DARK ACADEMIA MEETS BOX OF CRAYONS - Scheming Up a Rich, Colorful, Deeply Personal Room

The number one mistake people make when they’re decorating their home is this: they start by looking outward. They go straight to Pinterest, flip through magazines, or walk into furniture showrooms looking for ideas. I know that’s a strong statement — but it’s the wrong way to start. And when the start is wrong, the end result is never satisfying.

Instead, begin your home decorating journey by looking inward.
Look inside yourself. Discover who you are, what you love, what makes you happy, what evokes emotion — that becomes your brief. That becomes your inspiration.

So when my client gave me her brief — “dark academia meets box of crayons” — it made total sense. She looked within.
Dark academia was so her. She’s a professor. And she paired that with box of crayons because she teaches the philosophy of creativity. I was blown away. She literally wanted to surround herself with her passion — passions so meaningful to her that she made them her career.

What better way to decorate your space than to reflect who you truly are?

One of the two fabric and color scheme I created and sent to the client for her home office.

Decoding the Brief

Before I could get into the things — the furniture, the colors — I had to understand the psychology of “dark academia.”

Professors writing books, working on research — of course they need to be focused. They need to cocoon. They need an environment where they can cut themselves off from the outside world and just be.
And that translates into deep, saturated colors. There’s a reason for that. Saturated shades actually encourage emotional consolidation — perfect for deep study and introspection.

Now my client had already told me she was feeling strongly pulled toward a deep purple. And her instincts were absolutely right.

According to color psychology, purple promotes deep contemplation — exactly what we want for a library or study.

BTW: When you start your design from within, your instincts always have a deeper reason.
It’s never “just because I like it” or “because it’s trendy.”

The Second Half: Box of Crayons

Remember that feeling of opening a fresh box of crayons at the start of a new school year?
It was the same crayons every year, but the excitement? The joy of diving into that rainbow never got old.

That’s what she was tapping into. She wanted her room to feel like that — playful, joyful, filled with wonder and creativity. That’s the emotion she wanted to evoke every time she walked in.

Hunt Slonem’s playful wallpaper sparks creativity and adds pure joy to the room. Shop the wallpaper here.

Now that I had decoded the meaning behind the brief, I could translate those feelings into color, form, and texture — like putting together a puzzle.

So here’s how it translated into a completed room:

Dark Academia:

• Deep, saturated paint colors

• Rich wood tones

• Vintage furniture

• Worn leather

• Brass accents

• Antique books

• Candlelight warmth

Box of Crayons:

• Pops of bright color

• Playful accessories

• Unexpected, quirky elements

How the Vision Took Shape

• Floor to ceiling built-ins across 14 feet wall, painted in a rich saturate plum

• Floral wallpaper on the ceiling

• Silk curtains (in the same deep plum) for the cocooning effect

• Dark wood antique desk

• Whitewashed antique settee upholstered in bold deer-print linen in a rich chocolate colorway

• Geometric black-and-white rug (a juxtaposition with the floral ceiling — tension keeps design interesting)

• Vintage wingback upholstered in a geometric cut velvet — traditional shape + modern pattern = chef’s kiss

• Walls adorned with the client’s modern art in ornate, traditional frames  (always creating contrast)

• Pleated, patterned lampshades

• Lots of brass accents: curtain hardware, picture lights, and more for a candlelit glow

When the room is ready for styling, we will be hanging art in some unexpected ways. Check out my post here on unexpected places to hang your art — it’s one of my favorite ways to make a room feel unique and interesting.

SHOP THE LOOK: Dark Academia Meets Box of Crayons

Want to recreate this vibe in your home?
Here are the pieces I’d use to create depth, contrast and a little playful tension to design a room that is always interesting.

If you know the vibe you want for your home but struggle to translate it into a physical space — I’m here to help.
Let’s build a room that actually feels like you.
Book a Virtual Design Consultation