New tradition of grandmillennial style
Mix of old and new, bold and beautiful creates personal look
Trends are funny things. It feels like the older I get, the quicker I see them come and go. As soon as you get your house looking perfect, it turns out griege is the new gray, or modern is the new traditional, and you feel pressured to start all over.
Luckily, being generically trendy is not something for which I have strived (it’s just too much pressure). I believe what you love is always in style, and if you curate your aesthetic around colors, patterns and objects that draw you in, your home will be timeless and feel just right no matter how times change.
That is why my love of new traditional design, sometimes considered the anti-trend style, has been so fulfilling. Mixing vintage with modern, the bold with the beautiful, and maximalism with even more maximalism creates a beautiful space full of personality.
So image my surprise when over the last few months, I have seen a boom on social media for the new traditional aesthetic, all thanks to a “new” design movement called grandmillennial style. It truly re-energizes me that a style I love has gotten a revival. I hope grandmillenial style outlives its trend cycle for today’s younger generation just as new traditional has endured for me.
Now, who and what is grandmillennial?
“Ranging in age from mid-20s to late-30s, grandmillennials have an affinity for design trends considered by mainstream culture to be ‘stuffy’ or ‘outdated,’” wrote Housebeautiful.
Grandmillenial style is a mix of old and new, an updated take on old-school traditional design with a fresh spin, a look that is both nostalgic and comfortable but never tacky. Grandmillennial style is all about
Grandmillenial style is a mix of old and new, an updated take on old-school traditional design with a fresh spin. celebrating pattern, texture and color from floor to ceiling. It calls to the maximalist in all of us to pack our homes full of chintz, toile, plaid, wicker, fringe, chinoiserie, drapery, furniture skirts, wallpaper, ruffles and embroidered linens.
Grandmillennial style is a fun and fresh term for new traditional, so of course I love it. Grandma-chic is not only an aesthetic now, but a full-on design movement, and we are, as the young people say, here for it.
As is true with new traditional decorating, it is important to layer and edit this style in your home. Done correctly, the grand style makes a statement that is anything but bland and basic.
As with all maximalist looks, it
needs to be tempered with select spots of minimalism to avoid a completely cluttered space. For instance, when using varied patterns and textures, keep your color palette consistent to keep your room cozy instead of chaotic.
One of my friends (and a millennial), Presley Busenbarrick, shared a few photos of his new bedroom that take that principle to heart. He did a wonderful job of incorporating grandmillenial elements by bringing in a beautiful, bold, statement-making Dana Gibson fabric for his canopy and continued the theme into a stunning grouping of ginger jars and chinoiserie details on his bedside tables.
I am also a fan of how former quilt shop owner Suzanne Zingg has been highlighting the elements of the look. Zingg creates stunning tablescapes that take your breath away, and her latest nod to grandmillennial style is no different.
She masterfully balanced her vivid color choices with white accessories that are both starkly modern and traditionally shaped. This is a look that displays multiple busy fabrics in a way that is still clean, classic and fresh.
As is true with new traditional decorating, it is important to layer and edit this style in your home. Done correctly, the grand style makes a statement that is anything but bland and basic.