There’s nothing quite as cozy as grandma’s house. It’s like a warm snuggle of home cooked meals, fresh cut roses from the garden, doilies, chintz, needlepoint, vintage furniture, wallpaper, a breakfront china cupboard, Earl Grey in a collection of English bone china teacups, and lavender oil that soothes the senses and transports you to carefree days of yore.
The Granny Chic or Grandmillennial trend is all the rage, particularly among millennials. It’s an expression of personality which became more prevalent during Covid as we spent more time at home and the desire to evoke positive memories through design became increasingly popular. Essentially, this trend uses items that have a vintage, classic, and timeless feel; bold pieces that older family members may have had in their homes or items found at an antique store, signaling a rekindling of the styles of yesteryear. Millennials are exploring this theme which they like because it offers uniqueness, impressiveness, and timelessness.
Granny chic embodies the concept of being totally you, comfortable in your own space. As it mixes traditional and modern approaches and elements, this trend creates a design style that exudes eccentricity and effortless formality. At the heart of granny chic is mixing decor from different periods and decorating with unique pieces that are hard to find anywhere else; doing so makes your space feel more personal and less consumerist. It’s deliberately mismatching items that have clashing patterns to create an eclectic collection of things; quaint knickknacks and playful colors inspires individuality. Going through a granny chic home feels like stepping into a curated museum of things that are held dear; items that remind you of favorite places and tickle your curiosity. For a grandmillennial, pieces that trigger fond memories are much more important than items purchased from a shop. The granny chic home is a place to share one’s personality, family history, treasured possessions, and current obsessions.
Granny chic is a way for millennials to rebel against the neutrals of their parents’ generation and embrace home decor inspirations from their grandparents’ era, seeking interiors that are personal, nostalgic, and kinder to the planet. The style is a combination of new and old, taking the well-known traditional style and adding a twist with modern conveniences that we covet. It’s a trend that encourages sustainability and circularity of pieces, with antique stores the perfect place to find traditional furnishings for rehoming. It’s a trend that praises hand-me-downs, heirlooms, and antiques. In response to overconsumption, the grandmillenial style has emerged as a flip-side trend, advocating for thrifting and more sustainable practices. The grandmillenial style shares the same anti-industrial anxieties from 100 years ago in response to an increasingly technological world, promoting craftsmanship and tradition instead of mindless production.
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Granny Chic weaves together traditional elements and modern designs to create an eclectic look that feels homey and approachable. It is the modern revival of traditionalist design in an elegant way, but with a bolder, quirkier twist.
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As we return to normalcy after the initial Covid shock, we seem to be gravitating to safer, more recognizable forms of decoration: those that remind us of the comfort of our grandparents’ houses from when we were children. After two years of pajamas and sweatpants, opting for comfort has become the norm. Embodying timelessness and ease, social media’s promotion of the grandmillennial aesthetic makes adopting the style of our grandmothers a little less granny (antiquated) and a bit more chic (contemporary). This trend is about expressing yourself (something millennials LOVE to do) and evoking positive memories with nostalgic design elements and color.
My home and my dining table are always a reflection of me: they show my personality, they’re inviting, and they tell a story. My house and tables include family heirlooms, tchotchkes, and souvenirs from travels or picked up at flea markets. Formal flowers are beautiful, but sometimes flowers and weeds that grow on the side of the road make for more of a statement. (I keep a pair of clippers in my car at all times!) And it’s so granny chic. The more candles, the better – also granny chic. I always mix and match dishes and serving pieces, combining antique, vintage, and new patterns which adds depth, color, height, and interest to a flat and boring table.
As millennials say goodbye to minimalism and look to express their personal style with unique, standout sustainable pieces, it only makes sense that granny chic tableware – which is filled with character and charm – is on the rise. The tabletop industry stands to capitalize on this trend which looks to have some staying power. So the next time a buyer asks what’s new, it’s time to take out the granny chic. Grandma would approve.