Grandmillennial Hobbies

Oriente Italiano Needlepoint

Grandmillennial hobbies are a very popular trend. Granny hobbies are low-tech and tactile. No longer for just octogenarians, these hobbies are being embraced by Gen Z and millennials. They include needlecraft like needlepoint, knitting, quilting, and crocheting. Domestic arts include cooking, baking, canning, gardening, and bird watching. Puzzles, cards, board games, and tile games of all sorts are wildly popular, especially mahjong. Art activites like pottery, painting, and drawing as well as paint by numbers have renewed interest. (I think collecting chinoiserie especially blue and white Chinese porcelain should be added to the list.)

Decorating with Antique Quilts

Tory Burch - Mercer Street Store in SOHO

I love going to Tory Burch stores not only to shop, but to get interior design inspiration. Her stores are gorgeous. Her NYC SOHO store is wonderful, filled with wicker, ferns, topiaries, lettuce ware, spongeware, chintz and vintage quilts. My mother had a serious passion for collecting quilts and had an armoire filled with them despite their mid century modern home filled with Danish modern decor. She couldn't sew a button on, so she didn't make the quilts, but loved finding them and adding to her collection. 

Wicker & Rattan Meet Chinoiserie

Amanda Lindroth

There is no question that wicker and rattan have returned to the interior design world full force. I think there are many reasons - for baby boomers it is a look we remember fondly from our pasts - my daughter's nursery was white wicker with Laura Ashley pink and white ticking stripe fabric. For grandmillenials, it represents a traditional and classic look. And for the coastal look that has been so popular in recent years, wicker and rattan are a perfect choice - organic and light and airy.

Wicker and rattan have always worked beautifully with Chinoiserie. Designers like Mark Sikes often included pieces. Today you can find wicker and rattan everywhere from Urban Outfitters and HomeGoods to designer collections like Sarah Bartholomew and Amanda Lindroth. And Amanda's collection includes wicker Chinoiserie like pagodas. I have been finding lots of wicker wrapped candles and hurricanes at HomeGoods that look just like hers for a fraction of the price.

Wicker in my home includes a vintage wicker elephant, a vintage wicker chaise in Mario Buatta fabric - Evelyn - still a great favorite of mine, and two new wicker S chairs that I will use with my Mercer table that is arriving today.

My handyman and I worked VERY hard yesterday and got everything off my punch list. So I was able to schedule the wallpaper hanger for next week. I had put in a new alarm system and the control panel from the old ADT system was on the main wall in the laundry room which will be wallpapered and removal required dismantling of the old system. But now it's done.

I can't believe I moved in July 29th and the house is almost finished. I still need to have my art hung, but I have four major pieces on order and am awaiting their arrival.

The Mercer table is scheduled for noonish, so this afternoon I get to start styling it. Very fun. I need to make a Trader Joe's run for orchids if I can squeeze that in. And restock my wine! (And Wednesday is Sushi Day at Publix - a must for me).

Old School/Grandmillennial

Valentino - Architectural Digest

I have saved this photo of Valentino's chateau outside of Paris for ages and I found it this morning and still adore it. This is the winter garden. Check out this other shot below of the same room with that stunning English Chinoiserie mirror. I adore all the Chinoiserie including the Chinese garden stool, ginger jars, figures, framed Chinese panels, the pagoda mirror, and that faux bamboo cocktail table that holds famille rose plates. The fringed banquette in mint green striped silk is to die for. This is so Old School, but is timeless, especially with its grandmillennial style.

Chintz Returns

House Beautiful - Can you guess the year?

OK you smarty pants. What year is this from?

Current
2011?
2001?
1991?
1981?

"In the 1980s, chintz worked in just about every room. Featured in our October 1981 issue, a sitting area in Old Westbury Gardens in Long Island, New York, the Baker sofas are covered in Brunschwig & Fils's Westbury Bouquet glaze chintz." ---- House Beautiful

So almost 40 years ago! This room is timeless IMHO. A blue and white Chinese garden stool, blue and white Chinese porcelain, wicker, and a classic chintz which is having a resurgence. The only tip off is the chairs matching the sofa.

But chintz is having a moment again with Grandmillennials - the key is to use just a bit - don't go full Mario Buatta. Pointers - use a classic chintz - high end, glazed is gorgeous, think Brunschwig & Fils, Colefax and Fowler, Lee Joffa in peonies, roses, hollyhocks, and the like. Use it as an accent - don't go all matchy matchy. A beautiful pair of chintz pillows is a great example.

Society Social

Society Social

I still have a wicker chaise and table skirt in a gorgeous Mario Buatta chintz that I plan to use in one of the guest bedrooms. An aside, I would love to see the return of aubergine - does anyone remember Mario Buatta's aubergine lacquered walls? Wonderful!

Mario Buatta

Grandmillennial and Needlepoint

Tory Burch

With staying at home being the new normal for now and grandmillennial style on the rise, needlepoint is having a real moment again. Needlepoint kits have been selling like hotcakes. I too loved needlepoint and had pillows and rugs (particularly Portugese needlepoint rugs) all over my home. I learned to needlepoint at a wonderful shop in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Over the years, they seemed too granny and I did away with most.

What are your thoughts on this resurgence? I like modern needlepoint with a bit of an edge to it. These Tory Burch are great examples. I have a couple of her pillows. Tory's father loved to needlepoint and taught her. I love the mix of Chinoiserie and modern needlepoint.

Architectural Digest - Tory Burch pillows - NYC headquarters

New England Home Magazine - Tory Burch pillows

Jonathan Adler has lots of fun needlepoint as well. And I am still hunting for a vintage needlepoint gaming table cover in pink and green.

Vintage Needlepoint Card Table Cover

This Jonathan Adler needlepoint alligator pillow is a new eBay find of mine and a wink to the alligators in my backyard lake.

My House

Backgammon , Bridge, Board Games

House Beautiful

House Beautiful online did a piece on hobbies that grandmillenials are taking up, especially during this stay at home period. Examples included needlepoint and flower arranging, both things I love. Another was board games. I used to play lots of backgammon in law school. I love this set featured here. Any idea what it is?

They also mentioned a discontinued Lilly Pulitzer Monopoly set which is apparently crazy collectible. I would love to find this.

I'm debating taking up bridge - very popular down here. I'd love to find a needlepoint card table cover like the one in the top picture.

I looked on eBay and Etsy but didn't find anything yet.

This oomph backgammon table is $4,000!

Caspari has some lovely bridge sets like this.

Any ideas?

The Chinoiserie Dining Room

Sarah Vaile

This is a lovely example of grandmillennial style = traditional but with a modern approach. Chinoiserie elements include the wallpaper and blue and white Chinese porcelain. A modern neutral rug, simple window treatments, and pared down accessorizing all add to a more modern vibe. Headquartered in Chicago, this interior designer works a lot on the North Shore of Chicago and Lake Forest where I grew up.