Achieving the Grand Millennial look with Lexington Home Brands

Defining the Grand Millennial Look

The grand millennial (or grandmillennial) aesthetic—sometimes lovingly nicknamed “granny chic”—is all about reimagining the elegance and coziness of traditional, heirloom-rich interiors through a fresh, curated lens. Think floral wallpapers, upholstered chairs with trim and fringe, antique finds, pattern mixing, and plenty of decorative detail—but balanced, edited, and modern rather than fusty.

If you love Lexington Home Brands’ reputation for upscale, quality furnishings across styles (from classic to contemporary), then you already have in your corner a resource rich enough to support a grand millennial vision.

5 Tips to Achieve a Grand Millennial Look with Lexington Home Brands

Here are five practical strategies to bring grand millennial style to life using Lexington Home’s lines. In each tip, we'll mention how Lexington’s catalog and collections can help you.

1. Start with a “Classic-Layered” Base Furniture

Why it matters: Your major furniture pieces set the tone. Grand millennial works best when your foundational pieces feel rooted, not trendy.

How to do it with Lexington:

• Choose Lexington’s more traditionally styled collections
• Go for sofas, loveseats, chairs, and case goods with carved details, turned legs, or moldings.
• Use Lexington’s custom upholstery or decorative trim options to add piping, welt cords, or pleated skirts.
• Select pieces in warm, timeless wood tones (walnut, cherry, medium oak) or muted painted finishes to ground the palette.

Tip: Keep upholstery fabrics in neutral or soft solid tones for your core pieces—then reserve bold patterning for secondary items (pillows, drapes) so the look stays elegant and not over the top. Lexington offers many bold pillow patterns within the custom upholstery program, as well as the opportunity for COM if you have a specific fabric picked out that we do not have in our line already. 

2. Layer Pattern Wisely (Wallpaper, Drapes, Fabrics)

Why it matters: Pattern is central to grand millennial style, but it’s also where many rooms go wrong by feeling too busy.

How to do it with Lexington:

• Use your base furnishings as a calm backdrop and introduce pattern through drapes, accent pillows, and occasional fabric-covered surfaces.
• Lexington’s upholstery program and designer collections often allow mix-and-match fabric selections—so you can incorporate chintz, floral, or toile patterns in accent pieces without reupholstering your main sofa.
  
  
• Consider statement wallpaper (large botanical or chinoiserie motifs), then echo a scale of that pattern in a throw or lumbar pillow.
• Be sure to vary scale: e.g. small floral on pillows, medium stripe on drapes, large botanical on wallpaper.

3. Accessorize with Trim, Fringe & Decorative Hardware

Why it matters: The detail is what makes it feel authentic rather than a watered-down version of “traditional.”

How to do it with Lexington:

• Lexington’s upholstery and decorative trim programs allow you to add fringe, tassels, braid, or tape to cushions, pillows, and skirts.
• On case goods (dressers, cabinets, sideboards), choose pieces with decorative moldings, turned posts, raised panels, or embellishments.
• Take a look at the hardware- Lexington pays careful attention to detailed, unique hardware on their furnishings to add an extra detail and luxe feel to their pieces. 

4. Mix Curated “Antique Mood” Pieces with New Furnishings

Why it matters: A purely new setup can feel sterile; mixing in vintage or reproduction accents brings personality.

How to do it with Lexington:

• Use Lexington’s accent furniture lines (console tables, étagères, display cabinets) to host your more collectible items.
  
• Place curated finds (e.g. porcelain urns, gilt frames, family silver) on those surfaces.
• Choose some accent items from Lexington with design flair (e.g. shaped mirrors, carved wood accents) to echo the antique mood without being literal antiques.
• Use Lexington’s “accent tables / lamp tables” for displaying smaller decorative items.

5. Keep It Fresh with Art & Metallic Accents

Why it matters: Grand millennial doesn’t mean maximalist in every corner—modern touches break up heaviness and keep a space feeling current.

How to do it with Lexington:

• Above your Lexington console, buffet, or mantel, hang contemporary art or simple gilt-framed prints to juxtapose the tradition.
• Use lighting with metallic elements—brass, gold leaf, or polished nickel—to add brightness and contrast.
• Incorporate mirrors (especially decorative ones) to bounce light and create elegance above your Lexington sideboards or vanities.
• If Lexington or its partner brands offer mirrored or metallic accent pieces, use those sparingly as focal punctuation.

Bringing It All Together: A Sample Room Narrative

Imagine you’re styling a living room:

1. Furniture base: Start with a Lexington upholstered sofa in a subdued, warm neutral, with optional nailhead or pleated skirt trim. Add a Lexington wingback or accent chair with carved wood legs.
2. Rug and flooring: Ground the seating area with a Persian-style area rug (muted reds, greens, or blues) that hints at history but doesn’t compete with pattern layering.
3. Wallpaper / paint & drapery: Choose a floral or damask wallpaper on a single accent wall behind your main seating. On the windows, drape linen-blend curtains edged with tassel or fringe (or simple pleated tape from your trim program). Echo a color from the wallpaper in coordinating throw pillows.
4. Accent & display furniture: Place a Lexington console table or etagere to one side, displaying framed heirloom photos, porcelain figurines, decorative books, or small plants. Use a classic mirror or framed artwork above it for vertical interest.
5. Decorative finishing touches: Add table lamps with pleated shades and fringe on Lexington side tables. Introduce a metallic (brass or gilt) accent—maybe a tray, candlesticks, or mirror. Finally, include a cherished small object: a china bowl, an inherited clock, or a decorative box that brings personality into the room.

The result: a room that feels collected, warm, and refined—not a museum of antiques, but a living space steeped in character.

Final Thoughts & Words of Caution

• Edit mindfully. Grand millennial can tip into clutter if you don’t pare down. Be deliberate about what you display.
• Balance is key. Let heavy or ornate elements have breathing room next to plain surfaces.
• Scale matters. Don’t mix too many large-scale patterns. Let one big design be your anchor, then echo with smaller accents.
• Lighting is your friend. Use warm lighting, layered sources, and reflective surfaces to soften and elevate the space.

With Lexington Home Brands’ breadth of high-end, design-forward furniture, trim/accents, and upholstery customization, you’re well-equipped to realize a grand millennial vision grounded in craftsmanship.

Learn more about what others are saying about the Grand Millennial look:

• Better Homes and Gardens
• The Turquoise Home