Trend Focus: Light Academia

By Ana Zuravliova

Trend Specialist at Blinds Direct

Tue 9 Aug 2022

Last month we explored Dark Academia, a deep, mysterious, and contemplative way of decorating the home, however this trend has a sibling. Like Yin and Yang, Light Academia retains the heritage feel of Dark Academia but presents it in a more fun and open way. While Light Academia creates an inverse feeling to its dark counterpart, it’s not the opposite of it, rather a brighter version! 

What is academia interior design?

The inspiration behind both Light and Dark Academia lies in books and the essence of age-old British academic institutions including Oxford and Cambridge, with a touch of Ivy League preppy. 

In the realms of clothing, where these trends originally appeared, Light Academic saw a substitution of hoodies with chunky knits, jeans for thick checked flannels and iPads for well-thumbed hardbound books. While inspired by the past however, academic design isn’t twee or kitsch, everything has a feeling of long-lasting quality – this is one of the reasons it’s becoming so popular in interior design. 

The difference between Light and Dark Academia falls between colour and feel. Light Academia is open and airy, Dark Academia is snug and cosy. It’s as though they have been inspired by the same old educational institution, but during the spring and winter semesters respectively.

What is a Light Academia aesthetic?

Light Academia is the essence of academic inspired interior design, presented in a way that’s open and fresh. Built upon a foundation of preppy insouciance, you can expect to find gently flowing fabrics, pale woods, and a touch of pattern in today’s trend.

The Light academia style

Where Dark Academia design makes great use of dark wooden tones, its brighter alter ego uses pale shades of oak and birch to make a space feel welcoming and calm.

Using these shades, and the beautiful grain they show, as parts of chairs, bookcases and wooden Venetian blinds will instantly make a space feel collected and elegant. This is how to make a space perfect for enjoying your copy of Pride and Prejudice!

Characteristics of Light Academia

From a presentation perspective, a touch of shabby chic and curated carelessness will help you achieve today’s aesthetic.

If you have throws on your sofa, don’t worry that they aren’t perfectly perpendicular. Books stacked on your coffee table or side cabinet, don’t worry about it – it all adds to the overall feel of Light Academia interior design.  

The best colours and patterns for light academia interior design

Soft colours and natural textures

A core principle behind Light Academia is self-care and positivity, and colour choice is very important to this end. Soft colours and natural textures combine effortlessly with one another to make an environment in which can enrich your mind, and care for yourself in equal measure. Add powder shades of primary colours to your decor to add depth to it and feel comfortable playing with pattern and form.

Light Academia wallpaper and room decor

For example, consider intricate wallpapers, quality fabrics, and even accents of gold for your Light Academia space. You can also look at Roman blinds and curtains to introduce texture and pattern, and colour to your room. Small scale floral motifs set on a Roman blind inside a window’s recess with natural, textured curtains outside the recess is a perfect example of this trend. For adding soft home accessories, you can either find lamp shades and cushions that match your curtains or blinds, or instead find a striped fabric in a powder shade of blue or green. 

For the walls – or larger window coverings – you can’t go wrong with pale colours including cream, brown, beige, and white. These will contrast in an extremely delicate way with the pale woods and multicoloured book spines on the shelves.

Planning your Light Academic interior is important, but don’t spend too much time thinking of exact details. Like its Dark Academic sibling, Light Academic is best when it evolves over the years, never truly becoming complete or staying static. To find the right fabric for your space, you can order up to eight free samples from the website and study them until you find just the right one.

Shop some of our products perfect for Light Academia interiors: