Dark Academia Cottagecore Style

If I asked you to describe your style what would you answer? I don’t think that having ONE style is necessary, but it is a great way to narrow down your choices when you’re redecorating a room. Otherwise the internet overwhelms you with an infinity of choices.

The NAME doesn’t really matter, but it’s useful because there are so many options of things to buy online. The name helps you save time.

I break every design project into four steps. I’m going to share the process I used for my bedroom so that you can apply these steps to your own projects. But first, here’s a few inspirational images.

Step 1 – Function/Style/Mood

The first step to making any room work for you is to really think about how you want to use the room. Some rooms have to serve dual purposes. how you need to use the room if there are multiple purposes.

Do you want a spot in your bedroom to sit and watch TV or read a book? Do you need a desk in your bedroom? Do you need lots of storage outside the closet?

Next, think about how you want the room to feel. Here are a few words you could use for a bedroom: calm, serene, cozy, simple, relaxed, casual. I’m aiming for cozy and academia. I DO need storage because our closets are very tiny and we need seating (to store our clothes).

This sounds like a joke, but my husband does WILL either throw all his clothes on the floor every day, or he will lay them in a chair. That’s reality. I do need seating.

Step 2 – Color Palette

I have a post about the four easiest ways to choose a color palette. In my bedroom, the palette is based on fabric. I’ve included the floor color and the wall color in my palette.

That being said, there are certain parts of the room that I can’t/won’t change which are part of the palette. I won’t change the floors or the wall color. But you’d be surprised what you can do without changing these things.

If you look at all of the inspirational images, they all have dark walls. That’s something I might consider changing, but not right away.

Step 3 – Space Plan

Once you have figured out a color palette the next step is the floor plan. In a bedroom the most important thing to place is the bed. I’ve tested mine on two walls, the only two where the bed fits.

I like to use the free floor planning tool at Pottery Barn to test out the arrangement. You don’t have to buy any PB furniture, you just use pieces that have the same/similar dimensions as your furniture and it can help you to see how things fit without moving them. Don’t focus on the colors. THIS TOOL MAKES IT SO EASY.

Option A – In this version the bed sits right in front of the windows. In addition the door opposite the bed opens to my dining room (not ideal). This is how the house was when we bought it, AND how we had it for several years.

Option B – With the use of this tool (instead of moving this VERY heavy bed, I discovered a second arrangement which I like much better.

Step 4 – Shop/Arrange

I always recommend assembling a mood board so that you can see how the pieces you’re considering go together. This is the mood board for my bedroom.

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this. Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

• Pottery Barn rug
• Pottery Barn bed
• Repose grey paint
• Cain backed black chair
• Black watch plaid fabric (inspiration)
• black nightstand
• blackwatch plaid blanket
• dark wood dresser
• blue and white drapes
• bamboo blinds
• Vintage moonlit art
• chandelier
• lamps
• blue and white ticking blanket

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