Traditional Decor Is In—and Bookshelf Wealth Gives It an Eclectic Spin

It's hard to keep up with all the popular interior styles—so why not combine them? If you gravitate toward midcentury modern, traditional, dark academia, and modern Victorian (or have ever thought to yourself, “I wish my space looked like a Nancy Meyers movie but with more Norman Seeff photographs"), bookshelf wealth is the newest aesthetic you need to channel.

A TikTok posted by @aeferg26, who called it her “dream interior design aesthetic," depicts a slideshow of a moody yet cozy home with lots of natural light.

The photos show bookshelves loaded with books, gallery walls, copper kitchen pans, stained glass windows, deep blue and orange tiles, checkerboard flooring, traditional rugs, breakfast nooks, quilts, and beautiful bare wood. It has nearly 140,000 views and the creator paired it with the song “Can I Call You Rose” by Thee Sacred Souls, which really matches the overall mood.

“If my house looked like this, I’d never leave,” one person said. “That bathroom made me audibly gasp,” another commented.

Most of the comments are a mix of the obsessed and folks trying to find ways to describe the style with terms we already know. Is it eclectic traditional? Is it dark academia? Light academia? Is it just regular, old wealth? Like most micro-aesthetics, it’s a mix of a few. 

You can totally achieve bookshelf wealth in your own space—but you have to live it, too.

Obviously books are involved, but these aren’t just display books: books with cracked spines and dogeared pages. They’re not organized by color because that would look too put together. And you have to have spots where you can to enjoy these books, like cozy window seats, big comfortable chairs, and beds with lots of pillows.

A lot of art is crucial—create your gallery walls, but don't take it too seriously. The art is there to add visual intrigue, and it doesn’t matter if it’s perfectly lined up. Look for thrifted frames, and display larger pieces by setting them up on the floor. The homes themselves have their charm, like crown molding and stained glass windows.

But before anything else: Buy a new book, curl up on your couch, and get cozy.