In a world where trends come and go at lightning speed, a unique design aesthetic is making waves: Grandmillennial style. Today I am going to help answer the question, What is Grandmillennial Style, and show you how to achieve this aesthetic in your own home.
Grandmillennial style, aka Granny Chic, is all about elevating classic style to the next level. We are having a resurgence of traditional, classic styles but putting a modern twist on them.
What is Grandmillennial Style?
Grandmillennial style is all about a millennial styling their home in the same way as their mothers or grandmothers would. Remember the movie Father of the Bride? That’s the kind of look many millennials are going for.
A writer for House Beautiful first coined the term “Grandmillennial Style” back in 2019 and it has stuck! It’s all about mixing old and new and giving a modern twist on a classic look.
The whole point of grandmillennial style is to evoke a certain feeling. The feeling a millennial had when spending time in their grandparent’s home. One full of love and comfort.
It’s all about having high-end style but making it liveable and cozy.
What are elements of Grandmillennial Style?
There are a ton of elements and you don’t have to use them all in your home. You can pick and choose which ones to use. One of the big elements of this style is not to have too much clutter!
Let’s make a list of all the different elements:
- ornate furniture that is dark in nature
- landscape or abstract artwork
- collections such as china, silver, and crystal
- Florals in wallpaper and upholstery
- Millwork on walls
- Skirted tables and trim/tassels on upholstered furniture
- Needlepoint or monogrammed pillows
- Mixed patterns in textiles
- Ornate light fixtures and pleated shades in lamps
- Metallic accents especially vintage brass
- Fresh flowers and plants
Favorite colors and patterns for Grandmillennial Style:
- Blue and White
- Botanicals
- Marble
- Cane/wicker/rattan
- Chinoiseries
- bright colors, definitely not dark
- pastel colors
How to Replicate Grandmillenial Style
There are a few things you can do to start incorporating elements of grandmillenial style into your home. I recently noticed that my youngest daughter (who is almost 24) has incorporated some into her studio apartment! Here are some things she has done and some others I recommend doing.
Start a Collection
You don’t have to be married to get some china. My daughter bought a huge set off her sorority headquarters when they did a big renovation.
You can also find some beautiful china on FB Marketplace. Buy some silver, for example, a tea set.
Add crystal vases to your home. These are all easy and fairly cheap ways to start adding grandmillenial decor to your home.
Add bold colors and patterns with lots of ornaments
Typically the upholstered furniture in grandmillenial style has bold fabrics and trim or tassels. If you can’t go out and buy all new furniture start with throw pillows.
Add some in a bold color or with a needlepoint saying on them. And make sure they have tassels or unique trim your grandmother would have liked.
Mix up the patterns in those throw pillows. Don’t be so matchy-matchy.
Switch up your Lighting
Ornate chandeliers and lamps with pleated shades are perfect! You don’t have to do all the lighting at once. Start by switching out a lampshade and work up to the big chandelier.
Darker colored furniture
Lately gray wood or blond wood furniture has been popular but that wasn’t the case during your grandmother’s days. Darker wood furniture was.
Think walnut or cherry, those are the types of dark finishes that are on trend with grandmillenial style. You can also take a painted piece of furniture and paint it a dark color.
Add furniture with texture
What do I mean by texture? Wood accents such as cane seats or backs, wicker furniture or even rattan. These are all great additions that you can make to your existing furniture.
Add Millwork to your walls
This is something I have done in many rooms of my home. I added picture molding to my bedroom, board and batten to my dining room and stairwell, and beadboard to my entryway.
I also have vertical wainscoting in my powder room. Add any of these things to your walls then paint it all the same color as the walls. Paint the trim too.
This gives a very cohesive look and adds texture. Have you noticed texture is huge in grandmillennial style?
Grandmillenial Accessories
There are a few things to look for in accessories to keep with this style of decorating.
As far as color goes bold colors are very on trend but so are those pastels. Do not go dark on anything for this style.
Blue and white is also really popular in this style. I love the blue and white ginger jars, they are perfect for grandmillennial decor.
Patterns such as chinoiserie, plaid, toile, and chintz are perfect for your accessories and textiles. Botanicals are also great when used either on fabric or in real life!
Metallic accents are very popular, especially antique brass.
Examples of Grandmillennial Style
Let me show you some examples of grandmillennial style in real homes. What I hope you see is a youthful refresh on a style that has been around for centuries.
In this photo you can see examples of grandmillennial style with the skirted ottoman, the mixed patterns in the throw pillows and the floral window treatments.
This is a subtle example of grandmillennial style with the blue and white theme, monogrammed pillow and chair with cane on the sides.
Blue and white is strong in this room. Also the gorgeous pattern of the wallpaper!
This is probably the best example. The wallpaper with the floral motif and the skirted table. We also have dark furniture and a crystal chandelier. This is just gorgeous!
Now it doesn’t matter if you love all the elements of grandmillennial style, if you love some of them then give them a try in your home.
FAQ’s on What is Grandmillennial Style?
What is the difference between cottagecore and grandmillennial?
Cottagecore is more casual and grandmillennial is more formal.
What age is a grandmillennial?
The typical age is mid to late 20s to late 30s.
Is grandmillennial style still popular?
Yes! It’s actually growing in popularity.
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As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.