Grandmillenial or granny chic – a new style trend
There is a new wave in the realm of home decorating these days which some call familiarly granny chic.
Step back minimalist aficionados and boho chic devotees, the Grandmillennials (word made from the contraction of grandmother + millennial) are here to inspire. Defined as « new traditionalists », the Grandmillennials have made their mark in recent months by demonstrating their true appreciation of the past with a fresh spin. Originating from the US and the UK, the Grandmillennial style has a definite Anglo-Saxon look to it : chintz, needlepoint, pleated lampshades, bright colors and florals. Interiors are traditional chic. Emma Bazilian is the journalist who introduced us to « The Rise of Grandmillennial style » in her feature published in House Beautiful. She explains that “devotees love chintz, wicker and needlepoint but don’t call their style stuffy”. She goes on to say that ranging in age from mid-20s to late-30s, Grandmillennials have an affinity for design trends considered “outdated” by mainstream culture, such as Laura Ashley prints, ruffles, embroidered linens.
As I had mentioned in a previous post Trendspotting dedicated to trends (published on TMB Blog) an important theme popular with consumers is curating. Consumers today aspire to transform their interiors into unique spaces reflecting the owner’s personality. Grandmillennial aesthetics outlines its own specific style and expresses a new personal direction to decorating a home. A Grandmillennial appreciates the old school, layered aesthetic with a mix of florals, botanical prints and objects picked up during travels. Hosting friends around a beautiful florally decorated table or sipping drinks while sitting of frilly pillows around skirted tables is their thing. The appeal is to create a one-of-a-kind reassuring home inspired by interior decorators of the past, the likes of Albert Hadley or Sister Parish. Their rooms expressed then and still today a homey, warm, cheerful and reassuring mood.
Pourthault bed linen 
Clarence House Vase wallpaper from House Beautiful
More and more Grandmillennial styled interiors and accessories are popping up on Instagram today and the #grandmillennial or #grandmillennialstyle are definitely trending. From @amylberry to @lycettedesigns via @chapplechandler to name a few, each account showcases classic colorful interiors. Grandmillennials’ attraction to decorating their homes with brocades and antiques could be according to some a counter-reaction to their generation’s affinity for minimalism. In these complicated, challenging times where a Gen Z feels affected by the impact of social media, technology and cyberbulling, the return to something resembling bourgeois stability can be considered as reassuring. As Manhattan interior designer Rudy Sanders puts it : « there’s so much negativity in the world today—who doesn’t want to be surrounded by pretty, happy, comfortable things?” Could it be that these twenty- thirty somethings of the world need a cozy interior to relax in and take a break from the hassles of the world outside.
The best thing about the Grandmillennial style is that it is approachable rooted in the warmth you felt in your granny’s home. This updated take on traditional style adopts the nostalgia of traditional style with a fresh spin of the 21st century. By mixing in a few modern elements, the style is nostalgic and comfortable without looking kitschy. People want interiors with more soul and personality. There is also a renewed interest in vintage whether in fashion or for the home and an ethos for reusing items. Millennials prefer spending their money on objects of quality even if means bargain hunting.
The Grandmillennial trend is both a contradiction and the embodiment of what millennials love. But at the end of the day it’s all about comfort.
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