Easy Ways to Incorporate the Trending Grand Millennial Style
Today, I am updating the decor of my sitting room in the grand millennial style, also known as granny chic. This is a sister style of cottagecore, but I would describe it as the older, more interesting, and more sophisticated sister.
In this guide, I am going to tell you what this style implies and share my redesigning process.
So what is grand millennial décor? Experts suggest that many people, millennials in particular, are tired of the monochromatic, minimalist style of the past decade, of mass-produced furniture and cookie-cutter decor.
We crave layered, personalized interiors that give us the warm, cozy feeling that we remember from grandma's house.
This is what grand millennial décor offers. Grand millennial style abounds with books, comfy seating, patterned pillows, wallpaper, vintage and antique finds, plants, flower motifs, wicker, collections, vintage metals, gallery walls, and so much more.
Let’s talk more in detail about the elements that are associated with the grand millennial style.
1. Mismatched pillows and throws
These are truly a key element of granny chic. Notice how no two pillows are the same on my sofa.
2. Botanical prints
I printed out a fern image on an old book page and taped it inside a vintage frame. You could also print out a botanical image and mod podge it to an old book.
I also used some twine and tied on a fern leaf and some dried flowers. I think this looks really cute displayed on a coffee table.
I decided to use an old weather instrument to add another botanical element to my room. I popped out all the mechanical parts, spray painted everything black and instead inserted three circles cut out of a book page, with dried flowers glued onto them.
I then popped the plastic covers back on. I think it would be fun to press flowers and leaves from my own yard to put in this little weather instrument display.
3. Vintage art
You also see a lot of vintage art in Grand Millennial style, which gives me one more thing to look for while thrift shopping. I get extra excited to find an original oil painting.
4. Live, dried & faux plants
You cannot be granny chic without a lot of plants of different kinds. I mix them all together and I think it looks great.
5. Nature inspired colors
To go along with all of those plants is a color palette that is inspired by nature. Grand Millennials especially love green and blue.
I painted a small bookcase dark green, using a small roller or a paintbrush in smaller areas. I used two drop leaves from a broken table to create shelves for the cabinet. I cut them to size, hung the doors, and reattached the glass panes.
6. Tropical touch
To add a tropical touch to the cabinet, I inserted peel-and-stick wallpaper from Walmart to the back of the cabinet, using a wallpaper scraper to smooth out any air bubbles.
I put the shelf supports back in and then added my former table leaves. I think they make beautiful shelves. I spent $9 on this cabinet at Goodwill, $2 on the mist tent paint, and $29 for the wallpaper for a grand total of $40.
7. Comfy seating
If you want to be granny chic, you have to have plenty of comfortable seating. I bought these two matching gold mid-century chairs at a thrift store for $40.
I decided to remove the skirt and give them a good cleaning with my Hoover upholstery cleaner. It was a warm day so the chairs dried out in just a couple hours.
8. Wicker & rattan
Wicker, rattan, and other natural fibers are really popular in the grand millennial style. I pulled a wicker table from one of my upstairs bedrooms and replaced an ornate Tuscan-style plate in my bookshelf with a wicker tray.
While I was working on my makeover, my next-door neighbor put this wicker chair out in the trash, so I decided to recover the cushion and apply new fabric that would fit my décor better using a stapler.
9. Needlepoint, embroidery & velvet
This little stool is very granny chic, so I cleaned the punch needle upholstery and set it out in front of my vintage chairs, which of course I covered with mismatched pillows and throws.
10. Aged metals
I have a lot of vintage metal in the room. I have always loved brass and I am so glad that it is back in style.
Although I kept many farmhouse elements in my kitchen and sitting room, I decided to replace my old farmhouse style end table with a thrifted metal table, which I covered with some newspaper and spray painted matte black.
I styled it with some plants and I love it next to my sofa.
11. Lots of pattern
Because both my rug and furniture upholstery are in solid neutral colors, I can really layer on the pattern with pillows and with throws.
I really wanted to embrace this style, and so I decided to make some curtains in a large flower motif fabric, using two different fabrics from the Waverly pre-cut fabric selection at Walmart. I ended up making four curtains for under $60.
12. Antique & vintage finds
I already had many of the items that were listed as characteristics of the grand millennial style, particularly collections of vintage and antique items. These can be furniture pieces, architectural salvage, old frames, or small decor items that you put on a shelf.
13. Bird and butterfly motifs
Pillows, small decorative items, framed art – all of these things are likely to include birds and butterflies in them. You might even display actual butterfly specimens if you are lucky enough to find some.
14. Collections
The final element of Grand Millennial style is displaying collections. Three of my favorite things to collect are vintage tins, vintage clocks, and old bottles.
Grand millennial style
So here is how my sitting room looks now that it has been refreshed in the grand millennial style.
Now you know all about grand millennial style. I am crazy for it, I feel like everything that I love is finally in style. If you like it, what granny chic elements would you like to incorporate into your home?
If not, what kind of décor style is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Next, check out my Easy and Budget-Friendly Bedroom Makeover Ideas.
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