Millennials embracing ‘granny chic’
Some young buyers prize floral prints, wicker designs and skirted couches
If you were to walk into a millennial’s home to see chintzy upholstery, skirted furniture and embroidered linens, you might assume they’ve inherited pieces from an elderly relative — but you might be wrong.
They may be a “grandmillennial,” and may be paying big bucks for that familiar, traditional look. So-called “granny chic” is in these days.
“We’ve had several younger clients come to us in the past year asking for things like chintz and treillage and bright colours and I’m thrilled about it,” Amy Berry, a Dallas-based designer told House Beautiful.
“It’s been surprising to see the types of things our 20- and 30-something customers are going crazy for — Fermoie pleated lamp shades, botanical prints, framed Gracie wallcovering panels we can’t keep in stock.”
First coined by Emma Bazilian in her article for House Beautiful, “grandmillennial” refers to those in the mid-20s to late-30s age range who take their decorative inspiration from the interior styles of yesteryear, including floral prints, wicker, ruffles and the proud display of needlepoint art.
“I think a ‘grandmillennial’ is really a New Traditionalist — someone who has an appreciation for the past,” Manhattan-based interior designer Ariel Okin told House Beautiful. “It’s someone who references the work of legendary designers like Billy Baldwin and Nancy Lancaster and Albert Hadley, who realizes the staying power of good, well-edited design while putting their own fresh spin on it to make it feel updated and unique.”
While millennials have generally been tied to more neutral, minimalist design movements, the popularity of a decorative, antiquated style is a “knee-jerk, maximalist reaction to that very minimalism,” writes Hillary Hoffower for Business Insider India.
“People want design with more soul and personality,” Caroline Pogue, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based vintage interior designer, told the New York Post.
People want design with more soul and personality.
“It’s also fuelled by a renewed interest in vintage fashion and an ethos for reusing items.”
This fondness for “outdated” decor isn’t meant to be ironic or a nod to hipster culture.
It’s a genuine preference for the tried-and-true looks of the past.
Not to mention, millennials with stressful, fast-paced careers are predisposed to an appreciation for the comfort and nostalgia of the cosy “grandmother’s house” esthetic.
“It’s a look that really evokes ‘home’ for me,” Okin said. “That’s not really a trend because it never goes out of style.”