Granny chic: The new take on ‘old school’

Love it or hate it, granny chic is taking the world by storm according to curbed.com Granny chic is characterised by “crocheted, knitted, quilted and handmade items and includes lovely vintage touches like glass cake plates and small goblets,” and while there is no set definition for ‘granny chic’ you can pretty much sum it up in one sentence – Granny chic is about making old stuff new again.

With this trend all things old are new and hip again in a modern, fun, funky yet traditional, and familiar. A perfect example of this is wallpaper which has been making a décor fabulous comeback for a few years now. ‘Granny chic’ wallpaper is like the wallpaper you remember in your granny’s dusty old formal lounge but this time round it’s all about “bright colors, festive patterns, modern designs, and endearing themes. Humor definitely plays a big part in the designs.”..

The key to pulling off ‘granny chic’ is this – when using something old, like romantic or antique-style furniture, it must exhibit a new, colourful, modern or contemporary twist. Your grandfather’s old armchair can be given a new, trend-savvy lease on life by covering it in shiny vinyl where the faded, worn velvet once was.

Not convinced that this ‘trend’ is as ‘trendy’ as I claim? Well, a quick trip into the blogosphere will lay all your doubts to rest. Mabel & Violet have been loving the trend for a while now. The online boutique is loving Grannysquare Crochet blankets and can’t get enough of these Granny lampshades by House Doctor.

Over at Sweet Sassasfras, professional sewing writer and the creator of Colette Patterns, Sarai showcases the trend as a vehicle for tradition and quirkiness, giving new meaning to the old adage “birds of a feather flock together,” and showing you just how to put that vintage ‘salt & pepper’ set your great aunt gave you to good use…

The great thing about this trend is that you can take it in as small or as big a dose as you like – throwing a crocheted blanket over the end of your bed, hanging a cluster of thrift store treasures on your living room wall, or take a page out of Style Pie’s blog book and hanging vintage accessories above your headboard…

…or going all the way, like vintage stylista Heather Sprigg’s Thompson’s home in Nashville Tennessee which according to www.apartmenttherapy.com “feels like a beautiful echo heard around the internet…”

“…She has set the bar high in the mainstream media, when it comes to making vintage pieces not only feel beautiful, but modern and comforting. Although she’s only recently moved into her current home, it’s already filled with picture-perfect places where you can easily see yourself sipping a cup of tea or curled up with a good book. Heather’s ability to flawlessly blend old and new pieces comes from keeping a cohesive palette. It doesn’t matter what era things are from as long as they look great together. She buys what she loves, hitting up antique, thrift and modern stores alike, to find pieces that play nicely together. You can keep track of Heather over at her blog, Gathering Spriggs and has a hand in two Etsy stores, Gathering Vintage and Gathering Spriggs.”