What Is The Celestial Decor Trend And How To Get The Look

The cosmos has never been more than a few steps away from popular interior design — from the glow-in-the-dark star-studded ceilings of our youth to the astrology craze of today, celestial-inspired design frequently dips in and out of the décor zeitgeist. And right now, it's having another moment. While lots of folks associate this style with the 90s, thanks to the witchy aesthetics of popular culture, namely Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Craft, celestial aesthetics actually dates back much further. 

In the 1800s in the United States, post-Civil War, many Americans faced great anxiety around spirituality and the existence of an afterlife, which gave way to a religious movement known as spiritualism. It was made up of fortune tellers, tarot cards, and astrology readings — things that were wildly in demand again in the 70s after "The Exorcist" re-popularized Ouija boards, then in the 90s (hello, Buffy!), and now again in the 2020s. And unlike the adjacent whimsigoth style, the celestial design moves away from the more generally spooky, dark academia-leaning look, focusing more heavily on a few specific motifs: suns, moons, and stars, specifically constellations. It also favors more rich blue and green tones and lots of gold-gilded accent pieces, as well as softer silhouettes and fabrics. 

Similar to the 90s iteration, the 2020s celestial aesthetic relies on dark and moody colors, repetitive cosmos patterns, gold moons and suns, and low lighting. But beyond that, it also has some distinct twists. Bohemian and whimsigoth design influences have made this revamped style harder to pin down — now celestial design also includes pastel pinks and purples, sage greens, as well as pagan-rooted aesthetics that include twigs and floral patterns, and greater incorporation of organic materials overall.  

Organic materials such as linen and wood are more likely to be part of a contemporary celestial design. But still, this is an aesthetic obsessed with the glittering night skies, so plenty of sparkly organza and shimmering velvet is still very much on-trend. And because astrology has had a huge boom in recent years, there's a greater emphasis on constellations, zodiacs, and star charts, as opposed to just the more general moon and sun symbols. So if you're addicted to astrology apps and asking people for their signs, celestial décor should be right up your alley. 

As with any design trend, you don't want to implement it in your house so it feels too campy or costumey — one pitfall of celestial design is that it can quickly take on a Victorian-era fortune teller meets haunted house vibe or even just an over-stylized dorm room. Instead, try to keep the style more subtle with high-end, high-impact features like drapery, wallpaper, and wall art. 

Curtains are a great way to class up a room and are already a basic necessity in most living rooms and bedrooms, so you may as well have fun with them. For a more airy, ethereal take on celestial design, we love these white and gold blackout curtains from Society6. But for the more mystical night sky aesthetic, check out these stunning starry galaxy curtains from the Etsy shop BambiN. 

Because wallpaper is expensive and difficult to install, try to find something that embraces both celestial decor and another well-established design style, such as this art deco-influenced celestial wallpaper from Spoonflower. And when it comes to wall art, that's where you can really cut loose. Society6, Modcloth, and Etsy all offer quirky celestial-inspired décor, with plenty of variation to fit your own unique take on the style. Look for a variety of wall art pieces, like mirrors, prints, and wall-mounted sculptures.