Embrace the Grandmillennial Trend With These Old-School Décor Finds

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Mid-century and Scandinavian décor might be popular, but those more minimalist styles aren’t necessarily everyone's cup of tea. For design lovers who love pattern, color, and personality with a dose of nostalgia, there’s the super-trendy grandmillennial concept.

The aesthetic is a riff on traditional décor—think florals, toile, chinoiserie, chintz, antiques, ruffles, lace, embroidery, and needlepoint—repackaged as chic maximalism by those in the millennial demographic. Whether you’re just curious about the style or you’re committed to recreating your grandma’s old-school living room in your own home, there are tons of finds out there to create a beautiful space.

Here, the best grandmillennial home décor items.

Gien Les Dépareillées Vintage-Inspired French Dinnerware

Gien Les Dépareillées Vintage-Inspired French Dinnerware

Courtesy of Food52

While casual dining is a touchstone of millennial culture, that doesn't mean you can't embrace formal dining on special occasions. You can’t go wrong with classic toile-inspired dinnerware like the Gien Les Dépareillées Plates, which are adorned with either bird or floral motifs and come in dinner and salad plate sizes.

Sold individually, these plates are expensive—but the high price makes sense when you consider how they're made. Made of faience (AKA tin-glazed) earthenware, these plates are crafted by artisans in a small factory on France's Loire River. And good news: Unlike delicate antique china, this dinnerware is microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

Pottery Barn Scallop Embroidered Organic Percale Sheet Set

Scallop Embroidered Organic Percale Sheet Set

Investing in good sheets is always a bright idea. If you’re going for a grandmillennial look, opt for sheets with some level of detailing like a classic pattern or a scalloped edge. For the latter idea, check out Pottery Barn's Scallop Embroidered Organic Percale Sheet Set, which comes with a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases.

As its name suggests, the 400-thread count crisp white sheets, which are made from 100 percent organic cotton, have a scalloped edge with colorful embroidery in your choice of one of ten different colors. The design is quite subtle, but not every item in a grandmillennial room needs to be extra loud—the scallops and the embroidery are just enough to elevate your linens without going over-the-top.

Anthropologie Valerie Pied-a-Terre Sofa

Valerie Pied-A-Terre Sofa

Courtesy of Anthropologie

Make a statement in your living room with Anthropologie's Valerie Pied-a-Terre Sofa. With a camelback design, tapestry-like floral and jewel-tone velvet upholstery, and a kiln-dried maple frame, this piece of furniture couldn’t be a more perfect example of grandmillennial style.

When it comes to styling this bold sofa, let it stand out on its own! Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns and colors, but do give this elegant piece of furniture room to breathe. And if this specific pattern and color combo aren’t to your liking, Anthropologie makes a few different versions.

Serena & Lily Seahaven Toile Wallpaper

Wallpaper

Courtesy of Serena & Lily

Wallpaper is always a good idea in a grandmillennial home, whether you put it in your living room, your bathroom, or even your closet. Stick to classic patterns, like Serena & Lily's Seahaven Toile Wallpaper, which comes in traditional blue and white, as well as black and white.

Here, the toile depicts a quaint seaside scene, from beach umbrellas to sailboats to palm trees to lighthouses, bringing a touch of grandmillennial coastal-chic to your house. Just keep in mind that this isn’t a peel-and-stick variety, so you might want to hire a pro to help you install it perfectly.

Sferra Bombo Dinner Napkins

Sferra Bombo Dinner Napkins

Proper place settings (and likely a full tablescape with a centerpiece!) are the norm at a grandmillennial dinner, and that includes properly folded napkins. Fabric napkins are the ones to do the job—while they might require a little extra effort compared to paper ones, they are undoubtedly far more elegant, both in appearance and in use.

Go a step above and beyond with your napkins by choosing ones that have a pattern or are embroidered with your monogram or a symbol. Check out Sferra’s Bombo Dinner Napkins, which feature a delicate gold honeybee on white hemstitched linen.

The Inside Scalloped Screen

The Inside Scalloped Screen

Whether you have a small apartment that needs a divider to delineate space or you just want a better backdrop for Zoom meetings, consider employing the use of a screen. The Inside's Scalloped Screen is a particularly great pick, given that it can be customized with any one of the company’s 100-plus fabric options—a great number of which are perfect for grandmillennial style, including the Delft Chintz pattern.

Not a fan of florals? Try animal print, geometrics, or even simple stripes. The fabric is made from OEKO-TEX-certified cotton, with patterns digitally printed on (it’s a far greener method that saves on material waste).

Interior Define Maxwell Accent Chair

Interior Define Maxwell Accent Chair

It doesn’t always have to be about busy patterns and punchy colors in a grandmillennial room, and in fact, it shouldn’t be. Try something more subtle, like playing with textures to incorporate luxe textiles—especially on furniture. It’s a great way to change things up without visually overloading the space.

At Interior Define, every single piece of furniture can be customized to some extent, meaning you can upholster the cozy-looking, deep-seated Maxwell Accent Chair with a millennial-pink velvet (the textile’s formal name is Blush, in case you were wondering). Finish off the customization with brass-plated legs for an elegant yet inviting look.

Eastern Accents Tresco Bloom Floral Curtain Panel

Eastern Accents Tresco Bloom Floral Curtain Panel

One of the most overlooked yet one of the best ways to complete a space is to add window treatments to your room. Depending on the rest of your furnishings, you can either go for a solid color for your curtains—again, consider using a texture such as lace here—or a striking pattern that could become the focal point of a room.

We’re fans of the latter idea, simply because the rainbow colors of the Tresco Bloom Floral Curtain Panel are just so perfectly cheerful and bright without being too overwhelming. We particularly love the watercolor-like style, which modernizes the floral pattern ever so slightly.

Caracole Awesome Blossom Chinoiserie Dresser

One Kings Lane Blossom Chinoiserie Dresser

If your grandparents or your parents have some lovely antique furniture they’re able to pass down to you, that’s great! But if not, you can always buy your own antiques—or a new piece of furniture that simply looks like a family heirloom. This Blossom Chinoiserie Dresser certainly does the trick.

Made from mahogany veneers over an alder frame and featuring hand-painted cherry blossoms embellished with gold leaf and Swarovski crystals, this glamorous yet subdued dresser would look just at home in a 1930s Art Deco manse as it would in a contemporary grandmillennial-style apartment.