Why millennials are decorating their homes like their grandparents in 2021

During confusing and uncertain times, it might seem inevitable that a throw-back to simpler days at Grandma’s house might be the comfort and familiarity we need during a pandemic.

Recently, interior design experts Modsy.com released their trend report for 2021 and tipped the “grandmillennial” style to rise in popularity. The blended term refers to millennials (now aged roughly between mid-20s and late-30s) rebelling against the neutrals of their parent’s generation and seeking home-decor inspiration from their grandparent’s era, looking for interiors that are personal, nostalgic, and kinder to the planet. 

Grandmillennial, or “granny chic” as it’s sometimes known, is floral wallpaper contrasting with modern, edgy prints. It’s a needlepoint cushion with a cheeky IDGAF [acronym for “I don’t give a F”] message. It’s an intricate vintage cabinet restored and repainted in vibrant colours.

Online searches suggest that the style is on the rise. Over the past 12 months, Google Trends has seen a spike in searches for both “grandmillennial” and its style points including “1950s decor”, “wicker furniture”, “vintage ornaments”, and “pleated lampshade”. 

Melbourne-based interior designer Tennille Burnup has noticed the trend and suggests, “We’ll likely see a lot of wallpaper and soft furnishings; lots of cushions, rugs, all the things that make a home comfortable and unique. I think ‘Grandmillennials’ have a sense of belonging. It’s about honouring the craft process – old skills like embroidery or sewing. It’s slow-sumption (slower consumption) and old furniture passed down from a Grandma can be easily revamped in a new timber stain and fabric, giving it a new sense of life and also an intrinsic value.”

Alongside being a generation of increasingly eco-conscious consumers, millennials may also be seeking comfort, storytelling and nostalgia in their homes. “[It’s popularity] is definitely emotional too,” says Burnup, “sentimental feelings towards our past relatives or an item from a past era, and a feeling of cosiness. After such a big pandemic, we are going back to living slower. These antique styles were of an era of slow living, and we want to replicate something of that in our own home.”

But the style doesn’t need to make your home seem stuffy or look like a jumble-sale; Burnup suggests adding a modern twist by contrasting bygone-era items with edgy prints, adding a lick of paint, or upcycling.

That’s exactly what Alison Swanston does. Alison, 36, is a stylist based in Temora in central NSW. She embraces the style points of her grandmother’s era in her country homestead that she shares with her husband and four sons. Alison loves to find vintage second-hand furniture or upcycle items handed down from her grandmothers to give her home personality and lighten her impact on the planet. 

Swanston says, ‘‘I’m drawn to the stories of things from the past. I’ve got an old display cabinet [dark chestnut-coloured wood] with beautiful details on the handles; you don’t get those kinds of details anymore. I’ve had it painted a chalk-pink to bring it into my romantic style, and I have a collection of vintage ballerina paintings and prints on the wall above it.

“In the display cabinet, I also have a collection of vintage vases. Some were from antique shops, or from my Grandmother when she passed, and friends have passed them on from their own grandparents.

“I think we need to cherish things more and not be such a throw-away society. I pick things for an emotional stand-point, I like to create a really personalised comforting space for my family.”

It may not be just Swanston who is seeking an element of slow-sumption and nostalgia in their home.

Kirsten Radford is a Melbourne-based furniture designer and maker at Arquette Interiors, who has seen a shift towards the grandmillennial trend in recent months.

Radford says, “We have noticed a large shift in our younger clients embracing our more traditional furniture designs and using these forever pieces within their own homes with an eclectic twist to keep the style familiar but fresh.

“More than half of our new clients are requesting traditional custom cabinetry and furniture designs, compared with the last few years where the majority of our custom work had a contemporary style designed to suit more modern interiors. 

“Nostalgic pieces remind us of people and places that have warm memories and a feeling of being ‘home’. It is wonderful to see people looking at traditional details like dovetail joints and speak about how a small detail reminds them of woodworking with a grandparent or the resurgence of ‘slow furniture’ where details are celebrated again.”

With trends tending to circle back eventually, it was almost inevitable that the ‘granny chic’ style would creep up again, maybe more so now than ever before. Because in a world where it often feels like each day is unpredictable and uncertain, sometimes it can be comforting to look to the past and embrace the nostalgia of a simpler, slower, less socially-distanced time.