover Poster, $19.20
Moving from one Brontë sister to the next, any classic literature lover will adore this Wuthering Heights book cover poster. Also, what is it with the Brontës and toxic love stories? Ladies, blink twice if you need help.
Available at Etsy
14. Dr. Jekyll’s Window, $166.50
Thankfully, our Jekyll and Hyde potion is easier to come by since it’s available at Starbucks. But this window into Dr. Jekyll’s office is a good warning to others about what will happen if we don’t get our coffee.
Available at Etsy
15. Wooden Barglobe, $588.00
When you said that you wanted to drink around the world, you probably didn’t mean this wooden bar globe. But hey, it’s a lot cheaper than a flight these days.
Available at Etsy
16. Vintage Black Rotary Phone, $147.00
This vintage rotary phone fits in perfectly with dark academia decor as it transports you to another time. But if your long-passed great-grandmother is on the other end when you answer one day, maybe hang up and throw the phone away. Or schedule a weekly chat, depending on your tolerance for ghosts.
Available at The Handmade Store
17. A Realm of Roses Fleece Blanket, $75.65
This rose-covered fleece blanket screams dark romance, and we’re here for it. College students who are about to start at NYU but want to pretend you’re at Oxford, this is for you. Also, debt. That is also for you.
Available at Target
18. NYPL Library Card Blanket, $125.00
In the immortal words of Mr. Arthur Read, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.” And if you’re a library lover who loves a little history too, you’ll adore this blanket modeled after the old New York Public Library cards.
That reminds us of the Arthur book we took out when we were five and never returned. Any idea what the fine rate is on something like that?
Available at the New York Public Library
19. Book and Quill Bookends, $42.00
If you’re from the age where they still taught cursive in second grade, you’ll love these book and quill bookends. Just be prepared for your nieces and nephews to ask what they are.
Available at Etsy
20. Victorian Vintage Brass Candelabra, $77.12
We like to carry this brass candelabra while wearing a white nightgown to creep up to a locked oaken door, wondering what’s beyond it. No locked oaken doors in sight? That’s what imagination is for.
Available at Etsy
She's also a published short story author who has appeared in anthologies like A Murder of Storytellers and the Abstract Elephant. Jacqueline challenges herself to learn one new skill per year, so you can often find her struggling to master crocheting, knitting, and embroidery when she's not writing.
Connect with her on her website or LinkedIn.
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