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By Soo Kim
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A video about a woman’s attempt to transform her room into a vintage-inspired space has gone viral after she admitted the result looked far different from what she intended.
The decorating dilemma was detailed in a video posted by @lena_amberstonev, which has amassed 2.2 million views since it was shared on October 13.
Text overlaid on the clip sums up her disappointment, saying: “I wanted it to look old. Now it just looks like someone old decorated it. I hate everything.”
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A caption shared with the post reads: “ignore the mess #help #aesthetic #darkacademia #room #vintage.”
In the video, the creator shows the room she had hoped would evoke a moody, vintage charm. Instead, she finds herself frustrated by the unexpectedly dated look.
The room features a muted wooden cupboard and drawers, with a large world map leaning against it. A window is framed by white lace curtains, while a plant and a vintage-style lamp sit atop a wooden dresser. Above it hangs a painting of a mountain landscape—all elements she presumably intended to contribute to an old-world aesthetic, but ended up feeling more “granny” than antique.
The viral post comes at a time when home renovation spending has dramatically increased. According to a survey by Houzz, a home design website, median renovation spending surged 60 percent between 2020 and 2023, rising from $15,000 to $24,000 in that period.
The survey found that Generation X spent the most on home projects in 2023, with a median spend of $25,000, compared with $24,000 for Baby Boomers. “The top 10 percent of spenders in these groups had substantial project budgets, with Gen Xers at $180,000 and Baby Boomers at $131,000,” the report stated.
Kitchens were the most commonly renovated interior room (done by 29 percent of those surveyed), followed closely by guest bathrooms (27 percent) and primary bathrooms (25 percent), the report added.
'Bad Reproduction'
Viewers flooded the comments with advice on how she could rescue the room’s intended “dark academia” vibe.
User basedsuccuboi wrote: “NO LACE. That’s what's giving granny! Use dark velvet curtains and coverings in reds, greens and blacks put up some oil paintings in ornate gilded frames or hang tapestries. You can turn this around.”
Another commenter, Nether, encouraged leaning into the aesthetic’s moodier tone, saying: “dark academia should be DARK. get some wallpaper and better curtains.”
Some users suggested the furniture itself was the problem. “The furniture is all bad reproduction, hence why it is struggling to look good,” wrote Caroline Creasey.
Others focused on the walls and textiles, with peeeeeeeeeeelip advising: “U GOTTA change the color of the wall asap.”
User GinaPlux recommended decluttering and swapping out key pieces, writing: “Remove that little white cloth on that cabinet and those curtains. Paint the walls and get a rug.”
Lighting was another common theme. “It’s the lighting,” wrote soupfullostars. “Add warm lights, string lights, and never turn on the big light!”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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