Mermaidcore Aesthetic Decor: How to Turn Your Apartment Into a Dreamy Mermaid Cove
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I'll just admit something right of the bat: there is still a part of me that wants to be a mermaid. If we're just honest with ourselves, I think many of us feel this way. This tiny childhood memory of playing mermaids with our friends in the pool will always live within us. I don't care who you are!
There's something so intrinsically enticing about mermaids, not just from the childish perspective of “mermaids are pretty”, but from what they represent.
And through an interior styling lens, tapping into your inner mermaid as an adult can unlock so many dreamy, ethereal, otherworldly style options that can really help you expand what “pretty” actually means in your space.
So in this post, I'm exploring the mermaidcore aesthetic and giving you a bunch of decor ideas that will help you turn your apartment into a beautiful mermaid cove!
So decide what color your mermaid hair is (mine is green), what your fin scales look like (mine are sparkly), what shells your bikini top is made of (mine are sand dollar a-cups 🙃), and let's play mermaidcore together!
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
What is Mermaidcore?
Simply put, mermaidcore is aesthetic that's inspired by the ethereal, otherworldy qualities of mermaids and other nautical visual tropes. But underneath the aesthetic, there’s so much mermaid lore to draw upon!
Mermaids have been interpreted in so many ways throughout the ages. It seems like every culture has their version of mermaids; the sirens of Greek mythology, the Ningyo of Japan, the Suvannamaccha of Thailand, and of course The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen of Denmark.
And these tales are often quite dark. I mean, do you know how the real Little Mermaid ends? She doesn't get married to the prince and live happily ever after, I can tell you that much… She dies. And turns into sea foam.
Then in Greek mythology, the origins of mermaids are often tied to sirens, who we all know use their beautiful voices to lure sailors to their deaths.
Hell, in One Piece, the mermaid princess Shiroshi is a straight up teenage weapon of mass destruction.
Across the board in terms of lore and mythology and pop culture, mermaids are often very dark and powerful figures.
So, with all this darkness in mind, is there really that much of a difference between mermaids and sea witches? Like some kind of psychological Ariel/Ursula complex, where on the one hand we're the bright eyed innocent ingenue looking for love, and on the other hand we're the powerful and dangerous old hag who just wants those rowdy sailors to leave us alone.
I feel like that pretty much just sums up human nature, at least as a woman in the 2020s.
And this is why when doing mermaid core in a room, you can really slide between the spectrum of soft and ethereal and dark and menacing.
But soft and ethereal doesn't mean weak. When it comes to their folklore all the way up to modern-day fiction, mermaids aren't just hotties with fins. They're powerful. So, as I get into these decor ideas, you'll know that simmering under the surface of that softness is just as much power as any sea witch.
Mermaidcore Decor Ideas
Wall Decor
Decorative Accents
Lighting
Furniture + Etc
