Grandmillennial Style: How to Achieve the Modern Take on This Style
Meet the granny chic aesthetic.
As millennials and Gen Zers have begun exploring their own tastes and interior design preferences, a new aesthetic has been born: grandmillennial style. This aesthetic turns its back on the less-is-more nature of minimalist and mid-century modern styles and takes a stab at adapting traditional elements of interior design that our grandparents preferred. Grandmillennial design takes all of the nostalgia and warmth reminiscent of grandma and grandpa’s quaint and somewhat cluttered condo in Florida and gives it a new lease on life – but with a little more refinement and restraint. Read on to learn more about this new style and how we recommend weaving elements of it into your home, with a modern twist.
What is Grandmillennial Style?
Grandmillennial design, also called grandma chic, is a new aesthetic pioneered by mid-20- to late-30-year-olds that looks like a resurrection of their grandparents’ traditional-style homes, infused with a fresh spin. This aesthetic oozes nostalgia, bringing back the floral prints, ruffled details, embroidery, and chintz tapestries that filled the homes of those a couple generations older. What sets this style apart from grandma-traditional is its selectivity: Choose your bold pattern and old-fashioned decor choices purposefully for a curated and cozy look that doesn’t enter the realm of cluttered or haphazard. Adding this style to your home means introducing a touch of maximalism to your otherwise curated, modern space. Embrace bold patterns and textiles, old-school textures, and pleating while balancing them with modern elements like sleek silhouettes, metal accents, and sculptural decor.
Grandmillennial Design Basics
Decorating a grandmillennial space invites you to experiment with old-fashioned colors and textures and vintage-inspired decor, but with your own current spin. Find inspiration by thinking, “What would grandma do?” and then add a touch of refinement. Transform any space in your home with the grandmillennial style with these design staples:
Use natural materials like dark-stained wood, wicker, or rattan to add warmth and comfort.
Incorporate intricately patterned and textured fabrics and textiles that look like they’re straight out of your grandparents’ home.
Inject bold colors and designs wherever you can. Think: wallpapers with busy prints or a bold, patterned area rug.
Never say no to an embellishment: Tulle, ruffles, pleats, and fringe are always welcome additions.
Incorporate modern elements: Black metal accents, modern light fixtures, and abstract wall art can create the dynamic juxtaposition between new and old that this style is known for.
Grandmillennial-Style Furniture
The goal of the grandmillennial aesthetic is to bring warmth into your home and create that feeling of nostalgia for the days of your youth spent with granny, hanging out on her floral-printed sofa that was decked out in throw pillows and needlepoint patterns. Natural materials are a key part of grandmillennial style. Start your design process with furniture made of rattan, wicker, or stained wood to create a homey feel. To perfect the style, add a sofa, sectional, lounger, and/or accent chairs – we love slipcovered chairs with pleated skirts and brightly colored or patterned upholstery.
Fabric and textiles are a major part of what makes grandmillennial design unique and unmistakable. If you feel like the pattern or material would be found at a country club or antique shop, then it will fit right in with this aesthetic. Choose cotton or linen fabrics patterned with stripes, plaid, or ornate floral designs for your tablecloth, bedding, and staple furniture pieces. Placing a textured or patterned quilt or coverlet over your existing bedding is an easy way to adopt grandmillennial style in your bedroom. Look for ways to further dress up your room with textured fabrics like tulle or lace and embellishments like, slip skirts, ruffles, pleats, and fringe.
Grandmillennial design is all about classic and bold patterns. Think: chintz, chinoiserie, toile, and animal print. You can incorporate these designs on your wallpaper, wall art, upholstery, drapes, chair skirts, throw pillows, and anywhere else you want an extra pop of pattern. While prints and patterns are a key element of this new style, it’s also important not to go overboard with a smattering of different patterns. The goal is to use textiles that feel cozy yet punchy while staying selective to avoid overwhelming the space with too many designs or colors. Maintain a balance of traditional and modern by keeping your color palette monochromatic and/or neutral.
Grandmillennial-style homes get their vintage feel from the extra details added to a space: Colorful tassels on a throw or sofa, blue and white porcelain dishware sets on a console, eclectic vase collections, needlepoint pillows, or a gallery wall with your favorite vintage prints. Add decor elements that hold meaning to you while contributing to the classic neo-traditional aesthetic. Another of our favorite grandmillennial decor choices is the re-popularization of Chinoiserie. This style, inspired by 18th century China from a European perspective, can be incorporated with dishware, glassware, murals, tapestries, vases, and other decor.
Illuminate your space with a classic statement chandelier to tie the whole look together. We're inspired by the Victorian silhouettes of tiered crystal chandeliers or fixtures with antique-looking gold or brass that can add a much-needed layer of extravagance that makes a bold contrast in a more minimalistic, modern space. Don’t just save your statement lighting for the dining room or entryway – hang a chandelier or pendant in your living room, bedroom, or even the bathroom. Contrastly, you can also use a more modern fixture, like this black-and-gold chandelier, to serve as a sophisticated piece that balances out the traditional patterns and extravagance of some aspects of grandmillennial design.
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