Academia - Dark & Light
What’s old is new again.
The library of Winchester College, captured by Frederick MacKenzie, 1816.
Inspired by Ivy League and old European university libraries (like the Long Room at Trinity College, The Medical Library at Yale, Duke Humphrey’s Library at Oxford), as well as British Gentlemen’s Clubs, Academia as an aesthetic style satisfies the dream of a library or study of one’s own. It draws on Anglophile fantasies of grand old English estates and, if we are honest, Hogwarts-style boarding schools. It embraces anything romanticizing a collegiate or 19th-century upper-class European lifestyle. It is, to a large extent, the theater of old money. But scrape away the storytelling; what is left is timeless, traditional interior style.
A single-room rather than a whole-house scheme, custom millwork is the first and most crucial step to successfully achieving and elevating the Academia style. In this way, it bleeds into another social media trend currently on the rise: “bookshelf wealth.” Installing custom, floor-to-ceiling, solid wood bookcases and filling them with books creates a foundation that transcends the latest design fads. Decorative wall paneling and molding in the same finish as the bookcases isn’t strictly necessary but completes the look. Or you can substitute a William Morris pattern wallpaper.
“Both light and dark Academia conjure a connection to history and scholarship.”
The Academia aesthetics are, to a certain extent, the theater of old money.
The books themselves should be as decorative and visually pleasing as everything else in the space. New and antiquarian books for a recent home library project, curated by Foxtail Books.
Whether you opt for dark or light Academia depends on your preference for wood tones. Dark Academia leans into Gothic and Victorian architecture styles – choose dark mahogany and ebony woods, which have been distressed and finished in a rich patina that suggests layers of candle wax and tobacco smoke. It is a profoundly masculine style that works well with heavy draperies, a statement desk, deep leather club chairs, and Persian rugs. An oversize book open on an antique stand would be entirely fitting.
“It is, to a large extent, the theater of old money. But scrape away the storytelling; what is left is timeless, traditional interior style.”
Light Academia suggests NeoClassical and Greek Revival architecture – choose light pine and oak woods, leave the windows uncovered, and aim for a fresh, clean, and minimal sensibility. Everything should look like it’s been polished with beeswax. If dark Academia channels an old-world sensibility, light Academia pulls from the New World. American interiors like the Athenæum of Philadelphia or The Providence Athenæum are good reference points, as are the designs of Rose Tarlow. Add a plaster or marble bust, use fabric upholstered chairs (the nubby wool tweed of a co-ed’s skirt instead of leather), substitute a large work table in place of a desk, and pay attention to symmetry.
New and antiquarian books for a recent home library project, curated by Foxtail Books.
The Tudor home of Susan Owens and Stephen Calloways, Suffolk. Photo by Christopher Horwood.
The books themselves should be as decorative and visually pleasing as everything else in the space. Modern editions with garish dustjackets are best stored behind cabinet doors, hidden yet easily accessible. Leather-bound volumes, slip-cased editions, beautiful fabric-bound books, rare 19th & 20th century first editions protected in mylar dustjackets – display sets of books with character that work well in an environment dedicated to knowledge alongside your readers’ copies. This is the perfect environment for collectors to showcase their rare and valuable books. Blocks of “matching” books look good in this setting: a finely bound Victorian encyclopedia, a set of Will & Ariel Durant’s entire History of Civilization in leather, or several First Editions Library volumes organized on a single shelf. Building this kind of collection requires a level of knowledge and expertise, two reasons our clients come to Foxtail Books.
Both light and dark Academia conjure a connection to history and scholarship. A certain amount of staging happens in these spaces. A Victorian-style curiosity cabinet housing a carefully curated collection of oddities, taxidermy, vintage trophy cups, cut crystal decanters on silver trays, and backgammon sets – in moderation, these items help to establish a mood. Ralph Lauren tends to be very good at achieving this delicate blend of historical and modern sensibilities.
Ultimately, it would be easy for us to dismiss Academia as another transient social media meme. But, whether it’s because design professionals are predicting a movement away from open floorplan homes or just our love of books, we can’t ignore that there exists a genuine desire for a refuge from the distractions of technology and screens. While the Academia aesthetic offers that, it’s important to remember that the rooms in our homes are meant to be lived in, and the items in them accumulated slowly over time. When adopting any design trend, we recommend taking the components you love and discarding what you don’t. In the end, you’ll come up with something that is uniquely your own. Authenticity is the core ingredient.
Tara Cheesman is a freelance book critic and a National Book Critics Circle member. Her work has appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books, CrimeReads, Guernica, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, The Mystery Tribune and other online publications. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.