Dark Academia is one of those design aesthetics that pulls from several different décor styles. It’s a little bit of everything, rolled up into one moody, gothic, cozy vibe. It’s particularly inviting if you happen to be a book lover or literature fanatic or if you simply are a fan of ornate castles, and universities with a sprinkle of Hogwarts and Halloween. But how do you begin to create or design a space with Dark Academia in mind? It all starts with an old piece of furniture dying for a makeover. For our Dark Academia Look project, we took this simple pine commode that was already in beautiful shape but needed a bit of colour. Here is a before look at the project:
Below is a list of supplies you’ll need to complete a similar project.
- Fusion TSP Alternative + Wiping Cloths
- Homestead House Milk Paint in Mennonite
- Staalmeester Round Brush
- Hemp Oil
- Electric Sander + Sanding Pads
Furniture Prep For Milk Paint
As this piece was already in great shape, we only needed to give it a small cleaning. We vacuumed away any loose debris and then went to work with our Fusion TSP Alternative and Water mix solution. A few sprays and a light scrubbing with a microfiber cloth leaves us with a clean surface free of oils, grease and dirt.
Homestead House Mennonite Milk Paint
Once our piece was dry, we went right to painting. We had hope we might see some chipping or crazing so we didn’t scuff sand before applying the paint. Milk paint already has a great bond with raw wood, so a surface with little to no finish is a great way to get our paint to stick.
Applying our first coat of Mennonite was very easy. The coverage of Homestead House’s darker milk paint colours is exceptional and you can almost get away with one coat on some of these more saturated and pigmented colours.
After just 30 minutes, once our milk paint is dry, it is also cured. From there we wanted to distress lightly to give us an authentically aged finish. We took our electric sander and sanding pads to smooth out our surface and remove any natural chips in the paint.
After removing the sanding dust, it was time for our final sealer. Since our milk paint was already cured, there was no additional wait time to apply a top coat. Hemp Oil is one of our favourite milk paint sealers as it not only provides a water-resistant surface and nourishes the wood, but it also deepens the colour of our milk paint allowing the true colour to show.
Dark Academia Look with Mennonite Milk Paint
The hallmark of Dark Academia style is a dark and moody paint colour. Mennonite is the perfect colour with its eggplant and plum tones to bring your whole look together.
Another staple in Dark Academia's design is ornate patterns and textiles. Finding a complimenting wallpaper is another way to bring in some rich complimenting design elements. We found this beautiful Victorian-style filigree wallpaper that blends beautifully with our paint colour.
Keeping some original wood elements helps to add some organic contrast to our piece. It gives us a chance to appreciate some of the original features of our furniture and a stepping-off point to bring in some more natural elements. The original top was in beautiful shape needing only some hemp oil to bring it back to life.
Finally, when crafting a Dark Academia design, your décor is essential. It’s not about curating a look with just any décor, but it’s about designing a space with items that are collected, well-loved and have just a touch of historical nostalgia to them. Find the pieces you truly love, add to your collections of clocks or jars, and bring in all the books. Dark Academia is simply a way to decorate with the dark, the moody, and collected.
We would love to see all of your magical Dark Academia-inspired makeovers using our lovely shade Mennonite. Comment below with all your favourite parts of this makeover!
