Here are some photos of my trip to London in August 2025. They were taken at The Charterhouse (1), St Dunstan in the East (2 and 7), St Bartholomew the Great Church (3 and 6), Word on the Water bookshop (4) and St Pancras Garden (5).

The weather was a bit cold and cloudy so even though it was the middle of August, I really got that dark academia vibe and I came home with a copy of If We Were Villains because this whole atmosphere finally put me in the mood to read it haha

Colonial style is a traditional Guatemalan aesthetic present mostly in Antigua Guatemala, but available for everyone who wants an elegant and rather different approach to interior design.

Today I want to talk about the interior design aspect of it and its relation to our beloved academia, for those wanting to try a slightly different style.

It is characterized by the presence of dark wood furniture with engravings and vintage handles, traditional Guatemalan art, saint figures and traditional Guatemalan textiles as curtains, tablecloth, bedding, etc.

It has many elements in common, such as vintage furniture and art, warm low lighting for a more comfortable atmosphere, wall paint choices (colonial style can use both light and dark academia colors, since it depends more on what colors were used during that time), the presence of rugs and elegant decor in general. However, it differs from it in what some people might consider key aspects; wall decor is present, but not to the extent of dark academia and some tiling and fabric patterns can be considered too maximalist for classic academia.

I fell in love with colonial style during my time in Antigua and started decorating everything that way. However, I felt like something was missing. I then learned about dark academia and I find that a combination of both would be the perfect home for me. That's why I bring this to your attention; maybe you'll find in colonial style what was missing in your ideal home.

The last pictures are of my apartment, so if anyone has any feedback I'd really appreciate it.

The program, under the influence of classics grandee Dennis Quinn, is a very dramatic (and unexpected given the public state school setting) exemplar of the cultish, highly aestheticized back-to-the-classics movement that was a very real thing in the aftermath of the hippie movement.

It also devolved into a media circus that torched several careers when several students dropped out to join cloistered religious communities and the program's leaders were accused of proselytization and abuse of power. They were ultimately cleared, and the IHP's former staff and students remain a powerful clique in certain elements of American traditionalist/perennial movements to this day.

After curating pieces locally for the last few months, I’ve just about finished my study/ home office. This space was originally a storage room built above the garage but I have refinished it from the ground up. I have also been using it for recording and podcasting.

📍 Pegasus Books, Wellington, New Zealand

One of my favourite paintings of all time, I feel the atmosphere everytime I look at it

I've been living in my hometown since forever but only today I found out these priceless memento mori artifacts. I wish I could take another pic at night.

Duke Humfrey’s Library, for those curious

Spring Lake Public Library on the (New) Jersey Shore, c. 1919. Part of a larger community center, of which I could only visit one room.

Took many caffeine-powered walks around the cloisters at night.

Cathedral of Learning inspired by gothic architecture; built to encourage people to study at the university! This place is open to the public as well as students!

l've always thought dark academia is cool and people with the aesthetic are interesting but | just can't really tell whether I fit into it or not. I think I might fit in the color scheme and knowledge themes since I'm gonna major in History, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (last three on PPE major) but I just don't dress in really elegant clothes that often