A Light Academia Library Design | The Ruby Lodge at Spring Lake Woods
What is “Light Academia”?
The academia aesthetic is taking the internet by storm. It can be best described by its most recognizable elements: vintage books, quirky antiques, fine art, cozy libraries and studious outfits that transport you to old school Oxford. It sparks inspiration for any literary bookworm.
There are two opposing sides of the academia aesthetic coin, dark academia and light academia. But what’s the difference?
Dark Academia
Dark academia, no surprise, creates a dark, moody atmosphere. It has all of the academia aesthetic elements colored in dark tones.
Think of walls in paint colors of deep, rich emerald green or navy blue. Imagine detailed bookshelves with dark stained wood like ebony, cherry or walnut. Picture a dark leather chair in front of a fireplace with heavy velvet drapes
This is the kind of atmosphere I imagine Sherlock Holmes inhabits.
Light Academia
The opposite aesthetic, light academia, has an airy, classical feel. Again, it has all of the same academia design elements: books, art and the like, but in light colored tones often with brass or gold accents.
Imagine cream or beige walls with white trimmed bookshelves and gold framed art. Patterned upholstery, golden oak stained wood and curtains in light tones.
I imagine this atmosphere to be like an ancient Greek library or a naturalist’s personal study.
The Ruby Lodge Library
My sister hosted her baby shower at a beautiful lodge, The Ruby Lodge at Spring Lake Woods in Madisonville, KY. It’s a local bed and breakfast and event venue for weddings or showers.
I brought my camera along to capture some professional photos of my sister’s baby shower and take a few maternity pictures for her there since it was such a beautiful location.
My jaw dropped when I discovered a cozy little library room nestled in the middle of the home. As a book lover, I felt so inspired and immediately started snapping photos so that I could remember the design.
We are planning to re-do our bookshelves and build some new ones in our master bedroom. After searching on Pinterest for inspiration, I stumbled on the light academia aesthetic and my mind went back to this beautiful little library.
Re-Creating the Look
What I like the most about The Ruby Lodge Library is that it achieves the light academia design without being overwhelming or overdone. It feels minimal and light while still being cozy and studious.
This particular library also had a naturalist’s touch with some of the design elements for those who love the outdoors, which fit the venue considering it’s a lodge by the lake.
So, how do you re-create this look and allow it inspire your own home library? Let’s break down the design elements we see.
This Light Academia Library Design includes:
Beige Walls
White Crown Moulding & Trim
White Built-In Bookshelves
Vintage Books
Decorative Details (Note the duck and basket on the bookshelf)
Patterned Upholstery (Love the green striped couch in this library and the two unique sitting chairs that have both wood and fabric)
Natural Elements (The elk antlers & preserved butterfly are natural touches here)
Vintage Radio stained in Golden Oak
Art depicting peaceful, natural scenes
A small fireplace trimmed in white
Pulling together all or a few of these elements that we see featured in this particular library will help you create that airy, light academia aesthetic in your own home library.
When gathering inspiration from pictures of designs that you like, try to break down all of the elements that you see in the photo.
What color tones are used? What type of decor is repeated? What fabric patterns and textures do you see? This will help you find similar pieces to pull your own design together.
Dear Reader,
I hope you found this post inspiring in designing your own dream home library! This particular library is a reminder that you don’t have to go over the top to achieve a particular look. The right, minimal elements can pull it all together to achieve what you want.
Happy designing, friends!
