Dark Academia Decor + French Style: How to Make Your Space Look Like a Moody Paris Apartment
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Ready to dive into an interior design love story for the ages? Because today, I’m playing matchmaker between Dark Academia and French design!
It’s a style love story that could have been penned in a Parisian bookstore café on a dark and stormy night… A dark romance filled with secret rendezvous in the hidden corners of an old library, the air filled with the smell of old books and Chanel No. 5.
I swear, these two were born to be together and I will ship them as a design couple every day. 🖤📖 + 🇫🇷🗼= 🫶
So in this post, I’m sharing how to blend the Dark Academia aesthetic with French interior design sensibilities to create a moody, chic space that feels like a Paris style apartment straight out of a 19th-century novel. I'll give you tips, ideas, and inspiration to create a dark academia decor haven infused with Parisian apartment charm — purely through accessorizing!
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
About Dark Academia
Dark Academia is an aesthetic that celebrates the romanticism of intellectual pursuits in an old-world academic environment. Think Oxford in the 1800s or… Hogwarts circa the turn of the millennium. 😉
This style evokes the drama of shadowy libraries filled with leather-bound books and vintage desks adorned with quills, brass candlesticks, and a perhaps bust or two.
It’s all about creating a space that feels like stepping into a 19th-century scholar’s study, balancing Gothic influences with the softer, timeless elegance of classical design.
About French Design
When we think about French design, what comes to mind is an effortless elegance that feels collected, lived-in, and romantic. I think about the quintessential Parisian apartment with herringbone hardwood floors, crown molding, a marble fireplace, and tall windows that lead to a barely-there Juliet balcony overlooking other Parisian apartment buildings.
It’s a picture of utter elegance, but also of coolness. Whether it’s interiors or fashion, the French have this way of looking perfectly undone. There’s this free-spirited, “I barely tried, but I look impossibly chic” air to French style.
And it’s all about capturing that seemingly effortless coolness when decorating a room!
A Parisian style apartment often embraces a sense of casual imperfection with layered textiles, mismatched accents, and personal treasures collected over time. You want to create a space that feels curated, inviting, and lived-in.
So how do we marry the effortless, breezy elegance of French design with the dark, heavy drama of Dark Academia?
Even though these two styles differ in plenty of ways, I actually think they have a lot in common—hence my belief that they were born to be together. 🥰
They’re both extremely romantic, rich in history, and dramatic in their own ways. So let’s get into the specific decor pieces I found that would help you convey this dark romantic union in even the most architecturally basic spaces!
Faux Architectural Details
One thing you can consider for your walls is to, well… fake the beautiful architectural details we see in classic Paris apartments and in old-world academic institutions alike.
You could get faux wall molding panels, chair rail molding, crown molding, or a ceiling medallion. All of these would be great options to create a sense of historical character in your space!
One word of caution though: if you live in a rental apartment, these may not be the most renter-friendly design choices. But if you're able to — or if you have a “security deposit be damned” kind of attitude — doing something like this would take a basic room and elevate it with so much charm.
And if you want to be extra daring and really lean more into the dark academia side, you could paint your walls black as well as these faux molding pieces for a moody and dramatic color-drenching look!
Wall Art
When fusing Dark Academia with French aesthetics, there are so many different ways you could go with your wall art selection.
If it were me and I were mixing these two styles, I would collect an assortment of art, much of which would be from thrift stores and antique shops. And I would search for subject matter that conveys varying degrees of dark edge and eclectic free-spiritedness of the two design styles.
Aside from collecting thrifted and antique art over time, I would consider pieces like these:
If you feel overwhelmed by all the art options out there, you could get a gallery wall set. This assortment of pieces is dark and moody and also has the kind of classic elegance you’d find in a French space. Something like this is a lovely option just to get started as you collect individual art pieces over time!
You also can’t go wrong with displaying work by a French artist, like this Matisse print. It would be perfect for this look because, of course, it’s inherently French and it’s black. So you have both the French and the dark aspects with something like this. I also think that the simplicity of a Matisse is always undeniably chic, and it would be a nice addition to an eclectic collection.
Then there’s this “Shh I’m Reading” piece, which in my mind does a perfect job of encapsulating the French and the Dark Academia sides all in one, along with a cheeky sense of humor. She looks like she’s hidden herself in a tucked-away room, escaping a lavish Versailles party so she can read a book in peace. So French. So academic.
You could also consider something a little bit more on the edgy side, like this skull-and-flowers piece. Specifically, it would be perfect for Dark Academia because it’s reminiscent of the kinds of anatomical drawings you’d find in an old academic textbook. And it would also be great for a room designed with a French sensibility because, remember, French design is not matchy-matchy. Unexpected visual moments are part of the charm!
Wallpaper
You could also do peel-and-stick wallpaper, which I am a big proponent of. It’s renter-friendly and it’s such a cool way to make a big dramatic statement.
This floral wallpaper is dark and moody for the Dark Academia side, while there’s just something about a vintage floral print that feels very French to me. I don’t know, is that just me?
Then this gray landscape wallpaper is a more subtle, delicate option that would also work well for both sides of this style spectrum. If you’re partial to the French country design look, this would be perfect. And it would elevate a room in a dramatic yet soft and gentle way!
Faux Fireplace
An ornate, old-school-looking fireplace is such a quintessential part of the Parisian apartment look, and it can be great for Dark Academia too.
I think about a dimly lit study filled with old books, sitting on a worn leather armchair, reading by a crackling fire. There’s so much visual romance to an ornate fireplace that fits both aesthetics so well.
As with the faux crown molding and ceiling medallion options, a faux fireplace would be an accessible way to add some historical charm to an ordinary modern apartment. It may be fake, but with some good mantel styling and a candle arrangement underneath, it could be such a cool statement!
Now let’s work our way inward from the walls to the decorative accents you could incorporate for these two design styles.
Books
Of course, both looks call for an assortment of books. And the books you choose should mean something to you and relate to your interests!
When it comes to choosing books that are well suited for these two particular styles, you could get something like these ones, which come in a mystery assortment. That makes it kind of fun.
I personally would hope to get A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Fun fact: I played Hermia when I was studying at Stella Adler in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, so this play has a very special place in my heart. …I am such a theatre kid. 🙃 Anyway, in addition to these being great books in their own right, they would also look great on a shelf.
For the French side, there’s nothing more French than Chanel. This book contains Chanel runway photos from over the years, and it would be such a perfect addition to any coffee table styling arrangement.
I used to watch videos of runway shows religiously when I was living in New York. Something about that city just infects your blood cells with fashion, and Chanel is the best of the best.
Really, what I’ve shown you are two books that I personally connect with, but ultimately, it’s about finding books that mean something to you. Find books that are about something you love, and also look stylish on display!
Gilded Baroque-Style Mirrors
If you were to get only one accessory to exemplify the Parisian apartment look, I think it would have to be a gilded mirror. It’s a decor item that’s so intrinsic to this aesthetic, and it captures the timelessness of both the French and Dark Academia styles very nicely.
Bust
Of course, a bust is an excellent fit for the marriage of these two styles. Not only would it fit right into the eclecticism of French design, but there’s also nothing more Dark Academia than a bust. I would even venture to say that it’s a requirement if you’re going for the Dark Academia look!
And this one is doing a fun spin on the classic bust with its gold floral detailing. Think about how nicely this would tie in with a gilded mirror. It would be so visually pleasing.
Lighting
Something you’ll often see in combination with a gilded mirror in a Parisian apartment is a crystal chandelier, and this one on Etsy would be perfect. It looks elegant yet also… kind of haunted, which is a vibe I personally love.
Then a lantern and candlestick holders like these would be well suited for a desk area in particular. These would instantly romanticize your workspace and transport you to a different time. Add a little rainstorm tapping on your windowsill and your favorite scented candle, and you have yourself a pure, vibey workday. 🥰
Throw Pillows
Finally, I have a couple of throw pillows that would look great for this combination of styles. This one has a very French country design, while the black gives off more of a moody edge. And this one is very well suited for the Dark Academia side; it makes me think of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Anything that summons a piece of classic literature is going to be great for Dark Academia.
So when you’re looking for pillows for a French Dark Academia room, think about chic French patterns, Gothic imagery, and nods to literature or even science!
So those were my thoughts and ideas on how you can bring French design accents to a Dark Academia room. Of course, the decor pieces that I featured here are really meant to just inspire some visual options in your head. Ideally, I recommend checking out local stores where you live: antique shops, thrift stores, and the like!
Keep in mind that it’s all about collecting and mixing things thoughtfully, without overthinking. I think that really sums up the French design sensibility: be thoughtful, but don’t overthink.
If you want more Dark Academia inspiration, I recommend you check out this video of mine next. It’s all about creating a Dark Academia look in a small bedroom. How do you fit such a big, dramatic style in a small room? If you’re interested in that, watch this one next!
